I Conquered My Past and Lost Over 130 Pounds
Amy Pernod's incredible story will inspire you to face your own struggles head on.
After: 168
Genetics have not been kind to me—my grandparents and parents are overweight, so that must've trickled down from them to me. But 10 years ago, I was working at a hotel when I was sexually assaulted and robbed at gunpoint. I don't remember everything that happened—my body went into shock—but it made me mistrust people. It hurt me so much so that I didn't date for eight years. The entire experience was traumatizing, and I didn't know how else to cope with that except to eat. Eating was my emotional comfort, and that's when I really started to pack on weight. I didn't realize this was happening because food made me feel happy. It wasn't uncommon for me to order a whole pizza and eat it by myself. It was in 2011 when I had my wakeup call.
The fall came and went, and I was still battling my depression from that scary night years ago. Then one morning at 4 a.m. in the spring, I thought I was having a heart attack, which turned out to be a panic attack instead. Still, that is not how I wanted to die. My father passed away from heart disease, and my grandmother had a heart attack—the thought of me having one just really freaked me out. So that day, I walked around the block at my school (I'm a teacher) during lunch. Something had to change, or else I wouldn't make it through another summer.
I'm so much more confident and happier with myself. And I'm no longer afraid of going out and not fitting into a booth or rollercoaster seat. Those are some of the biggest changes I love about my journey. On another note, I love shopping and trying on whatever I want—my whole life I've never been able to have fun picking out new clothes. Last December was the first time I walked into Victoria's Secret and tried on lingerie. I had a moment in the dressing room like, "Oh my God, I'm actually trying on Victoria's Secret!" I ended up buying a $50 red nighty thing. The beauty of my purchase was that it was for me—I didn't have a date or anything. I had to do this for myself.
Don't be too proud to ask for help when you need it. You're at your current weight because of something, and it's okay to reach out and ask for guidance from another person. Never feel judged or ashamed.
Make gradual food changes. You'll be overwhelmed if you do it all at once and won't stick with it.
Change the way you think about weight loss. It's more of a mental change than just a physical one. I didn't realize I could do a 5-K until I actually did it.
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