Cruising Down The Scale

My Story

I have been fat all of my life. I was a chubby kid in kindergarten and stayed that way all throughout high school. I had half-heartedly tried to lose weight many many times, and I say "half-heartedly" because I never tried with the true conviction that I did it with this time.

I had been watching a rerun of Oprah with her trainer Bob Green. They both said that you had to decide to lose weight, and that you had to love yourself enough to change. "Yeah, right," I thought, and I slept on it.

I woke up in the morning and my first thought was: “I deserve to know what being thin feels like. I am so tired of being fat. I want to meet someone I deserve, not someone I am willing to settle for.”

So in February 2005, I went to Weight Watchers (which I had been to before) and my attitude was so different. I went in with an open mind and wanted them to teach me. I listened to what they said and agreed to go on a cruise with a friend in September.

I wanted to lose 50 pounds so badly before I left for the cruise. On the day of the cruise, I weighed in and had lost 49 pounds—I knew how a silver medalist must have felt. But on the cruise, I continued to eat the way Weight Watchers had taught me, and I walked every day. I got back in seven days and the next day I weighed in—I lost one pound on the cruise—now I was a gold medalist.

I have since lost 112 pounds with 15 more to go to reach my personal goal of 127 pounds lost, which is half my body weight. When I get to that goal I plan on working for Weight Watchers.

I fill up on lots and lots of veggies, and I am very selective when I do indulge. Sweets are what made me fat, so now I only eat desserts out, and usually share with a friend. I love to bake, so I do bake cookies and throw them in the freezer and send them to the troops. I walk almost every day.

Here are a few examples of what I do to eat healthy:

Breakfast: Weight-control oatmeal, 1/2 cup homemade applesauce.

Lunch: Homemade soup that I make in a huge pot and freeze. Mostly veggies, lentils, barley and chicken stock.

Dinner: Always two veggies and 3 ounces lean protein.

Snacks: 2 to 3 fruits a day. Popcorn 2 to 3 times a week. Sugar-free, fat-free chocolate pudding that I mix up.

I currently wear a size 6 or 8, which is a far cry from a 2X or 3X.

Editor's note: Do you have a weight-loss success story of your own? If you've lost weight or are in the process of losing weight, email editor.neversaydiet@nbcuni.com with "Weight-Loss Success Story" in the subject line and tell us your story. You may be featured on NeverSayDiet.com!