My mother and father, brother and sister, aunts, uncles and cousins are all larger people.
The whole family is severely overweight and many of my relatives are obese.
I grew up eating a big breakfast that included waffles, bacon, donuts, danishes and pancakes. We often got take-out, drive-thru or some type of fast food for dinner. There were always snacks in the cupboard. I had easy access to potato chips, pretzels, chocolate, twinkies, cookies and soda. I was never encouraged to go outside and play or to do anything physical. My family watched a lot of television, played board games and made sundaes for a treat. I really wanted to go out for volleyball, softball or cheerleading during school but was too intimidated. Because of being overweight, I became extremely introverted. I never joined any clubs or attended any school activities. It wasn’t until I went away to college that I started making changes for the better. I learned that my college tuition included free access to the school’s fitness center. I was also able to sign up for a consultation with a nutritionist. She helped me to design a healthy meal plan that included lots of fruits, vegetables and lean proteins. She taught me the importance of drinking lots of water, avoiding empty calories and getting sufficient vitamins and minerals. She also suggested that I work with a personal trainer. This motivated me to get a job to be able to afford the personal trainer. The job forced me to become more outgoing. Although it felt like the personal trainer was trying to kill me, he was really wonderful. The combination of those strenuous workouts and better eating habits worked to get rid of the extra weight, build muscle and get me feeling confident and healthy.