10 Weight Loss Stories That Will Give You Hope
Age: 40
Height: 5'1"
Weight: 140.5
Goal: Lose the last ten pounds
This past year hasn't been the easiest. I have an 11-year-old son and a 17-month-old daughter, and I'm in the middle of a divorce. My marriage started falling apart while I was pregnant, and my husband left three months after the baby was born. I felt ugly, fat, breast-milk stained. Unlovable was a word I used a lot.
After he moved out, I lost 30 pounds over a year or so. I don't need to be model thin, but I want to lose another ten. I call them insurance pounds—a buffer in case I have a crazy weekend. I worry I'll always be critical of my body. But it birthed and fed two children; I should be appreciative.
My diet's pretty healthy, but I eat too fast. I'll come home from work late, nurse my daughter and eat a chicken cutlet speared on a fork that I'm holding in my free hand. Eating mindfully, making time for exercise—I'm discovering that everything's more challenging when you're a single mom.
Last year I went to Comic Con dressed as Wonder Woman. I was nervous, but when I posted a photo on Instagram, everyone said, "You are Wonder Woman." Dating has also helped me feel lovable again—having men look at me and say, "Your ex-husband is crazy."
I recently saw a cheesy meme that said "I wanted to give up, but I remembered who was watching." It's true—my kids are always watching. I've got to keep my mind and body healthy because I'm the one they depend on. I've got to keep moving forward.
Ups and Downs
From top: Sabrina with her son, at her heaviest, about 170 pounds; at 130 pounds on her 2001 honeymoon in Jamaica.
Photo: Courtesy of Sabrina Havens
Photo: Courtesy of Sabrina Havens
Height: 5'1"
Weight: 140.5
Goal: Lose the last ten pounds
This past year hasn't been the easiest. I have an 11-year-old son and a 17-month-old daughter, and I'm in the middle of a divorce. My marriage started falling apart while I was pregnant, and my husband left three months after the baby was born. I felt ugly, fat, breast-milk stained. Unlovable was a word I used a lot.
After he moved out, I lost 30 pounds over a year or so. I don't need to be model thin, but I want to lose another ten. I call them insurance pounds—a buffer in case I have a crazy weekend. I worry I'll always be critical of my body. But it birthed and fed two children; I should be appreciative.
My diet's pretty healthy, but I eat too fast. I'll come home from work late, nurse my daughter and eat a chicken cutlet speared on a fork that I'm holding in my free hand. Eating mindfully, making time for exercise—I'm discovering that everything's more challenging when you're a single mom.
Last year I went to Comic Con dressed as Wonder Woman. I was nervous, but when I posted a photo on Instagram, everyone said, "You are Wonder Woman." Dating has also helped me feel lovable again—having men look at me and say, "Your ex-husband is crazy."
I recently saw a cheesy meme that said "I wanted to give up, but I remembered who was watching." It's true—my kids are always watching. I've got to keep my mind and body healthy because I'm the one they depend on. I've got to keep moving forward.
Ups and Downs
From top: Sabrina with her son, at her heaviest, about 170 pounds; at 130 pounds on her 2001 honeymoon in Jamaica.
Photo: Courtesy of Sabrina Havens
Photo: Courtesy of Sabrina Havens
