Mag Blog Radio Expressions Volume 1 Issue 2 | Page 10

Health/Fitness 9 The Story: By Jade Galgano Before I began my journey to my new life, I had no concept of what good nutrition was, no understanding of what a healthy meal consisted of. Growing up, my mother did not make an effort to prepare and educate me on the value of a healthy lifestyle. Instead, she opted to have gastric bypass surgery when her poor habits spiraled out of control. Because of some significant complications, she passed away leaving my brother and me to be placed in foster care. While in foster care none of our foster parents tried guiding us to living a healthy lifestyle. White, processed and refined became the norm an I had no understanding that what I was consuming was essentially poisoning my body. Because of my inconsistent and unhealthy eating habits, my weight continued to climb throughout my adolescence. What really drove me to make this drastic change was, about 2 years ago I went to the doctors. My doctors and I conversed about my weight and how I am unable to manage it appropriately. Towards the end of the conversation she had recommended me to look into getting the same surgery that took my mother's life years prior. Since i was at my highest weight of 305lbs at 5'4'', I knew I had to make a change and fast. I started fueling my body with the right nutrients and exercising religiously. This caused a shift in my world. I started noticing a difference within the first week , and this kept me motivated to the fullest. After losing 90lbs and dropping 14 pant sizes, I decided to challenge myself even more. I entered to play in a fundraising event called stick it to cancer playing field hockey. For the first time ever I was able to keep up with the players making my first goal. Soon after this I entered in the Colgate games for shot put, placing 9th made me ecstatic. Finally, I entered a 5k run for arthritis, not only did I finish the race, I never stopped running. Most people think negative thoughts when they hear the word foster care but, little do they know it has a lot more to offer then what the eye can see. As my mother always too me nothing beats a failure but a try! Would you like to tell our growing number of subscribers and supporters about your business/initiative on this spot? We will design your ad for you, based on your specifications. You have an opportunity to be the only advertiser on this page for $75/issue. Please email [email protected], if you are interested.