Weight Loss Essay: My Experience In Body Transformation

How many times have you been in the grocery store, walking down those narrow aisles and wanted one of those candy bars staring at you? Since I was a little kid, I have remembered saying to my parents “Mom, Dad can I please get a bag of Swedish fish”? “Yes, but one only” Mom exclaimed sometimes but the other times, “No we don’t need that, put it back” dad replied. After fifteen years of candy bars, treats and soda, I realized it was time to limit myself when the scale at the doctor’s office said “170 pounds”. I was in great disbelief. I felt ashamed of myself. Since that day, everything has changed for the better. 

When I was fifteen years old, I understood I was overweight, but I was not sure why. I was almost the same weight as my father. I still remember when the words “you are on the high end of the weight percentile” came out of my doctors’ mouth, I was appalled. A day in the life of fifteen-year-old me usually consisted of eating food, sitting around, and not having a lot of friends. For breakfast, I would normally consume a wawa breakfast sandwich with hash browns or a stack of pancakes loaded with syrup. Lunch was some sort of fast food and then dairy queen ice cream. Dinner was either burger or chicken with tons of pasta and no veggies. Dessert normally consisted of a whole pint of ice cream with a bunch of scrumptious toppings. Lastly, snacks were most likely goldfish and popcorn. I never worked out, barely drank any water and didn’t think anything of it. 

From fifteen years old to seventeen years old I lost about 30 pounds. At that point I was still eating a lot of dessert and snacks but wasn’t sure how to moderate the amounts. I cut out a ton of different foods, but still was overeating in certain categories. I would communicate with others that I was not going to eat dessert that night but the minute I inhaled those luscious, heavenly aromas I caved. I would climb into that sunshine yellow bikini in the middle of a hot august day and still felt very self-conscious because of my lack of food control. Even though I didn’t like how I looked, people noticed the great change and it made me feel so much better. Hearing individuals say “you look great mik” made me think I was this thin, built person but I saw how my muscular, fit, skinny sister, mom, dad and friends looked in bikinis and then how I looked in comparison. I knew it was time once again to change. These things changed but I still wasn’t happy with myself. 

This was probably one of the hardest things I have ever done that was life changing. Eating healthy food and working out was a struggle, especially because there are so many easier options. I made any excuse I could come up with and it has backfired on me as of today. Each time I went to the gym or worked out at home I would say “this is too hard, I can’t do it” and my mom would reply “you have to try to get better”, I would proceed to get annoyed and not do it. When I noticed how eating healthier and working out played a role in my life, I haven’t stopped, and my life is one thousand times better. To this day I have cravings of the coated, sugary, sweet lollypops and the savory, zesty, salty barbeque potato chips. I have to stop myself or I won’t be able to give it up. I always want to skip a workout, but I know when I do, I won’t want to do it the next day either. I want that bikini body, I want those abs and I am mad that I let myself get this way.  

Currently I am happy with my weight, but I want to lose those body fat percentages. My energy has risen, realized fatty foods, sugar is my lead cause of weight gain and not only did I feel healthier, but I looked healthier. The best change I have every made besides food and workout was tons of water consumption. My skin was healthier, less acne, stronger nails, and thicker hair. My diet and workout routine has changed so much. As of right know I fluctuate between 130 and 135 pounds, workout six times a week and eat super healthy. For breakfast I have one egg white, one whole egg, a piece of Dave’s whole wheat 27 grain bread and a serving of fruit. Lunch, I have chicken with no seasonings with a serving of vegetables. Then dinner, I normally have chicken, turkey six times week and red meat one a week with another serving of vegetables. I have always loved dessert and still do so I have been having 4 oz of a probiotic shake that satisfies my strong craving and ice cream desire. My weekly workout consists of three days arms, two days legs and one day purely abs. I incorporate abs into two out of three arm days and both leg days. Every day I am so glad I have worked out and feel so much better about myself, with my goal of getting abs it is critical to work out and eat very healthy. 

The changes I have made from age fifteen to age eighteen has been so drastic and I am so glad that I decided to take on this challenge. I feel better, I look better, I make friends so much easier, I am not as self-conscious, and I am actually looking forward to bikini season for the first time since I was fifteen. For anyone trying to lose weight, you can do it. It is hard, the workouts are brutal, and you may be unhappy some days, but it is 100% worth it. If I knew better when I was younger to stop eating those bad foods, I may still not struggle with body fat percentage loss which still haunts me to this day. By this time next year, I hope to have that body fat percentage down to around fourteen percent and go into summer with visible back muscles and showing abs. If I can do it, you can do it. Believe in yourself.