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MY
STORY
(the
short version*)
By
age six, I knew something about me was different.
I
was the only kid in gym class who couldn't do a somersault. Kids laughed
and teased me. Soon, to avoid gym class, I learned to fake a stomachache.
But
my eating behaviors didn't change. I ate a lot more than most kids and
moved a lot less. I had yet to learn how these habits would sabotage my
teenage years.
By
the time I reached high school, I was an unfashionable size 18 and weighed
185 pounds.
Because
I never had a date, I skipped dances and most other social events. No pool
parties or end-of-the-school gatherings at the lake for me.
I
did have a close circle of friends and I was usually the life of the party,
but only I knew how miserable I actually was.
I
entered my twenties as a size twenty-two. At that point, I still believed
that only gimmicky diets provided any hope, and I went on all of them.
The result?
Repeated,
short-term weight loss, followed by out-of-control, worse-than-ever weight
gain! And, when one diet didn't work, I blamed myself, and quickly found
another diet to go on.
I
remember thinking, is there no hope for me?
Then,
12 years ago, I made a promise to myself. No more gimmicks. I was determined
to approach weight loss in a different way. I was determined to change
my life.
To
do that, I took an honest and hard look at my habits, behaviors and my
lifestyle. I decided to focus, not on a diet, but on me.
Because
I knew I had to get moving, my new life began with a five-minute walk.
Also, through trial and error, I developed strategies that would help me
have a more balanced relationship with food.
I
had finally learned that successful weight loss is about changing your
mind, as well as your body.
In
less than two years, I achieved my goal. I lost more than 70 pounds and
have kept it off for over 10 years!
The
full story can be read in my book (see below)*
Publications
and Appearances :
Getting
There Staying There
- Jennifer Klein*
American
Fitness, September / October, 2002
First
for Women Magazine, May, 1998 - Profile
Shape
Magazine, July, 1995 - Success Story
Gain
Control Not Weight - Host - Cable Television Program
Real
Life - on NBC network
Healthcast
with Lester Strong - WHDH Channel 7 Boston
Member,
National Weight Control Registry
-
University of Pittsburgh Medical Center/Brown University Study in Long
Term
Weight Loss/Weight Maintenance
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