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Donna B. lost 91 pounds!
Hi, I'm Donna B. I just turned 40 years old. I live with
my husband in
Long Island,
New York.
I was born with Muscular Dystrophy and have been in a
wheelchair since about the age of 4. I am not able to
stand or walk. I have used a power chair for most of my
life, since I do not have strength in my arms to push a
manual chair. I require assistance to be transferred in
and out of my chair, to get dressed, and to shower.
Because of my inability to move and to exercise, I have
had a weight problem since childhood. As a child, it was
hard enough being disabled and the extra weight brought
new struggles to daily life, both emotionally and
physically. I had to be lifted and it was hard to find
people who could take care of me. Doing everyday tasks
became harder and harder for me with my added weight. I
could hardly move in my chair.
Growing up, I hated being fat and hated people making fun
of me. People would often comment on every bite I ate
which just led me to overeat and gain even more weight.
I've had family and friends complain about my weight for
as long as I can remember only they didn't realize that
the more they complained, the more I would eat.
I
felt ugly and thought everyone was looking at me and
asking themselves, How did she get that fat? I was at the
point where I just wanted to be alone at home rather than
go out in public. However, staying home being depressed
and bored caused me to crave food. I eventually tried many
diets and even diet pills, but I always gave up quickly
and went back to my old ways of overeating. I felt
hopeless.
I
met my husband when we were kids. We attended the same
sleep away camp, and were just friends at the time. After
camp, we lost touch with each other. But when I was 24
years old, I ran into his parents at work. His parents
went home and told him they had seen me, and he called me
for 3 weeks, trying to get together but I kept putting him
off (I had just broken up from a 1 yr. relationship).
Finally, I gave in and he came over with Chinese food and
a red rose. We got engaged 6 months later, and married 1
½ years after that. This July, we will be married 13
years!
One day in February 2005, I was feeling down when I saw a
commercial for NutriSystem. I asked Keith if I could try
it and, ever-supportive, he said yes. As I mentioned
earlier, I have tried many diets and diet pills in the
past, but I quickly gave up on each after not seeing
results. Worse, I was always hungry and craving bad
foods. On NutriSystem, though, I never felt hungry and
hardly ever craved what I couldn't have. I know that if I
could exercise, I would lose faster and also be able to
firm up but even though I could not exercise at all, I saw
that I could still lose on this plan, which kept me
motivated. NutriSystem is the first diet that I've stuck
with for over a year and it works. I've lost 91 lbs and
counting, without any exercise!
The best feature about NutriSystem for me is the home
delivery of the foods. Being disabled, I do not have to
struggle with the grocery store and Keith can shop for the
extras we have to add into our menu. He can also fix the
food for me without it taking much time for him. It's an
easy way for him to be involved and help me succeed.
It was also so
rewarding being able to lose the weight without starving
myself. With NutriSystem, I am never hungry, nor do I miss
junk foods.
I
am so happy to be well on my way to being thin and
healthy. I feel alive again! I love being able to wear
normal-sized clothing now, and I enjoy shopping for
clothes because I went from a size 20/22 to a size 8/10. I
love hearing from people how good I am looking.
What's better than hearing the
compliments, though, is how I feel inside. Now that I have
lost weight, I no longer want to just sit home alone. I
love to go out and have fun. I am no longer feeling ugly
or hopeless; instead, I feel great and I feel pretty. I
am able to fit in my wheelchair more comfortably, and
doing daily tasks is easier for me. Plus, Keith admits now
that he thought I was going to try NutriSystem, then give
up and waste the money as I have done in the past. I sure
proved him wrong! I have tried every crazy diet and I am
happy to finally show him I COULD lose weight! He is very
happy with my success today. And my weight loss has not
only improved my health, it has also made it easier for
him to lift and care for me, which makes me happy as
well.
I've also learned how to have a
lifetime of healthy eating habits. I know how to order off
a menu when I go out to eat, and I am no longer
intimidated to ask for things to be cooked the way I want.
I request food to be broiled or grilled without butter or
oil. I order plain steamed veggies. I have learned
portion control is a key. Just because you're served a
huge plate of food does not mean you have to eat it all at
one sitting! I bring half of it home for another healthy
meal the next day.
Yes, losing weight can be hard.
We all know that. But I feel that if I can do it without
being able to exercise, then most people can also do
it. And you don't have to starve yourself. If you follow
the NutriSystem program, it does work.
Many people on NS have asked me
how do I get weighed being I cannot stand? In the past
this was a big problem when I was dieting, I was not able
to weigh myself. This time I ordered a scale that went up
high and every week my husband weighs himself, then he
carries me on the scale with him and we subtract his
weight from the total. There is a hold button on the
scale so he doesn't have to worry about looking at the
number while holding me, it will just stay on the screen
until we shut it off.
It may have taken me longer,
but I finally reached my goal weight and more!. All those
years of being fat, depressed, alone, and made fun of made
me think there was no hope for me, but there was. Finding
NutriSystem was the best thing that ever happened to me. I
hope that people who feel alone or who are disabled will
see my story and become inspired, knowing that there is
hope for losing weight.
The best part of this is while
losing weight on Nutrisystem I am still able to enjoy
Pizza Fit'n Free pizza and still lose weight. I have
learned what kinds of foods I can eat and this pizza
surely is one of them. I love it!
-Donna
B.
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