"I lost 100lbs of weight, and I'm healthier than ever, but was shamed for it"

Pastry chef Catriona Kalmanovitch, from Massachusetts, weighed around 235lbs at her heaviest, and "probably heavier than that, but I was scared of the scale". 

Her weight was causing her pain and impacting her job. She remembers being bullied for being overweight from the age of 10. However, thanks to a combination of the best exercise machines to lose weight, a healthy diet, and a life-changing surgery, Catriona is now 100lbs down and living a better quality of life.

Catriona told our sibling YouTube channel, Truly: “I used to eat to the point of either passing out, almost puking or just being in intense pain. Food was everything."

"My skin was awful, my hair was awful... It really made me feel like I wasn’t good enough, like there was something wrong with me, that I didn't deserve what everyone else had in terms of happiness or enjoying things." 

Catriona has lost a lot of weight since deciding to undergo gastric sleeve surgery. An expensive and personal choice, surgery isn't for everyone, and nor is one set weight loss solution. However, alongside regular exercise, a healthy diet and even hula hooping classes (one of our best tips on how to get a slim waist), Catriona has lost 100lbs. 

Watch Catriona's inspiring weight loss story

However, the bullying didn't stop there. "I think my first experience with [skinny shaming] was when I asked for a smaller uniform at my old job, and was told to 'eat a cheeseburger'."

"Some negative comments do get to me, but sometimes I'm like 'Caty, you're beautiful. This is the body and life I dreamed of, and I hold onto that."

Catriona's favorite forms of exercise are to hit the treadmill and best exercise bike. These are both great ways for beginners to exercise: the cushioned belts of the best treadmills are more forgiving to run on than hard road surfaces, and one study found a 45-minute low-impact ride on an exercise bike can boost your metabolism by up to 14 hours afterward. 

Catriona has been left with lots of loose skin which is a reality with weight loss surgery, however, she said: "The weight loss has changed my life because it's given me back a life. It's given me a future, and new opportunities."  

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