An inspiring 18-year-old girl has lost 128 pounds after being told she looked 10 years older than her actual age.
Lizeth Barreto from Pittsburg, California, went from weighing 268 pounds to a fit and healthy 140 pounds after overhauling her lifestyle and learning how to take better care of herself.
The girl, who says she comes from a family with a history of obesity, started gaining weight during her freshman year of high school after meeting her boyfriend.
Transformation: Lizeth Barreto from Pittsburg, California, has lost 128 pounds after being told she looked 10 years older than her actual age
Past: The girl, who says she comes from a family with a history of obesity, started gaining weight during her freshman year of high school after meeting her boyfriend
Painful: After losing a family member and going through ‘a lot’ with her family, Lizeth said she turned to food for comfort and continued gaining weight
‘The few years after that were very hard for me. I began to go through a lot with my family and lost a family member. It became really easy for me to turn to food as comfort and I just continued to put on weight,’ she added.
‘I was called fat by people and someone once told me I looked 27 years old, despite the fact I was only 17 at the time.
‘That comment was a wake-up call. I could’ve taken it offensively, but I chose to use it as motivation.’
Lizeth, who has gone from a 3XL dress size to an XS, didn’t feel at ease in her own skin.
Before and after: Lizeth went from weighing 268 pounds (left) to a fit and healthy 140 pounds (right) after overhauling her lifestyle and learning how to take better care of herself
Comments: ‘I was called fat by people and someone once told me I looked 27 years old, despite the fact I was only 17 at the time,’ she recounted
Changes: Lizeth, who has gone from a 3XL dress size to an XS, didn’t feel at ease in her own skin before she developed new, healthier habits
‘I didn’t feel like myself, I felt lost. I also felt very uncomfortable in myself and not my age, not only was it making me look older, but I felt a lot older,’ she said.
‘I was eating two to three fast food meals a day on top of a load of unhealthy snacks. Even when I tried dieting nothing seemed to work.
‘I definitely saw the problem and wanted to change. It wasn’t until I started to analyse what my problem was and realized that I would always give up that I started to get somewhere.
‘So, I told myself, “I’m tired of always starting over, so this time I’m not going to quit” and here I am today at 140 pounds.
‘I decided that I didn’t want something temporary just to lose a few pounds, I wanted a completely new lifestyle to build up my body and start seeing it as a temple, something I need to care for and fuel daily.’
Identity: ‘I didn’t feel like myself, I felt lost. I also felt very uncomfortable in myself and not my age, not only was it making me look older, but I felt a lot older,’ Lizeth said
Slowly: Lizeth began her new lifestyle by doing cardio and what she felt her body could handle
Habits: After five months, Lizeth added weight lifting, which she said ‘completely transformed’ her body. She has now been doing 20 minutes of cardio and an hour of weights most days
Advice: To those looking to develop healthier habits, Lizeth recommends going in for the long run instead of looking for a quick fix
Feedback: ‘Now I feel very proud of my body and what it can do. I receive a lot of comments from people amazed at how my body was able to transform,’ she said
Lizeth began her lifestyle change by doing cardio and what she felt her body could handle.
‘After five months I added weight lifting to my regime, which completely transformed my body,’ she added.
‘I’ve been doing 20 minutes of cardio and an hour or so of weights most days ever since.
‘Now I feel very proud of my body and what it can do. I receive a lot of comments from people amazed at how my body was able to transform.’
To those looking to develop healthier habits, Lizeth recommends going in for the long run instead of looking for a quick fix.
‘There’s no need to diet, just change your lifestyle,’ she said. ‘Take action and never give up!’