How I gained and lost 25 lbs

For those of you trying to lose weight, here is my story.

I have always been slender, and I weighed 125 lbs. when I finished high school. But when I got to college, I started gaining weight. Freshman 15 turned into more for me. My eating, sleeping and snacking habits totally changed. I lived on campus at a small college, so I had free reign of the dining hall and snack bars. At mealtimes, I did not overeat, but between meals and at night I constantly snacked. Our hangout was Perkins, and we usually went around midnight. There was a cafe in the student center, so my friends and I always met there for milkshakes.

So there is no doubt as to why I gained weight. I went from 125 lbs to around 150 lbs (at my highest). I kept exercising as usual because it has always been a hobby for me. But I became much more self-conscious about my body since I was 25 lbs heavier than I had ever been in my life. I got stretch marks, so I even stopped wearing shorts for several years. Another thing that changed was I stayed up much later and woke up much later. I usually woke up around 10 AM and went to bed around 2 AM.

So how did I lose the weight? When I got to graduate school, my sleeping and eating habits returned to normal. I woke up around 6:30 AM and went to bed around 11 PM. I ate 3 meals a day and small, healthy snacks in between. I ate salads and healthy sandwiches daily. At night, my only snack was Icy Pops. I did not keep any other snack foods in the house. I ate tons of fruits and vegetables and always drank water.

So by the time I got married (last year of grad school), I was back down to 125!