In My Jeans

My Story
I'll never forget the day my dad thought my jeans were his and when he tried them on, they were too big. Up until then, I never thought I had a problem.

It all started when I got a job working for food service in college. I was mindlessly eating, drinking more and putting on weight, but in complete denial about it. I eventually gained up to 100 pounds in college, but none of my family or friends ever made any comment about my weight. My life was going well. I wasn’t depressed at all. I had a boyfriend and I wore clothes that I thought hid my weight gain, but there’s only so much a wrap dress can do!

Even though I was 245 pounds (at 5’7’’), since no one said anything to me about it, in my mind, I was fine. After my dad tried on my jeans, I kept that incident in the back of my mind, but didn’t do anything about it for a while.

It wasn’t until I graduated college and got a job in May 2005, that I thought about losing the weight. I got an email for Weight Watchers at Work. They needed people to join, so I went. I followed the core plan which gave you a list of foods you could eat and 35 points each week to eat the foods not on the list. By December of that year, I was down to 150 pounds. I focused on eating high energy density foods like lean meats, veggie burgers, fruits and veggies. I started walking. I had only cared about getting down to the goal weight I set, because once you reach it, you don’t have to pay for Weight Watchers anymore. You’re a lifetime member.

I eventually cut my emotional attachment to food. It was hard and at first I was treating healthy food the same way I had treated junk food. I had to eat a huge salad when I really didn’t need all that food. I finally realized, I had to change my thinking and make a lifestyle change.

I used to spend my extra Weight Watchers points on desserts, but they don’t satisfy me anymore. They're gone in three minutes. I’d rather have extra oil or some almonds. I had been eating mindlessly before. If a store had food samples, I ate them. Now I think about what I’m putting in my mouth.

I started running five to seven miles, five days a week. When I started running, I started looking at food as fuel for my body. I don’t believe in comfort foods anymore. I don’t reward myself with food. If I want to reward myself, I buy a new book or get a new tattoo. I’m now down to 127 pounds. I’ve run two marathons and my goal is to qualify for the Boston Marathon.

Jodie is a member of the National Weight Control Registry. If you've lost at least 30 pounds and have kept it off for at least a year, you are eligible to join. Visit www.nwcr.ws for more information.

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!