Woman who binged on dozens of cookies a day on how a break-up motivated her to get healthy
By MARGOT PEPPERS
A woman has revealed how she lost an incredible 172lbs in a healthy and gradual way after struggling with an entire lifetime of overeating. Andalusia, Alabama native Brooke Birmingham, 28, who weighed 327lbs at her heaviest, credits Weight Watchers, exercise and a good deal of patience for her body transformation, which took more than four years to accomplish. In June, she told blogger It Sux to Be Fat that a bad relationship inspired her to turn her life around. 'After I got rid of the guy, I decided I needed to start loving myself and deserved better,' she said. 'My mom invited me to a Weight Watcher meeting and it was exactly what I needed,' she explained.
Mrs Birmingham writes on her blog, Brookenotonadiet, that throughout her 'horrible' relationship she was so miserable that she would binge on more than two dozen cookies in less than 24 hours. 'Combine that with a breakdown in a dressing room surrounded in skinny jeans that wouldn’t fit, I needed a change,' she writes. Now, at 155lbs and happily married to her husband Zach, Mrs Birmingham works as a Weight Watchers leader and was featured on the cover of this month's Woman's Day magazine for her incredible transformation. Mrs Birmingham began her slim-down journey in 2009, cutting out junk food in favor of fruit, salad, yogurt and a mostly vegetarian diet.
Instead of joining a gym, she began doing exercise at home, watching work-out DVDs and three to five times a week. She also rode her bike up and down the Mississippi River and running outdoors, and even plans on completing the half-marathon portion of the Quad-City Marathon in September. In terms of diet, the former social services counselor begins her days with a hearty breakfast of oatmeal with a banana or eggs. For lunch she eats salad with leftovers from the previous night's dinner, and she snacks on yogurt, fruit and popcorn. Mrs Birmingham's mother Alys Bomia - who recently lost 53lbs herself after being inspired by her daughter - says it was emotional moment when Brooke finally reached her target weight.
'There were a lot of tears,' she said. 'We just cried and cried some more.' Today, Mrs Birmingham keeps a blog where she posts recipes, workout tips and inspiration for others trying to accomplish similar goals. She wrote on her blog that she's still in shock at how much she has managed to achieve. 'If you would have told 327lb Brooke that she'd be on the cover of a magazine, she would have laughed,' she said. 'I'm just a small town girl who decided one day to change my life and get healthy for myself. . . The whole thing seems surreal to me still and I get choked up when I think about it all.' To her readers, Mrs Birmingham advises patience and a realistic attitude when it comes to losing weight.
'I didn't drop the weight overnight, I didn't do it with a crazy fad diet,' she writes. 'I did it the real and healthy way, changing how I ate and moving more. 'I tell people all the time, if I can do it, anyone can. It takes hard work, but it is always worth it!'
