Today we share with you Scott’s story. Years of overeating, overindulging and consuming food based on what tasted good had lead him to gain excess weight. Being 420 Lbs could come with a host of physical, mental and emotional problems. For Scott, his addiction to sugar lead to diabetes. In this episode, Scott tells us how he discovered about his diagnosis and what he decided to do in order to recover from it. As a father, Scott wishes to teach his children to take care of their health. However, wanting your kids to care about their nutrition as much as you do could be a daunting task especially when the majority of their peers, their immediate surroundings as well as their schools encourage excessive sugar and fat consumption. He tells us about the challenges he faced on his weight loss journey and how he remained focused on his goals. “I just did everything I could to cut that temptation out of my life”. His is a story of determination and discipline. Scott’s story will inspire those who struggle with diabetes and other obesity related chronic diseases. “I think having a plan and sticking to that will really make a big difference” - Scott Rees

Nacira, a lovely mother of 3 from Germany shares her success story of how she lost 70 kilograms or approximately 155 LBS in one year after injuring herself. A lot of us deal with emotional challenges that encourage us to develop negative coping behaviours such as binge eating and living a sedentary life. For Nacira, she tells us how her failure to express her feelings to anyone has lead her to literally “eat” her feelings of frustration and loneliness, “When I was sad, I ate”. Being overweight for most of her life, Nacira was absorbed in a vicious cycle of making the same mistakes, claiming that after losing a certain amount of weight, she relapsed into old and unhealthy habits which took a toll on her emotions, on her relationships, on her mood and most of all, on her health. Almost every mother goes through the struggle of finding time for themselves. “I was making everything for others and losing focus on myself.” It took a ruptured ligament to awaken her. Realising that her health should also be her priority, Nacira gives us insight on the importance of taking action. Now, she is an inspiration to many moms who get frustrated and depressed about their physical appearance, about raising their children, about their health and more. “Now I am the person I want to be.”

Her father used to tell her, “Tell me who your friends are, and I’ll tell you who you are”. Deborah’s story proves that the people we choose to be with influence our life more than we know. The relationships we build with people greatly shape who we become as we embody the collective personality of these people. For Deborah, her decision to be with a certain person lead her to develop an unhealthy lifestyle which then lead to bigger issues such as low self esteem and weight gain. Weighing 320 Lbs at her heaviest, Deborah recalls how insecurities took over her relationship and how depression took over her life. “You wake up and you feel like you don’t have purpose, you don’t want to face the world, you don’t want to face people, your family members, your loved ones, you just wish you could hide behind the curtains. You kind of stop living. You stop being who you are and that’s who I became.” Deborah shares how her life changed the moment she decided it was time to change, when simple tasks like washing the dishes or walking became painful experiences. She also tells us how she understood that sometimes, the people we love could hold us back from becoming the best we could be. Now, fitter and 130 Lbs lighter, she has learned to cherish small joys and achievements like waking up without joint pain, running and experiencing life’s beauty. “I feel like I can inspire others and feel inspired by others” - Deborah M Morales

Joel has always been a bigger kid when he was young. But after losing his parents at a young age, Joel began to put on more weight, describing his activities as a deadly combination between eating a bunch of junk food and playing video games. His story will resonate with many young men out there who struggle with weight, who have developed an unhealthy relationship with food particularly junk food, young men who refuse to discuss their feelings and who have built daily routines around a lifestyle that is sedentary. Weighing 467 LBS at 19 and consuming food that could feed 4-5 people, Joel recalls his breaking point. “I was tired of throwing my life away. I was pretty much killing myself with food.” Gain insight on what life was like as a young obese man as Joel recalls his biggest challenges and how he started to take small yet effective steps to turn his life around with the right motivation and will power. It is through these small daily goals that we achieve amazing feats.

Liz has a story that many young women can relate to. While many use birth control shots with very few side effects, injecting hormones can come with a host of negative consequences. For young women looking to prevent unplanned pregnancies, it is important to be informed of all the side effects, not to be afraid to ask questions and to observe how your body reacts to these shots. For Liz however, birth control caused her to gain weight reaching 268 lbs at 17 years old. It is undeniable that issues about body image, identity and confidence tend to be at its peak during the impressionable age of adolescence and this took a toll on her mental and emotional state. This brave young lady shares how she found comfort in posting on social media - gaining gratification from all the attention and likes. But what people didn’t know was that under the surface, she was struggling. “I didn’t know who she was anymore, I was so lost.” At 18 years old, Liz provides helpful information on weight loss and the journey towards making a change in your lifestyle. Diets and fitness programs can be overwhelming, Liz chose to take it step by step and decided to make small changes part of her lifestyle. Her success story is one that will resonate with many teenagers who are struggling with their weight and the mental, emotional and physical challenges that come with it. In the U.S., 7.5 million boys and 6.1 million girls between the ages of 5 to 19 were obese in 2016 according to research from the World Health Organization and Imperial College London.