Jacqueline’s Story

As a child, I was what you might call pudgy. (I grew up in a Hispanic family, so they went with the only slightly sweeter sounding gordita.) It’s not surprising, considering I grew up on a typical American diet of boxed cereal, canned soup, frozen dinners, and fast food. It didn’t bother me much as a kid, but by the time I was in high school, my clothes were getting tight and I was wearing the largest “regular” size. I was determined to avoid moving into plus-size clothes, so I began my first diet. I started counting calories with total disregard as to whether what I was eating was actually good for me. Being skinny was the ultimate goal, without a thought about being healthy.