Lyn's weight loss let her go places she couldn't go before

Lyn, who blogs at "Escape from Obesity", shares one victory that weight loss has done for her: she was able to join in her child's field trip to tour a submarine...

"...when we went down into the narrow halls and stairwells of the submarine itself, I did not have to squeeze. I did not have to turn sideways and hope my gut didn't knock something over. I fit JUST FINE. And THAT was such a victory to me. ... I fit without embarrassment and we had a great time together.

"THAT is what the past 8 years of blogging and working on my weight and health has done for me. I may not have stayed at goal, but I did not go back to hell, either. I can do so much more. Heck, at 278 pounds I could barely walk a block! Now, I was able to walk for miles on this field trip without issue.

"If you are stuck and miserable, please try. Yes, I know you've tried a million times. But try again. Don't give up. I had done every diet under the sun before it finally "stuck" and the weight started coming off for good. You never know which *try* will be the one that works. So keep trying, because your life can be so much better... and you don't even have to hit your goal, or be skinny, to have that better life. Twenty, thirty, or fifty pounds will make such a difference that you won't believe it. So try. Try because freedom from the food is the best gift you can ever give yourself! And you're worth it."

Read Lyn's blog at: Escape from Obesity.

Inspiration: Mirna Valerio, long-distance runner

Great inspiration! I love her attitude and her example.

Here's her blog, called (wait for it...) -- "Fat Girl Running."

Inspiration: Almetria lost 177 pounds and bucked the family trend toward diabetes

From an article in Huffington Post, she describes her life before:

"I struggled with weight my entire life and tried every diet known to man. The scales would go up and down, until finally they kept going up...."

"Self-hatred and depression plagued me, and I often wondered how I could do this to myself. I was my worse critic and my worst enemy. It was at that moment in my life that I realized I was an emotional eater. Happy, sad, angry or indifferent -– no matter how I felt, I turned to food as my comfort. I knew I wanted to make a change."

Her decision point:

"In 2009, I got devastating news. The D word: Diabetes. My grandmother, her sister, as well as her mother, had had it, too. I knew it was hereditary, but I thought I was invincible... [thought] I could dodge the bullet -- but I didn’t. 

"I started my weight-loss and fitness journey in 2010. I weighed 342 pounds and wore a size 32. ..."

She shares that it was very tough at first, especially because she was alone. But not really alone:

"Oftentimes, health is the first thing to fall on the back burner and I was tired of putting me further and further down my list of things to do. This weight-loss journey was one of the loneliest periods in my life. I cried often and couldn’t find any accountability partners to take this walk with me. I was in it to win it alone, with the grace of God. I remembered listening to Bishop Walker of Mt. Zion out of Nashville on many of my daily walks. His sermons really helped get me through most days, when I felt like giving up.

"I stepped up my prayer life and pulled away from people who were negative and emotionally draining. I surrounded myself with positive affirmations, because every day isn't going to be a good day, but each day is another opportunity to get it right. Life has its derailments, but it's up to us to get back on track and trust the engineer."

Practical things that helped:

"I decided to do research on my own on how to eat and live a healthier life.... I learned how to balance my meals and used portion control. I meal prepped and planned. My palate had changed -- I was eating things I said I never would and now I enjoy preparing new dishes and creating my own recipes. Walking 2 to 3 miles a day turned into going to Zumba... and eventually, running. 

She didn't just address the physical side of things, though:

"I figured out what my trigger points were when I wanted to emotionally eat, and used exercise and other positive activities to fill the void or combat the emotion. I become more sociable and learned how to handle stress better. "

Her life now:

"I am fit and finally free to do all the things that I knew life had to offer me. I've lost the physical and emotional weight that has been like an albatross around my neck for years. I'm helping others learn how to become fit.... I'm not merely existing anymore. I am living my life like it's golden and I am worth it."

(Psst... You can too!)

What is that sweet drink costing you?

In this video by CBS News, a researcher explains how many pieces of bread and crackers equal the calories in one average-sized sweetened drink: Calories - not all created equal

To see the video, go to: https://youtu.be/lRlocHYc3kE

Here's the most jarring news:

In just two weeks of drinking sugar- or high-fructose-corn-syrup-sweetened drinks (for 25% of their calories), researchers began to see elevated risks for cardiovascular disease -- even in slim subjects as young as 18.

Scales always lie.