I grew up in a home where health was not a priority, and poor nutritional choices were made every day. As a kid, I ate cookies, ice cream, and candy because that was the food available and because no one ever explained to me the consequences of eating bad food or the benefits of eating healthy. As a teenager, my prom dress was made for me because it was so difficult to find a dress for a 203-pound 18-year-old. Being a heavyset young person makes it difficult to find clothes that fit and are flattering and trendy, and losing weight would help make this endeavour easier.
Losing weight would also give me a boost of confidence. Spending time with thinner friends sometimes makes me self-conscious, and trips to the beach or pool often make me cringe about putting my bathing suit on, even though I love to swim. One day, I would love to be able to confidently wear a bikini, but I have some weight-loss hurdles to conquer before that day comes.
I am a classical voice major at the University of Toronto, and pursuing voice studies at university has helped open my eyes to how important it is to be healthy. A healthy person helps make a healthy singer, and being in good physical shape is a key element to being a good performer, as well. Having strong core muscles and a lean body helps a singer’s posture, breathing, and endurance, and it is important to me to improve these areas of my singing by losing weight.
Right before I started at U of T, I began to date my present boyfriend, who encouraged me to work out at the gym with him. Then I learned that U of T’s tuition fees include a membership to multiple gym facilities, and I was persuaded to make some healthy lifestyle changes. For more than a year now I have been very committed to this healthier lifestyle and have lost 40 pounds, which I am very happy about. Nonetheless, I have hit a slump recently and have not lost any weight for the past few months, and I’m not sure why. I’m hoping that Varrieur’s “Fat to Skinny” will be able to provide me with the tools I need to get over the slump, feel better about myself, become a healthier person and singer, and one day wear a bikini!
Melody