A Personal Understanding and Experience of Diet in My Weight Loss Journey

About 3 years ago was the start of a whole new life for me, After stepping on the scale one Sunday morning, and being in complete shock, and after trying all the possible diets and solutions for me to lose weight, I kept failing and nothing ever seemed to work for me, The reality was a shock. I have always off the charts for most of my life, and been in the overweight/obese range since I started Middle Schoolt By the time I reached my freshman year of high school, the weight had slowly crept up on me, and Ijust knew I had to do something about it Things were getting out of control and if I didn‘t change my ways, my life would be greatly impacted very soon.

During my 2 years at William R, Satz Middle School, I tried multiple fad diets and watched my weight fluctuate up and down numerous Limes like a roller coaster It wasn’t until after realizing all these fad diets and magic pills/shakes didn’t work, I was finally able to rid the weight that has been holding me back almost my entire life After days of researching and reading books about this, Iwas starting to make baby steps towards a new me, I learned the word ‘diet‘ was just something temporary and the word ‘lifestyle‘ meant for good I slowly started changing my lifestyle and that was when.

I finally lost the 50 pounds and started to gain a healthier lifestyle, not only for me, but for my family too Ever since I was young, I absolutely loved junk food.

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I would sneak into the kitchen late at night and devour everything in sight and finish it all in one sitting. Whether it was a bag of Doritos, a box of Mallomars, or even a box of Pop tarts, I wanted it all. I felt like I had an addiction to sugar and it was nearly impossible to quit Food was a big part of my life back then, I felt like if I didn‘t finish it, someone else would touch iL It’s not that l was deprived of food because my mom was (and still is) an amazing cook. She always prepared healthy, organic food, but I always refused to eat iL I preferred boxed meals filled with tons of salt and fat, processed foods, fast foods, and anything that wasn’t near healthy. There was a time in my life where I wished I lived off of the junk food cabinet in my house. In Middle School, I was teased, looked at, called fat by the popular kids, and felt so ashamed of myself, I dreaded going to school every day.

It hurt, a lot! My mind thought was if I keep to myself and stay quiet, nobody would notice how fat I was hiding under layers and layers of black clothes Boy, was I wrong I attracted even more attention and a few weeks into school, I was so tired of playing these games with myself and my schoolmates I was never able to wear any of the same clothes, my friends wore, I could never fit in the teen section of all stores, I remember having to borrow my mom‘s clothes because none of my would fit me I would sneak into her room, get some bigger clothes a size 14/16 andjust wear that the next day of schoolt That is when I decided to try every possible diet out there during my 7m and 8‘” grade My weight went down a little, then back up, and down again. Ijust had no luck with keeping the weight off. Summer of going into my freshman year of high school, was when a bell rung in my head, After 2 years of trying these fad diets which never seemed to work for me, I knew there had to be a better solution. The oldvfashioned eating healthier and working out was the key to success for me Immediately the next day I graduated middle school, I dragged my parents to sign me up for the gym and made them aware I was done being the ‘fat’ girl in school and that this summer was the time I was going to change myself.

Not being able to drive was a disadvantage, but that didn’t stop me from walking to the nearest supermarket, buying all healthy, organic food for myself, and walking back home to prepare these meals I never wanted to see another fast food restaurant after this or buy those boxed meals filled with garbage, At just 15 years old, I was eager to do this on my own and change my life With the motivation and support I got from some women I had met at the gym, it made working out so much fun that I didn’t have to think twice about going morning and night. Just a few weeks in, I couldn’t believe the results I was seeing and how amazing I felt. What a relief to know I had finally found the perfect solution I’ve been looking to try for years, First day of high school, September of 2012, I woke up filled with energy and excited to finally go to school without being full of shame, I had lost 30 pounds during that 3 month summer break I can’t even start to explain how amazing I felt about myself and how much healthier my skin, body, hair looked. Many people didn’t even recognize me whether it was classmates or even my own family.

The complements filled me with joy and the fact that it was the first time I could walk into school feeling confident, being myself and not hiding completely behind black clothes and shynessr It felt so good to be able to talk to everyone in my school and not be known as the ‘fattest girl in our grade’, It was the first time in years that I looked forward to going to school and being with my friends. I could finally go to the mall with them, go shopping in the same stores, and just act like a normal freshman girl, The guys started to talk to me, I had better relationships with my teachers and friends, and I wasn‘t hiding behind all that excess weight I used to have, By my 16′” birthday, I had lost the 50 pounds and was planning on throwing a big Sweet 16 party, not just to celebrate my birthday, but also the fact that I completely changed my life and body. I guess you could say I was the happiest girl in the world. Every time I would think about my success, tears would come rolling down my face, I still couldn’t believe myself, at just 15 years old, I turned my life around.

The battle to get where I am today was long and challenging, but it led me to connect better with my peers, boost my self-esteem and walk around confidently.  Ever since, I have gotten so interested in the science and background of food and exercise that I knew I wanted to do this as my career. I was drawn towards a better understanding of nutrition and exercise. I attended several courses, read millions of books, and also experimented with my body over several years. All of these different experiences inspired me to want to pursue the career of becoming a registered dietitian. It seemed like a perfect career choice for me since I strongly felt interested in living and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. After learning about all different disorders and nutrition-related health problems, I really would love to help others make a lifestyle change of their own and use the ever-changing science of nutrition to reverse their current health problems which affect many people today Also, coming from a big Italian family, eating healthy has never in our vocabulary From the large plates of pasta every night, to the numerous loaves of bread, and all the delicious pastries, it was almost impossible to avoid those foods growing up It wasn‘t until I had lost all my weight to realize that being Italian isn’t an excuse for being overweight and borderline obese, Most of my family is overweight and obese, which is more of a reason why I chose to stop following their habits and change my ways to prevent myself from getting more health problems.

Still to this day, my diet is not always perfect, and it doesn’t need to be. Every once in awhile I do crave sweet things, but now I know the better choice to soothe my sweet tooth. Even on holidays, when my family gets together, I do indulge in the food that is prepared such on Thanksgiving and Christmas, etc. Over the past few years, I’ve learned that it is ok to treat yourself every once in awhile and that if you eat unhealthy for one day, it won’t impact your life. But, if you eat like garbage 7 days a week, you will definitely look and feel like that. After a few years of eating this way now, I don’t even want the unhealthy food anymore My taste buds have changed, and after learning about what I used to put in my body, it turns my stomach quite a bit and I still couldn‘t believe what I was letting myself eat.

As a Christian, you have the power of God on your side No matter how impossible or doubtful you or the situation may feel, I can guarantee you that there is a world of hope and possibility waiting somewhere for you Sometimes, you just need someone to look up to and believe in you, to help you take the first step to a whole new life. A quote by an anonymous writer that has inspired me through my journey and still does is: “Don’t take a clock on this journey, take a compass. It’s the direction you’re moving in that matters, not the time it takes you to get there” Before someone can truly manage time, it is very important to know where you are going, what your goals and priorities are, and lastly which direction you‘re headed in. Where you are going is much more important than the time it takes to get there For anyone who is struggling to lose weight like I used to, my best advice would be to take small steps and be patientr Results come with time and dedication So, don’t give up, always believe in yourself and have faith, because in the end, it will be completely worth it.