From 430 Lbs to a Size 8 Model

by Lucy

I used to weigh 430 pounds and was morbidly obese. 2 years ago I realized that my love for food would kill me in 5 years. I realized that this continual feasting had to stop.

I tried many ways, starving myself, becoming a short term bulimic. Each plan making me feel worse and worse about myself, and if anything made me comfort eat more.

I personally would not tell anyone to look for solitude or rescue in any of these plans, they shatter your confidence and make you feel even worse than before.

I enrolled in a healthy eating programme and saw a nutritionist and a physician , who recommend the right sort of exercise and diet for me to gradually and healthily lose weight. It was very hard and I do not blame anyone for giving up, but I think that anything in life worth living longer, fulfilling dreams, seeing your kids grow up, is worth waiting for.

I remember feeling very upset with myself for all those days I lay around feeling self pity and despair when it would be my kids and family who would have to deal with the full consequences of my death. In many ways I felt that I was quite selfish, though not at the time!! and it becomes so clear how comfort eating is a major factor in obese adults and children.

I did not use to be fat, and in reality a lot of my family do not have the capability to become fat, but after many years of tragic family deaths and deep depression, food was all I had left to turn to.

I remember thinking before my weight problem started that if your fat don't continue eating loads go on a diet!!. And in some ways I still maintain that mindset. I believe that it is as hard as you make it to be. I know the hardships of trying to stop yourself. But I got fed up of looking into the mirror and hating what I saw not to mention seeing what I was willingly doing to myself.

Now 2 years later, of healthy eating and a strict exercise regime, I am down to a healthy size 8 and have been taken up part time modeling.

I have met someone who I am so ready to spend the rest of my life with and we are getting married in a month. We have plans for having more kids and creating a big healthy family, and I cannot wait to embark on this new journey with my new health and partner.

I think for all those going through the same problems, I am not saying that dieting will solve everything I.e. finding the perfect man, becoming a model etc.. etc.. but I do believe that everyone has it in them to change, and that if you really want change hard enough you have to fight for it.

I think that it should become a pattern of your every day life not to continue to eat too much, especially when your not hungry! Or think "oh I can start my diet tomorrow" or "I'm to fat no-one will love, me why bother" or "I'm feeling crap today I don't care, because the truth of the matter is, you can stop yourself from going into an early grave, and preventing yourself from seeing your children grow up, or from having kids at all!

My motto is "if your hearts still beating it's never to late"... Lucy - 37

Editor:
Hey Lucy...some pictures would have been great. If you want them included in your story, use the contact form to send them in.