by Madison Marks

Created on: May 14, 2008   Last Updated: July 25, 2008

Although I have lived a few short days of the legal adult age thus far, I can look back on my life and reminisce on my accomplishments within the past few years. Hands down, however, I would have to choose losing 50 pounds at the age of 15 as at the top of my list.

Looking back on the plump, naive, and insecure girl I was, I see not only a change physically, but emotionally as well. Although I was blessed with a good group of girlfriends who based friendship not on looks, but individuality, I still struggled inwardly doubting myself and my worth. I remember being at summer camp my eighth grade year and watching as my one of my best friends, who had also been chubbier as a child and had now successfully managed to come down to the small size as most of the other girls in my cabin, passed around clothes. I remember longing for the time when I would too be able to share clothes with my girlfriends.

I remember the day vividly. I was sitting at school as a high school freshman. Two of my "idol" seniors, or ones I looked up to for advice and character traits I would too like to develop, were discussing the South Beach diet. They were doing it simply to lose a few pounds and remove their sweet teeth; however, I took it as a challenge, and began to do it alongside them.

Although the first two weeks were hard, I was excited at the conclusion when I saw the scale drop an unusual thirteen pounds! That day was the beginning of five months when I would diet and exercise to continue to lose weight. As I did, I began to receive many compliments on how I was beginning to look more like my mom, who has always been healthy and thin. Others shared how my story was an inspiration to them. Perhaps the most significant thing that people mentioned, however, was that they had always considered me beautiful for both my looks and personality.

I not only went from a size 14 to a size 4 in less than half of a year, but I went from a girl who had determined her self-worth based upon outward rather than inward. I gained the ability to share clothes with friends at camp the next summer, and gained confidence in myself as an individual. I no longer found myself worrying if others were thinking of me in a bad way; instead, I found myself content with the person God created me to be: me.

This pride now helps me as I see others who might be struggling with similar inward battles. Our culture tends to judge based upon the outward. My experience and success now helps me motivate those who have been judged and feel worthless. I bcan be not only a cheerleader for their pursuit of weightloss, but someone who cares about them for their character. Not their appearance.

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