I wasn’t always overweight. As a child, I was a picky eater, and my parents coped with it by bribing me with candy or just letting me eat what I wanted. Driven toward sugar, carbohydrates, and fried foods, I often ate at McDonalds (12-40 points) or had a hot dog (8 points) and crackers (4 points) for most meals. My father taught me terrible eating habits, often consuming up to two hamburgers, two large French fries, and a giant cola for a meal. I learned to eat from him and was a bit chubby as a child and preteen, though I was active; I enjoyed playing soccer and capture the flag during my lunch breaks at school.
When I was a teenager, I sprouted and developed a habit of eating one thing for months at a time. For example, one summer, all I ate was egg drop soup (6 points), and all I drank was lemonade (4 points). I subsequently lost weight, helped in large part by my metabolism being in overdrive. I stayed thin in college thanks to my picky eating habits and lack of funds, and as I began to work and make more money, I ate more. My palate and food options also expanded as I discovered new foods. However, I maintained my weight by frequenting the gym and continuing to pursue one of my favorite pastimes, surfing. During my late teens and early 20s, I would eat as much as four servings of House Special Chicken at Pick Up Stix (44 points) or 12 chicken soft tacos at Del Taco (85 points) for a single meal. In spite of my overeating, I was at my thinnest and most fit at this stage in my life because any time not spent eating or working on schoolwork, I was exercising (I would even do push-ups and crunches while I watched television), and my metabolism was still in high gear.
When I was 22, I graduated from college and began working. I also met the man that would become my fiancé. I moved away from the beach at my lowest adult weight (146.5 lbs) and spent most of my time working or trying to find work. I also partied a lot with my new roommate and my boyfriend, who would often bake delicious desserts or make elaborate meals (often in very large quantities), and we drank… a lot. While I attempted to remain active by running occasionally in the morning or playing workout video games, I began to gain weight.
I got an office job as a medical biller and gained even more weight, often sitting in the office most of the day. I attempted to eat healthy and do a few jumping jacks when no one else was in the office, but I still continued to gain weight. I then moved even further from the beach and my drinking became more pronounced. I got up to 187 lbs before deciding I needed to do something about it. I took Oxy Elite Pro pills (two or three a day) for several months. The pills made me mildly nauseous, and I was turned off to food very easily. I got down to 170 lbs by the time I moved back to the beach. However, I started having abnormal heart flutters and decided it was time to get off the pills.
I was working full-time from home at this point, and the inactivity, busy schedule, and isolation drove me to eat and drink even more than before. I would down a half a bottle of tequila and eat a whole pizza from Papa Johns (40 points) and a burger, fries, and a shake from Jack in the Box (35 points) almost every day. I moved again, even closer to the beach, but I had reached 197.6 lbs. The reality that I could be one day away from 200 lbs was the wake-up call I needed, and I decided I would do Weight Watchers (hence the point calculations above).
So, in March of this year, I began to diet using the system. It has been an off and on affair, but I am down to 187.7 right now (and I saw 185.4 about a month ago), so it seems to work when I apply myself. At this time, I am dedicating myself to the diet by keeping better track of how many points I am consuming, attempting to not exceed my allotted points, cutting back on (if not eliminating) my drinking, and striving to get more exercise in spite of my busy schedule.
