“The distance between who I am and who I want to be is separated only by my actions and words.” -Brian Solis

Disclaimer: Before I start, let me say that this is my own journey. Anything I say refers to me only and is not meant as judgement on anyone else in this situation. We’re all individuals with a story, and this one is mine. If you are on your own weight loss journey, I am only sharing what was helpful for me. This is not meant as a diet to be followed. I’m not a licensed dietician or doctor, so please take this with a grain of salt.

A little part of me can’t believe I’m putting this on the internet, but I realize there are a lot of people out there in my situation, and I want to do some good.

As you can see from the above photo, 2022 brought a weight loss journey that has allowed me to lose 58 pounds (and counting) in 4 months. What happened, you ask? Well, keep reading.

Okay, weight has honestly been an issue for me since middle school. I was thin, but I used to sneak food, and I was always a size or two bigger than I wanted to be. Plus, I had the unhealthy habit of eating when no one was around.

When college hit, I gained the Freshmen 15, and it took me until the summer between sophomore and junior year to lose it and get back down to a healthier weight for me. After that, my weight yo-yoed a bit, and I never really got down to my goal weight.

Fast forward to the summer before my senior year (August 2010), and I got into a relationship. I had just gotten down to a good weight that I thought I could maintain, when the guy I was dating told me I was too skinny. I thought he was joking, but I figured out pretty quickly that he was serious.

Instead of ending the relationship, I married him.

When we met, I weighed about 130 pounds, which is a pretty healthy weight for my small height of 5’3″. I also have a small frame.

By the time we got married in January 2012, my weight had already reached 170 pounds. At the time, we lived in Boston, and by the time I moved to Houston in June 2013, I was 190.

New Year’s Day 2014 I weighed in at 200. At this point, eating a lot and constantly had become a habit. Plus, it’s not like I was filling up on salad. My diet consisted of a lot chips, onion dip, candy, and ice cream. I felt like I couldn’t stop. I kept trying to lose weight, but I would lose 10 pounds, and then gain 20.

In October 2016, we decided to separate and I filed for divorce. At that point, I weighed 265 pounds. I was sure that our divorce would lead to getting down to a weight that looked good on me, but I just couldn’t keep it down. I continued yo-yoing.

In February of 2019, I got into the best relationship with someone supportive and wonderful. We had been best friends for almost a decade, and he knew about my weight loss goal. We started dating, and I eventually moved to Denver to be with him in October 2020.

There were other health issues that were going on that I chose to ignore and I would convince myself I was fine.

We travelled together a couple of times, and each time, the airport was a nightmare for me. I was so heavy, I felt like I couldn’t move and I got winded easily. I would have stop multiple times just to get through security and to get to our gate.

In October 2021, my cousin got engaged and asked me to read at her wedding that was going to be in August 2022. I was flattered. I, of course, said yes, and in my head, I was convinced that this would be the motivation I needed to lose weight.

What I have failed to mention is that I was also dealing with a thyroid issue that was not being treated. I hid everything from my family and my boyfriend and continued to convinced myself that I was fine.

August came and I hadn’t lost a single pound. I was so happy for my cousin and to be there to witness her marry the love of her life, but I was so uncomfortable. Her wedding was at the top of a steep hill and I was so winded on the day of the wedding, I had to be carted up to the location in a golf cart. It was embarrassing. Even so, I still had fun and my boyfriend had also come with me as my +1.

Two days after the wedding, I got a phone call from a wonderful relative. She very lovingly told me that she loved me no matter what my weight was, but that she was concerned that I might have a thyroid problem. That phone call saved my life. I sat on the information for two weeks.

On September 3, I woke up on what would have been my brother’s 40th birthday. I thought about what he would think about my situation, and I knew I had to do something. I called a doctor I had already worked with on a medical issue in high school. He’s a family friend, and I told him some of the things that I had been hiding, and I was convinced I only needed to lose weight. I remember saying, “I just need a doctor to tell me I’m fine.” He sighed. “Well, you will be fine. But, I can tell from talking to you that you’ve got a hypothyroid.” I was shocked. If you’re wondering how he knew, my voice was a lower register than usual and my speech was much slower than normal.

“Okay,” he continued, “Here’s what I want you to do. Get on a plane, come to Houston, and stay with your parents while you recover. And I want you to go see the doctor on Tuesday. I’ll set up the appointment with your endocrinologist.” I got on a plane the following afternoon, and on Monday, I had a blood test at a 24-hour emergency clinic so that my endocrinologist could properly prescribe me thyroid hormone.

They weighed me, and I found out that my weight had reached 290 pounds. I was shocked that I had gotten so close to 300. My blood test came back, and since my thyroid level was basically at 0, they rushed me to the hospital so they could observe my vitals while they administered the medication I needed. Thankfully, I only had to stay overnight before they sent me home.

By Friday of that week, by weight was already down to 282, and by the end of that month, I was down to 270. I had to get blood tests every two weeks, but I didn’t care. All that mattered was that I finally felt like myself again. I could stay awake, my weight was going down, my voice sounded normal again, and I was so relieved to finally be dealing with this problem that had been plaguing me for so over a decade.

As of today, I weigh 232. Besides a healthier diet, I walk for 30 minutes everyday. I need to make Pilates a bit more regular, but that’s in my goals for 2023. I have a long way to go, but I’m finally on my way.

Finally, if you would like to follow my journey, you can follow my weight loss Instagram account, @project.180lbs.

Over and out.