One Day, She Finally Took a Good Look at Herself

I come from an Italian family. That right there tells you I love to eat. Food was everywhere. It was a celebration around the table, day and night. We ate when we wanted--as much as we wanted. We ate when things were good, and we ate more when things were not so good!

Growing up, food was my comfort. I liked to eat late at night, and alone. I ate moderately in front of my friends, and then went home and ate. Of course, no one could understand why I was fat. “She hardly eats.” Well, neither could I. After all, it was just a late night snack. I needed something before I went to bed.

After several failed relationships, each resulting in a 30- to 50-pound weight gain, I got on the scale one day. I don’t know what inspired me--I hadn’t been on a scale for years. I weighed 318 pounds. Well, of course, I told myself, “The scale is old. It can’t possibly be right.” You know how you get on and off the scale several times and adjust the knob so you’re sure it’s on 0? As if this were a 318-pound mistake. I told myself, “This is not happening”--and I ate some more.

So, the fact is, from the time I was 15 until I was 31, I hadn’t seen a button, a zipper or a waistband. I lived in gauze muumuus and elastic everything. One day I woke up and I looked in the mirror. I saw someone I had never seen. It was me. I had a round face, my body was bloated, I looked distorted. The reality had set in; I wanted to die.

I made a decision: I needed help. I found a doctor who taught me how to eat to live, not live to eat, and how food can heal you. You see, I was only 31, overweight and growing, with high cholesterol, heart complications and borderline diabetes. Walking, walking, walking also helped me to lose the weight. I allowed my body to regulate the pace. I didn’t push myself; all that mattered was that I was finally moving.

But today I am 130 pounds and in excellent health. I’ve maintained that loss for seven years. I have learned how to go off my regular menu and go right back on. I go everywhere and eat the right foods--I do not feel deprived. I feel good about my body and that I’m taking care of it with healthy food and exercise. Nothing tastes as good as thin feels.

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Vital Statistics

Name: Terri Simmons

Age: 37

Occupation: Escrow assistant and office manager

Old weight: 318 pounds

New weight: 130 pounds

Height: 5 feet, 3 inches

Time maintained: Seven years

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