I distinctly remember my sixth-grade physical. The nurse called me over to check my weight, height, and blood pressure. She scribbled the numbers down and told me, "Doctor Reddy will be in soon." My sweaty hands were clutching the armrests. My left leg was rapidly shaking. My eyes were locked on the door waiting for the doctor to come in with three big needles. Little did I know, the shots were not my only problem.

The doctor finally came in and the first thing he spat out was, "You're fat. You're very overweight and very unhealthy for your age."

As an 11-year-old, those words had no effect on me, but as I grew older, I realized I really needed to change my lifestyle. The summer going into high school, I created a plan to lose weight. I removed junk food from my diet. I ran at least two miles every day and I used the old exercise machines in my basement. I worked arduously for three and a half months. In the end, my hard work paid off — I lost 35 pounds.

Up until my weight loss, I had never accomplished anything outstanding. All my cousins and friends had succeeded at so many things, from winning dance competitions to running in state championships. I did not think that I was good enough to accomplish something worthy. I was too reserved to put myself out there and do something memorable. However, the moment people noticed my weight loss, they complimented and congratulated me. I was proud of myself. That was a feeling that I thought I would never experience.

My weight loss was an accomplishment that helped me realize that I am not who I thought I was. I can do just as much as my cousins and friends. I taught myself to break the boundaries that were stopping me from achieving my goals. Pushing myself is precisely the reason why I have succeeded in many aspects of my life after my weight loss, aspects my fourteen-year-old self could only dream of. I had finally become self-confident, and I would definitely say it was a good change.

Losing weight was probably one of the hardest obstacles I had to overcome.

There were temptations throughout my entire journey. My entire family continued their usual eating habits while I had to completely change mine. I had to pick between running two miles or hanging out with my friends. My entire summer was focused solely on bettering my health. Surprisingly, I fought the temptations. I had not realized the self-control I had. My journey helped me understand myself more. I realized that I am an ambitious woman. I never noticed that characteristic because I never did anything that involved intense discipline. If I had not been able to discover my determination, I may not have made the choices I made and I may not be the person I am today.

I know that my doctor's words were harsh but, in a way, his criticism is what pushed me to become healthy. Although I took his words into consideration three years after my appointment, I am still satisfied with the fact that I did something so many people struggle with on a daily basis. I am still not at the ideal weight for a person of my height and age, but I continue a healthy lifestyle every day so I do not go back to my original weight.