"Weighing over 300 pounds was the elephant in every room I walked into, and most days I felt like the elephant myself. I vividly remember sitting in doctors' offices and being told my BMI was too high, but every time their words felt clinical and detached. What I felt each day was far more immediate, as every choice I made revolved around trying to shrink: grabbing something small at restaurants, ducking out of photos, hesitating to speak up in class for fear of drawing attention."
"When I arrived at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, the thought of starting fresh collided with the reality that I was still carrying the same weight, physically and emotionally. Watching everyone else carve out their independence made me realize that if I wanted to take advantage of this new beginning, I couldn't keep living in the shadow of my body insecurities. That recognition, that no one could make this change for me, was the first real decision I ever made on my own."
The narrator weighed over 300 pounds in high school and carried persistent shame and insecurity. Daily choices centered on hiding a body perceived as oversized, leading to social withdrawal and fear of attention. College presented an opportunity to change, prompting research, experimentation, and repeated adjustments to habits. Small swaps—cutting seconds, replacing soda with water—and consistent effort produced substantial weight loss of over 100 pounds. The shift required personal responsibility and difficult decisions, and the resulting physical change translated into greater confidence, better classroom participation, and improved overall college performance.
Read at Business Insider
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