I’m Jacqueline and I have always struggled with my weight since I was a little girl.
In 2012, I realized that my weight had gotten completely out of hand. I found myself weighing more than I could ever imagine - over 500 pounds.
I set off on a journey to not only change my weight but also determined to change my life. And I did! Through healthy eating, exercise and the unconditional support of my family, friends and amazing fiancé Kevin, I set off on my journey and have never looked back. I have now lost over 300 pounds and I am having several skin removal surgeries.
It wasn't smooth sailing though. When I’d lost 350 pounds, and my body didn't shrink to perfection I still experienced cruel teasing and comments that still hurt.
On a vacation to Mexico soon after I decided I was ready to wear a bathing suit without a cover-up, something I hadn’t done for so long. I was nervous to take my it off and to walk into the pool or walk on the beach. I still felt like that same 500 pound girl.
If the folks around me had known how much blood, sweat, and tears had gone into that moment, perhaps they’d have cheered as I shed my cover up. Sadly, though, a couple who did took notice cruelly pointed and laughed at me.
This completely unnecessary body shaming could have ruined the moment. In fact, it could have ruined the whole vacation. That’s what 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.
When I went swimming my legs were still puffy with cellulite and large in comparison to my torso. It would have been easy to let the snickers, comments and judgemental looks rob me of the joy of accomplishment but I realized my worth had nothing to do with what other people thought.
That's actually when it hit me ... they have no idea about my weight loss, so why am I going to let their opinions affect me? How I feel about myself is what matters. And so that's exactly why I smiled at them and kept on feeling gratitude for how far I had come.
While the nasty reactions did bothered me, I decided not to dwell on the opinion of complete strangers. Instead of letting their response bring me down, I took a deep breath, then chose to smile and walk into the pool.
That was a huge moment for me. I had changed. I was not the same girl anymore. (Continued at Right)
God has an amazing way of turning our pain into purpose. Since starting my weight loss journey, I have been blogging about it in the hopes of inspiring others. And after sharing my body-shaming experience on Instagram, it quickly went viral.
Knowing that it has reached so many people and that I am getting so many comments and messages of people telling me how much my posts have helped them truly means the world to me! .
I want people to know that if I can feel confident and beautiful in my body, with lots of loose skin, even after losing 350 lbs., then I hope they can focus on who they are and forget about everyone else who tries to bring them down!
When I started my weight loss journey, I knew I ultimately wanted to weigh less than 200 pounds. But instead of focusing on the huge, daunting number, I broke my weight loss goals down into smaller increments.
In July 2016, I had my first skin removal surgery. I had a circumferential lower body lift with a “fleur de lis.” In November 2016 I had my second skin removal surgery. I had a circumferential upper body lift as well as an arm lift.
In June 2017 I had revisions to my back and arms to remove the rest of the skin that was left after the second procedure. In January 2018 I had liposuction done on my legs from my waist all the way down to my ankles. I will still be needing 2 (possibly 3) more surgeries.
These surgeries have drastically changed my life already. My skin is not only causing medical issues, but it is also affecting my mental health and well being. I still have a long way to go with recovery but I’m so happy with how everything is going so far.