Hello! My name is Teresa Carfora. I am so grateful for the opportunity to share my story with you, with the hopes of helping even just one person, the way I was helped.
I have been overweight my entire life. I am one of 5 children and you guessed it, the only child that was overweight. Even my parents were thin!
Enter grade school, it wasn’t bad enough that I was tall, but I was fat too! How awkward for a child. At nine years old, I weighed 140 pounds. Unable to wear any kind of trendy clothes that my friends were wearing because trendy clothes didn’t come in my size. Think about that, nine years old and 140 pounds.
I was bullied in school from then on, all because I was fat and tall. It was me and another girl that weren’t like the others. The boy that sat next to me in class would rub his pen against my thigh and say “See, you’re so fat, you can’t even feel it!” Imagine going to school everyday having to sit next to him!
I can recall one time in 6th grade, the school announced that the teachers would be weighing the students IN FRONT OF THE CLASSROOM for all the other students to see, in the coming week. I lied to my Mom and told her that I wasn’t feeling well on that Monday (and ultimately the entire week) as there was NO WAY is was getting weighed in front of everyone. Did I mention that same boy was in my 6th grade class too?
I truly believe that’s where my lack of confidence and anxiety originated. I just laughed it off on the outside, while the entire time, crying on the inside. So what did I do, I ate more to comfort my pain. Closet eating, hiding while I was eating so my family wouldn’t see and tell me “I don’t need that”. The vicious cycle that those of us with a weight issue know so well.
I went through my adolescent years and high school years known as the “fat, nice sister”. My younger sister was beautiful and skinny and all the boys flocked to her. I was also the “fat nice friend”. Me and my friends would always go out to clubs, I was the friend that always held the coats and handbags while my friends were dancing and getting all the attention.
I had no energy, I was angry, I was sad, but I was always smiling to hide the pain.
I have been on every plan ever created! I have lost and gained people during my dieting career. Always looking for that “magic pill” that will allow me to lose weight, keep it off and allow me to love myself.
Well that never happened. It never happened because I never understood that it was my mind that needed to shift. I never realized I had a food addiction. No wonder weight loss could never be sustained when it is approached as a diet.
I resolved that I would always be heavy, I pretty much gave up. Then an angel came into my life, my health coach, Paula. Paula lost 55 pounds 13 years ago, maintaining to this day! I decided to give it one more try, in my mind, another diet. I was totally wrong. This program has totally transformed my life. So far I have lost 65 pounds (I have 20 pounds to go). But that’s not even the best part! I have gained a community of like minded people that are on the same journey as I am. I have a habits of health system complete with my life book to guide me on my journey. And I have a free health coach locking arms with me on my weight loss journey. That’s what was missing, a health coach a habits of health system to keep me on track and we have FUN!! LOTS OF FUN. I made a decision to become a health coach to pay it forward and keep myself accountable and not gain my weight back. I am never ever going back, I’m going forward and paying it forward.
