My Journey: From Struggles to Progress in Weight Management

Where It All Began

I was about 13 or 14 years old when my journey began—the summer before my freshman year. At that time, I weighed around 135–138 pounds and had been 4'11" since about the 5th grade, maybe even the 4th grade.

I'm short, okay? Haha.

I went to visit my dad for two weeks, like I always did. This time, it was just him and me. His girlfriend had moved out while I was away. He took me to the store to get some food. Because I still didn't know much about healthy eating, I picked ramen, Oreos, and root beer.

I know. Not healthy at all.

But I didn't understand things like sodium, carbohydrates, fiber, or daily value percentages. I was a kid. I just knew what I liked.

Two weeks later, I got home and weighed a whopping 150 pounds! I knew I had to do something about it.

So, I started chugging water and walking in circles around my room. Sure enough, my weight dropped back down. But when school started, that all stopped; the weight came back, and I never really figured out how to fix my eating habits.

High School Struggles

During high school, I was in marching band and was always hungry.

To give you an idea, I would sometimes eat a bowl of ramen with a turkey, cheese, lettuce, light mustard, and light mayonnaise sandwich on the side just to feel full.

And to clarify: no, I did not eat ramen every day.

My stepdad actually hated that I liked eating ramen. At the time, I let my stomach speak more than my brain and just ate what I wanted.

Some of my favorite foods during high school were Aldi's Fit & Active products, which were later called Elevation, along with their low-calorie and low-sugar Gatorade-type drinks. I don't remember exactly what they were called.

At some point during my freshman or sophomore year, I weighed around 165 pounds. Trust me, I was not happy about it.

But I couldn't figure out what I was doing wrong or what I needed to change. The only things I could come up with were that I was a stress eater, had a sweet tooth, and was hypoglycemic and about 1% lactose intolerant.

Yes, I was doctor-tested for those, along with asthma, just before 5th grade.

By the time I graduated high school, I had reached around 180–185 pounds. I started developing body-image and self-esteem issues. I was very unhappy with my weight and how I looked in clothes. I was especially self-conscious about the fat on my back, so I would wear jackets over my shirts—even on hot days.

College and the SlimFast Years

During my first year of college, I had access to the campus gym as part of my student fees, and I took advantage of it. I was on campus four days a week and spent about an hour and a half at the gym each of those days.

I also tried to become more intentional with my eating.

No more ramen.

Less soda.

More water.

Cutting back on carbs—which was difficult because I love my pasta.

I was trying to eat healthier.

And...nothing. I maintained my weight, but I didn't lose anything.

During my second year of college, I prepared for a study-abroad trip to China in May. So, in December, I started the SlimFast diet.

By January, I had lost 20 pounds and reached around 165–168 pounds! I was super happy.

However, over the following months, the same thing happened again. I could maintain the weight, but I couldn't seem to lose any more.

I was constantly hungry and tried to balance that hunger with healthier foods in between meals, but it didn't seem to help.

When May came around for my trip, I was still around the same weight. It was disappointing, but I hadn't gained the weight back, so I was still happy about that.

China Changed the Scale

Then I came home from China weighing 160 pounds.

I was doing happy dances for a week.

I had eaten just about anything and everything while I was there. Authentic Chinese food is amazing!

Unfortunately, I didn't get back to my diet and exercise routine after returning home.

The only exercise I could consistently maintain was a three-mile walk down the road where my parents lived. I had kept that walk in my routine for years, although I honestly can't remember whether I started it during high school or college.

Over the next year or two, I eventually gained back up to around 190 pounds.

And just to clarify: these jumps in weight weren't immediate. They happened gradually over time. From then on, I generally hovered somewhere between 185 and 195 pounds.

My 20s, My House, and Pregnancy

I bought my house in December 2023 and moved in the following January.

About two years after moving into my house, my husband moved in with me, and we started dating that same day.

We had known each other for eight years beforehand, so this wasn't a spur-of-the-moment decision. We had a long conversation about everything before we made things official.

I eventually stopped worrying so much about my weight for a while.

Then I got pregnant pretty quickly.

So, I didn't even bother with the scale during my pregnancy.

Becoming a Mom

The second week after coming home with my baby, I weighed 220 pounds.

You can check out my posts about My Birth Experience and Our First Days Home to read more about the weight changes during that time.

As a first-time mom, it was difficult to find a rhythm between eating well, exercising, and taking care of my child.

Eventually, I gained back up to 240 pounds. I was struggling to find a happy middle ground.

That's when I turned to AI.

Finding a Different Approach

Before I continue, I want to make something very clear:

AI is NOT a replacement for a doctor or other qualified medical professional.

If you are experiencing a medical emergency, please contact your doctor, call emergency services, or go to your local hospital.

I wasn't using AI as a doctor. I was primarily using it as a tool to help me understand my eating habits and make better choices.

I used ChatGPT specifically.

I told it about my history, the stockpile of vitamins and weight-loss products I had purchased but never actually used, what I was eating, and when I was eating it.

With AI, I was able to drastically cut down the number of supplement and weight-loss products I was considering and build a list of foods that worked better for me.

If I try something and don't like it, instead of forcing myself to eat it, ChatGPT helps me think of alternatives or different ways I might enjoy the food I'm eating.

It's also been useful for comparing products and helping me understand the differences between them.

When it came to vitamins and supplements, it helped me identify overlapping ingredients and questions I should consider before taking them. I still treat that information as a starting point—not a substitute for medical advice.

And honestly, that change in approach has made a bigger difference for me than I expected.

240 Pounds to 220 Pounds

The month before I started using ChatGPT to help with my eating habits, I weighed 240 pounds.

Over the next two months, I lost 15 pounds simply by changing what and when I was eating.

I wasn't taking the vitamins.

I wasn't exercising.

I was just changing my eating habits.

I was then able to maintain around 225 pounds for several months. Over the past month and a half, I lost another five pounds.

That brought me from 240 pounds to 220 pounds in seven months.

And, perhaps more importantly, I've been able to maintain that weight instead of immediately gaining it back.

I've also lost four inches from my hips and waist.

For me, that's a huge deal.

This Isn't the End

Now, I am not saying that AI is the best thing ever.

I'm also not saying that we don't need doctors, nutrition professionals, or other people in jobs that AI can sometimes assist with. And I'm certainly not saying that people should stop doing things for themselves because AI exists.

Far from it.

I'm saying that, as a tool to assist me, AI has been helpful so far.

For the first time in a very long time, I don't feel like I'm constantly starting over.

I'm still on this journey, and I still have a long way to go. I don't know exactly where I'll end up, and I'm not expecting every month to look like the last one.

But going from 240 pounds to 220 pounds while actually learning how to make changes I can maintain feels different from the diets and attempts I've made in the past.

This isn't the end of my weight-loss story.

It's just the first chapter where I finally feel like I'm moving forward instead of starting over.