Being young gave me the freedom of eating whatever I wanted at any time. I always thought of doing sports but couldn’t because of the way I looked and felt. After a doctor visit, I realized my eating habits had caught up to me. I had to do something. I started watching what I ate. I chose water instead of soda. I swapped out fries for a side salad. When satisfied, I stopped eating. I started running on the treadmill in our basement every night before bed. I worked up the courage to join the track team at school. At practice, we ran and lifted weights, which helped significantly with my weight loss. When there wasn’t practice, I went to the gym with my friends. I’m more confident and look forward to my future. Whatever I set my mind to do, I know I can do it!

I’ve been working very hard to be the best I can be. It took me awhile to learn how to eat what I needed and not what I wanted. I realized that exercising isn't that bad. Swimming is my favorite because it seems more like I'm playing rather than working. I found it really hard to keep up with the other kids at school, but after I lost some weight, it became easier and a lot more fun! TOPS meetings have really helped me stay focused on my goals. Without the meetings, I don't think I’d have the drive to be as healthy as I can possibly be. I bought a Fitbit with my own money so I could keep track of my steps. I try to hit 8,000 per day. Sometimes I make it and sometimes I don't, and that’s OK. As long as I keep pushing myself forward, I know I’ll get to where I want to be.

When I started TOPS, I was 12 years old. My mom begged me to join with her. She was worried since the doctor said I had high cholesterol and was obese for my age. I’m so happy I joined because TOPS gave me my confidence back. I have friends, and I'm more outgoing than I used to be. I learned portion control and how to mindfully eat. I went from a junk food eater to a veggie and fruit eater. I have God to thank for this journey. Not only have I lost the weight and kept it off, I’m healthy again! I don't have high cholesterol anymore, and I'm a normal weight versus being obese.

People often talk about little things adding up when it relates to food. Not as many people talk about that same concept applying to exercise. One of the main things I did, as well as eating properly, was to make sure that any free time I had I did some sort of exercise. Most people spend a decent amount of time idle in a day, waiting for something to happen. I've decided to use that time to get in a little bit more exercise. It doesn't have to be jumping jacks or running, but if you're watching commercials, walk around! Remember, the little things add up.