HEALTHY, HAPPY,
AND FREE
By: Carletheia Linnen
I stepped on the scale one day, and to
my shock, I was 210 lbs. How did I
allow myself to get to this point?
Where did I go wrong? I was at my
heaviest weight ever, and I was in a
loveless and abusive relationship. I was
so depressed that all I wanted to do
was eat and eat and eat some more. I
ate everything I could get my hands on,
especially sweets. My stomach from
my 2nd pregnancy didn’t go down, and
that added to my depression. Many
people thought I was still pregnant (I
looked 6 months), and that was very
embarrassing to me. I knew I didn’t
want this weight on me anymore, so I
stood in front of a full-length mirror
unclothed and decided to make a
change for myself.
The trick to my weight loss was not the
average dieting, but a change in my
eating habits. I started to drink more
water, stayed away from sweets and
sodas, ate more fruits and vegetables,
and started to walk, jog, and run. In the
beginning of my lifestyle change, it was
difficult, but I had a strong will to get
the extra weight off. I motivated myself
daily with affirmations, sincere prayer,
and much determination.
Faith Heart Magazine l 19
I wasn’t going to allow any negativity or
temptations to stop me from reaching my goal.
The more I stuck with my new change in eating,
the more comfortable I became with it. My
exercise routine got better, and I actually started
to enjoy it, especially when I had company to join
me. Before I realized it, I lost a whopping sixty
pounds in three months. You can imagine the
joy on my face and on the inside of my spirit. I
was back to shopping in the junior section and
no longer in the plus size department. My
breathing was better, my energy came back, and
I felt and looked happy, healthy, and free.