Janette's Weight Loss Story of Health and Wellness
“My heaviest weight was 408 pounds. I stayed away from the scale for many years, but I knew I had to find out exactly where I was starting. I believe that my weight gain was related to the many tragic losses I experienced in my life. I lost my older and only sister, little brother, father and mother. I became an emotional eater and I ran to food for comfort. I remember feeling like I was literally going to eat myself to death. I did not have a stop button. I felt this way for many years. I could not distinguish the difference between physical hunger and emotional hunger. My weight at that time represented all the pain I felt internally; in retrospect it was a symptom to deeper issues.
I embarked on this weight loss journey many times before, but after many failures I tried again. A heavier person has a different experience than that of individuals viewed as normal or average weight. And in most cases the feedback from others may lead to overeating, especially for those who are emotional eaters as I once was. I often tell individuals who battle with emotional eating to take it 1 step at a time, 1 healthy choice at a time, and 1 pound at a time. My motivations for losing weight were many. I was tired of merely existing. I wanted to live. I wanted to fit into booths in restaurants. I did not want to worry whether I could fit into a classroom desk or not; nor how far from class I had to walk to my car. I wanted to play with my children without getting winded or saying maybe later. I wanted to walk and not worry about constant back pain.
I embarked on this weight loss journey many times before, but after many failures I tried again. A heavier person has a different experience than that of individuals viewed as normal or average weight. And in most cases the feedback from others may lead to overeating, especially for those who are emotional eaters as I once was. I often tell individuals who battle with emotional eating to take it 1 step at a time, 1 healthy choice at a time, and 1 pound at a time. My motivations for losing weight were many. I was tired of merely existing. I wanted to live. I wanted to fit into booths in restaurants. I did not want to worry whether I could fit into a classroom desk or not; nor how far from class I had to walk to my car. I wanted to play with my children without getting winded or saying maybe later. I wanted to walk and not worry about constant back pain.
I lost weight by totally changing my eating habits. I started by calorie counted and later began to watch my sugar, carbohydrate and sodium intake. I generally consume lean meats, fruits and veggies. I drastically limited any processed foods. I drink a gallon of water each day and I exercise 4 to 6 times a week; anywhere from 1 to 3 hours a day. I did not have a trainer or surgery. My diet is what I created for myself.
My breaking point was March 2011, when I received a seat belt ticket because I was too large to buckle up. I would not have believed this was possible if I had not done it myself. Today I am 175lbs; that is a 233lb loss. I think it is amazing what the body can do once you believe it is possible; I want to encourage others to not stop. You must keep going, keep trying, and never give up!”
— By Janette Colantonio
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Janette I am constantly in awe of what you have accomplished. You are definitely a role model for myself and others who have and continue to struggle and/or strive to achieve weight loss. Thank you for your transparency!
ReplyDeleteThanks for your Post; it really provides me lot information regarding my work.
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