Jacquelina Adan worked hard and lost 350 pounds. She felt both excited and nervous when donning a bathing suit on the beach for the first time in a very long time. And a few cruel onlookers nearly ruined the huge moment by pointing and laughing. But this incredible woman had come too far to let that happen. And her response is so inspiring!
Jacquelina used to weigh over 500 pounds. The preschool teacher realized her life needed a complete overhaul after a humiliating experience at Disneyland where she got stuck in a turnstile.
“I was pretty much mortified,” she said.
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After finally getting free, she ran to the bathroom and cried. But after the sobs subsided, Jacquelina decided to make a change. She hadn't weighed herself in years, and when she saw the number on the scale -- 510 pounds -- she couldn't believe it.
“I thought I was going to pass out,” she said. “This could not be real life.”
Now Jacquelina was even more determined. She was going to get control of her weight!
Of course, changing your life is no easy task. But that's what makes Jacquelina so inspiring. She didn't seek out some "quick fix." She dedicated years to consulting with nutritionists, eating right, and exercising. And because of all of her hard work, Jacquelina lost 350 pounds.
Woman Who Lost 350 Pounds Get Bullied
Years after her humiliating trip to Disneyland, Jacquelina headed to Mexico for a vacation. Having lost 350 pounds, she decided she was ready to wear a bathing suit without a coverup -- something she hadn't done for so long.
"I was nervous to take my cover up off and to walk into the pool or walk on the beach. I still felt like that same 500 pound girl,"Jacquelina explained.
But Jacquelina was ready to face her fears.
If the folks around her knew how much blood, sweat, and tears had gone into that moment, perhaps they'd have cheered as Jacquelina shed her cover up. Sadly, though, only one couple took notice. And they cruelly pointed and laughed at Jacquelina.
The completely unnecessary body shaming could have ruined the moment. In fact, it could have ruined the whole vacation. That's what Jacquelina says would have happened in the past.
“I would have allowed their comments to affect my vacation and I probably would not have gone to the beach or pool again,” she says.
But she's a changed woman!
4. Ignorance is not bliss.
We often view the scale as our foe and avoid it like the plague. After Jacquelina gained a lot of her weight, she steered clear of the scale. But living in denial only resulted in her gaining more weight. She realizes now her avoidance of the scale was a mistake.
“If I knew the number I might have started sooner,” she said.
5. Don't become numbers obsessed.
Jacquelina learned that when she focused on the number on the scale, she couldn't be happy. Despite having lost 350 pounds, seeing 160 on the scale frustrated her. And the longer it stuck around, the more discouraged she felt. Then she realized the number on the scale isn't the bottom line.
“I need to feel myself in my body and figure out how I feel instead of letting the scale pick the number,” she said. “I want to base my [success] on how I am feeling once all the surgeries are over and I am actually finally able to see my body.”
She's eating healthy, building muscles, and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. That's the ultimate goal, not a number.
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Overall, Jacquelina just wants to encourage other people.
“I know this journey can be hard and it can be scary. I know when other people make fun of us, and judge us and try to bring us down that it is so hard to just brush it off. But I promise that with time, you can learn to not take those comments and those people to heart,” she says. “Because those people and how they feel about us don’t matter — it’s how we feel about ourselves that matters!”
h/t: GodUpdates
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