Lost and Found

As Far back as I can remember I was on the heavy side . Whatever name you can think of. Fat, Thick, Chubby,Plus Size, Fluffy, Voluptuous, BBW,Wide Load... okay, I’m gonna stop right there, you get the point.

But I was always told there was nothing wrong with me “Yeah you’re a big girl but you still have a pretty face.” “Yeah you’re a big girl but you carry it so well” What does that mean? I still don’t know.

Of course growing up there were the few unfortunate kids that tried to make fun of me for being fat. But luckily for me I had a really sharp tongue, so clap backs were nothing for me.

Maybe I was in denial. Maybe I was just killing myself slowly. I don’t know I was just cool with it. Or at least I just learned to live with it. Because we were all meant to be different right?

I mean sure over the years I went on a few diets and lost a couple of lbs, but never really stuck to it. Plus So I just remained a plus sized Hey “if ain’t broken don’t fix it”

That was until I started to have really bad pain in my ankles, It would be so bad, I would come home from work and scream in a pillow. It felt like my feet were on fire. I went to the podiatrist and she told me I have arthritis and tendonitis in both my ankles. At 29 years old I felt like I was 80 years old, but that the worst part. A few months later I went to my physician , at that point I was at my heaviest 324 lbs.

After I got Off the scale My doctor sat me down and told me straight up. “Deja at the rate your going if you don’t make a change you’re going to be dead by the time you’re 35.”

When she said that, my heart just sunk to my knees, and the life was drained from my eyes,I thought of that fact that my daughter would be without her mommy, but of course Doc gave the option of Gastric bypass surgery, LapBand. At that time I was looking for something quick So I said yeah let’s do it. She sent me to the specialist, and I qualified to get the surgery but he said I gotta lose 40 lbs first.

“Woah wait a minute” I thought to myself if gonna lose 40 lbs without surgery then hell I might as well keep going without the surgery. The problem was I just didn’t know where to start.

Then I had a conversation with my younger sister who had recently lost a lot of weight (40 lbs to be exact) I asked her what did she do and that’s when let me in on what she did vegan plant based diet.I was already a vegetarian I said “screw it what have I got to lose ...besides weight.” So for the next 3 years I went through A transition both physically, mentally emotionally and spiritually.

Now half way through this I was losing weight But I still wasn’t happy and I realized that I was focusing too much on losing weight for all the wrong reasons, for attention, acceptance, “love”. I ended up having to press the rewind button.

Once started speaking positive thoughts,stopped obsessing over the numbers on the scale and remember who I was doing this for., It became so much easier. I became more motivated, dedicated, and focus than ever

I went from 324 lbs to 150 lbs , half of who I was. I’m now 35 years old and I’m still here.

I’m still getting use to shopping in the regular sized sections in the clothing store, being able to wear clothes I wouldn’t even Dream of wearing at 300+lbs. I know working toward becoming certified health and wellness coach.

In the End I lost weight, and I found my true calling which is to share my story and help others on the journey, to find themselves

Thanks for reading