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The following aired on KCBS.
By Sunday Simon
I started dieting to stop the teasing, and feel pretty. I even became bulimic, but I realized that I was dieting for other people, not for me.
When I was 13, I weighed 200 pounds. Entering high school felt like straight hell. Seeing other girls look good in shorts and tank tops that I knew I couldn’t fit made me ashamed.
My friends would encourage me by telling me I wasn’t fat, but I could tell they were just trying not to hurt my feelings. Even my mom would say that she didn’t want her daughter to be overweight.
I tried everything possible — even diet pills. But I felt like I was being forced to lose so many pounds in so little time. My family wanted results — but I wasn’t ready to change so quickly.
After a lot of fights and a lot of tears, my family slowly backed off and I started changing myself on my own terms.
I now exercise almost everyday and eat healthier. I appreciate the experience of trying a weight loss routine without anyone butting in. Not that my mom doesn’t try. But her smoothies and body cleanses can’t distract me from my own goals.