It all started as a new year’s resolution. My desire wasn’t necessarily to lose a ton of weight, but to become more in control of my life. I had just started college. I felt like I was going out in the world for the first time and I was very stressed. I noticed that when I walked across campus I got out of breath easily.

And I just thought, this isn’t what I want any more.

So I sat down and wrote out my strengths and my weaknesses in dieting. I knew I was really good at not eating all day if I knew I could have dinner and a snack. I thought Slim·Fast would work well because you have the shake for breakfast, the shake for lunch, and then you can have dinner at the end of the day.

When I started with Slim·Fast, I lost about 30 pounds in the first 2 months. I was feeling really good. Then I hit a plateau. It was a long one – over 6 months. I just could not lose weight. That's when I realized how badly I wanted to lose this weight and be thin.

With Slim-Fast, I wasn’t hungry all the time. I was exercising. It was making me happier. I just felt healthier and better about myself physically. It was giving me confidence.

Ultimately, Slim·Fast aligned with my strengths and my situation. Since I was in college, I didn’t have the money or the time to join a support group. Slim·Fast was a less expensive, more convenient way to lose weight. A lot of diets are very complicated, and you have to make every meal yourself. I was in class all day. I didn’t have time to do that.

I still have cravings. I love donuts. I find it very easy to sit down and have, like, three or four donuts. I could just keep eating without thinking about it. Portion control has really helped me.

I still allow myself one day a week to eat whatever I want. There’s a short-term goal in mind. If I can diet for six days, I can eat a donut on the seventh.

The most I weighed before starting Slim-Fast was 245 pounds. And I’m 142 pounds right now.

This may sound weird, but since losing the weight, I feel like less of a person, like there’s literally less of me to carry around. What’s really weird is that the world sees me differently than I see myself now. My mind hasn’t caught up to the change with my body. Guys are attracted to me now, and I’m like, what. I’m so confused. You know?

I tell other dieters, sit down and think about what works for you and what doesn’t. If you break your diet one day, it’s all about getting back on the next day. And don’t give up on dieting just because you’ve tried a million diets, because it might not be the diet itself. You’ve got to be ready – not just physically, but mentally too.