Rachael Heffner, 25 years old, used to weigh 285 pounds when was at her rock bottom and would often drink four large bottles of soda per day. This changed when her school crush rejected her advances for being overweight, Daily Mail reports.
Heffner took this as a motivation to lose weight and prove to him that she deserves his heart. But when she finally reached her goal and lost more than 140 pounds, she realized that she didn’t want him anymore.
Losing weight became her New Year’s resolution. She started her new diet by eliminating her daily soda intake and signed up for a gym membership. Heffner now weighs 145 pounds. Her new figure is getting her more attention everywhere she goes.
Heffner, who works as a social media specialist, said, “My initial motivation was to prove people wrong. In college I was rejected by a boy and I wanted to show him that he'd made a mistake. I liked him and he didn't like me, he made it known that it was because of the way that I looked and that he wasn't attracted to me because I was heavier.”
She continued, “He's since asked me out a few times, but I've let him know that we're just friends now and not romantic. I also told him that he was the reason I started losing weight, which really shocked him and he apologized for what he said when we were younger.
“But I'm glad he rejected me, I actually thanked him for it, as he was the reason I was able to get to the size I am today and there's no point holding grudges.”
Heffner started gaining weight when her mother died in 2004 from cancer. She turned to food for comfort.
Heffner said, “I was a little chubby when I was a kid, but after my mum became really sick and passed away I gained a lot of weight.”
She continued, “Since I was so young when she died, I didn't learn about nutrition from her and I was too set in my ways to listen to my dad's advice about food. I liked sugary snacks, sodas and potato chips, I was just eating large portions of food that was bad for you.”
When Heffner turned twenty years old, she reached a body mass index of over fifty, which is the highest level of obesity according to the World Health Organization. She started her journey to weight loss six years ago and was supported by her college roommate, Sam. Giving up soda was very difficult for her.
Heffner said, “In college I was drinking up to four bottles of soda a day, I was drinking Pepsi, Coca-Cola, Mountain Dew, Sprite and more. At first my body missed the sugar, I had to gradually reduce it by switching to Gatorade before going to water.”
She added, “I also started making meals myself instead of eating out and I cut my portions in half. It was hard at first, whenever I was hungry I would snack on fruits or vegetables and before eating I'd drink a glass of water to help fill me up more.”
Heffner said, “People who I used to go to school with don't even recognize me now. Whenever I see someone they're always so surprised by how I look and are impressed. I keep joking that I'll definitely be going to our 10-year school reunion because everyone will be astonished when they see me.”
However, her weight loss resulted to her saggy excess skin. Heffner admitted that it made her feel as if she was exactly the same size as she was when she was extremely overweight.
Heffner said, “My next major trial will get getting my loose and excess skin removed. I've been trying to tone-up for a while but it's not worked and it's hard being young with excess skin.
“I'm working three jobs and selling things I don't need on the side to try to raise the money before the end of this year. I can deal with stretch marks, but the loose skin haunts me and reminds me of the girl I used to be, all I want is finally be able to be comfortable in my own skin.”
Heffner needs to raise $15,000 for a surgery to remove all of her excess skin.
