"I tried and succeeded!"

I recollect the horrible events of my previous sea visits. Last summer I weighed 175 pounds, and was afraid to undress on the beach, in order not to frighten people.
My weight problems began shortly after childhood. I remember how embarrassed I became about my weight in school. When I grew older, I thought that all people around me were looking at me and smiling. You see, I was a very secluded child. As a teenager I tried to lose a lot of weight through calorie counting and exercise. I succeeded at ridding myself of some excess pounds by the age of eighteen.

I then entered the high school and was married the same year. I liked to cook very much, and could prepare various delicious dishes. My lifestyle was extremely active. After studying, I plunged completely into home problems…
And that time my weight problem arose again. I didn’t know what to do, as I had no time to visit the sport clubs I had frequented when I was a teenager. I watched in horror as my muscles turned into fat deposits.
The problem was aggravated after bearing of my child. I couldn’t refrain from eating while pregnant and nursing.
When my child was two years old, I was afraid even to look at myself in the mirror. I envied the young mothers I saw in the children’s playgrounds. Most of them were slim and slender, despite the fact that they also had children.
I hated clothes shopping. I used to come home in tears most of the time after shopping. I felt really big, that everything looked awful on me. My thoughts at the time were that I looked like a beached whale.
But last summer was the last boundary. I was going to our annual school graduates meeting. I had visited this every summer. But this time I was completely shocked and disappointed. I tried on all of my festive clothes, but none of them suited me. All the dresses were tight. I was so upset that didn’t go to the meeting at all.
And that time I set my mind to do everything to change my appearance. I tried to review my diet. I included more fruits and vegetables and excluded sugar, sweets and other products rich in calories. In the beginning it was very difficult. I always wanted to eat. In order to somehow suppress my food cravings, I tried to drink more water. I took a bottle of water everywhere I went: to the playgrounds, to shops, etc.
Then I began to pay more attention to my physical activity. I tried to limit my usage of public transport and to walk more. When my child was sleeping in the day time, I went into another room and danced or did some aerobics.
And this scheme worked out. I began to lose about two pounds monthly, and in just one year I lost my hateful fifty pounds.
I feel my confidence has increased since losing weight. I feel happier about how I look, and this is obviously reflected more in my day to day life. Not being able to lose weight made me feel like a failure.
This year I managed to wear my engagement ring again. It was an important moment to me. I hated not being able to wear it.
I enjoy clothes shopping so much more now. Losing weight means I need to go clothes shopping more, and it is no longer the chore it used to be. My problem at the moment is living between sizes! Getting back into old clothes is a lovely feeling, too! I still have some clothes that I can't get into yet... but I will!
Support from others and their encouragement is really helping me as well. People are amazed that I've lost so much weight. I enjoy seeing their reactions when I tell them I shed fifty pounds.

Sally Franger, economist

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