Climbing My Own Mt. Everest: A Weight Loss Story

If you had told me a year ago that I'd be where I am today, I would have laughed - and then probably cried. Back then, the idea of change felt impossible. Now, it’s part of my everyday life.

It wasn’t the number on the scale that broke me - it was how winded I felt climbing a single flight of stairs. That shook me more than any mirror ever could.

Everyone has their own Everest. This is mine — and every step is a victory.

Ten years ago, I was running 13 miles without thinking twice. Now, even a few stairs felt like Mt. Everest. I could ask how I got here, but deep down, I knew: years of battling crippling mental illness had gotten me here. When I'm depressed, I eat. When I'm anxious, I eat. When I'm overwhelmed, I eat. And then, of course, there were the meals in between all of that. That’s how I got here.

But how do you get back - or at least to a place where the stairs aren't a mountain to conquer?

I was broken. I knew I needed to lose weight, to get healthier, but for a long time, even wanting it wasn’t enough. It took a moment I’ll never forget.

I was photographing a basketball game, and I handed my camera to my cousin to snap a few shots. Later that night, as I downloaded the photos to edit, there it was - a full-body photo of me. I stared at the screen in disbelief. That can’t be me, I thought. But it was.

At my heaviest, 230 pounds, the truth stared back at me. I deleted the picture almost immediately, thinking that if I erased it, maybe it wouldn’t be real. But it was too late. The image was burned into my memory.

Honestly, I wish I had kept that photo. It would have made an incredible “look how far I’ve come” moment today. Before and after. Then and now. A celebratory Facebook post.

That night, I decided: change wouldn’t just be something I hoped for — it would happen. And so my journey began.

It hasn’t been a straight road. I've hit plateaus, gone weeks without seeing the scale move. But even when progress stalled, I didn’t lose focus. I didn’t lose determination.

So far, I’ve lost 35 pounds. I have about 35 more to go — but honestly, it’s not about the number anymore.

It’s about feeling alive.

I want to jog and enjoy it, not have to mentally coach myself through every step while my body begs me to stop.

I want to climb those stairs — my own Mt. Everest — and barely even notice.

I'm not just chasing a smaller number on the scale. I'm chasing a stronger, freer version of myself. And I’m getting closer every single day.

If you're on your own journey - whatever it looks like - I'd love to hear about it. Let's cheer each other on. We've got mountains to climb.