I had this great Tia (Aunt) when I was a child. She constantly appears in my early childhood memories. There was one other thing that stood out from here and one particular memory that sticks with me. My aunt, as great as she was, was an obese woman. As long as I could remember, she was a large woman and it got worse over the years.
About six years ago she came over to our house to have my dad work on her car. I was on my summer break between Junior and Senior year of college. She brought with her some Jack in the Crack. I guess she was in a hurry and needed to get something to eat. While I sat in the living room watching TV my mother and Tia sat in the kitchen and talked. I don’t remember what they were talking about, but I do remember something she had said. While eating her “food” she told my mother in Spanish, “The doctors told me this food is going to kill me, but…. I don’t care any more.” That comment scared the shit out out of me.
At the time I was in the worst shape of my life (215lbs). I had already given up fast food as I had grown sick of it as I lived off of it. I decided I was going to drop some pounds. I stopped drinking sugary drinks and I gave up alcoholic drinks. Since I had the time I ate more often (healthy foods of course). I love my fruits and vegetables. I did not exercise much besides the occasional walks and jumping jacks. Oh yeah, I also drank a lot of water that summer.
After about three months vacation was over and it was time to go back to school. I had lost 25lbs. I knew I had lost some weight because I was all of the sudden able to fit into old clothes that did not fit me at the start of my summer break. I also got the you lost wight comments from fellow students and professors.
Thanks Giving Day of that same year my Tia die. My parents and I went to go see her at the hospital. We asked to see her and were told a nurse would be out to talk to us. The three of us stood there knowing a nurse was coming out to tell us she had passed away. It sucks to stand there and wait for someone to tell us what we all probably had suspected, but at least it was someone else that said it and not one of us. Her organs just couldn’t take it anymore.
Since then I put the weight back on. I have fluctuated between 205 and 220. Last week I decided I am going to lose 27lbs for my 27th birthday. But this time I hope not to keep it off. So far, 4.2 down, and 22.8 left to go.
On a side not I also decided to get back to doing a lot more photography. Here is a picture of me smiling (because people say I never smile in my pictures):
