A good ten years ago, in her early 20s, the suffering of the American Kristin Hahlbohn began: The young woman went to college, had to work a lot for a living and also had to deal with depression. To this day, she is not entirely sure whether there was a concrete trigger for this depression – but once she was rejected by her crush, she lost all self-esteem.
Eating as a consolation donor
Kristin found comfort in the food, but only first Due to the double burden of college and work, she lost all dimensions: "I was always a plus size girl, but my weight literally exploded when I had to reconcile college and job," Kristin told Love what matters.
From good intentions to eating disorders
After college, Kristin got her depression under control and now wanted to lose weight, but quickly fell into one Vicious cycle of binge eating and emotional eating. She was nervous at the end, but the pounds tumbled on the scales: in less than a year she lost around 59 kilos. But Kristin knew that losing weight was not healthy. She went hungry more from month to month, sometimes only allowing herself 500 to 600 calories a day.
She made excuses for friends and family: "I just lied to her and said that I had already eaten or that I was simply not hungry." On a normal day, Kristin ate a small apple in the morning, refrained from lunch, and ate a smoothie or a small piece of chicken in the evening. In addition, she struggled regularly in the gym.
Then the first turn came: "I always felt weak. One day I passed out from the treadmill." That was Kristin's wake-up call. She trusted friends and family. With her help, the young woman gradually learned to listen to her body and to love it as it was. However, over time, that resulted in all of the weight she had lost coming back.
Back at the beginning
Only a few years later, at 29 and now again over 150 kg, did Kristin realize that she had to start the fight against weight again. She felt uncomfortable in her body: For example, instead of enjoying her life, she tried to hide in the background in photos and dared to go nowhere where you should have worn a swimsuit.
The second fight against weight
But it wasn't until she ended a bad relationship in January 2017 that Kristin actually found the strength to change her life again. This time with a plan: Not only did she start listening to her body again, she also broke up with people who didn't do her good. Little by little she rebuilt her everyday life: first she refrained from sweet lemonades, then from sugary food. She generally ate healthier and eventually settled at around 1,700 calories a day.
But Kristin knew that to successfully lose weight, she had to incorporate more sport into her everyday life – after she collapsed, she gave up exercise. At first, she only extended the walks with her dog, then she started running to work. It was only when Kristin was certain that she had mastered her eating habits and gained a bit of confidence, she registered again in the gym. Here she discovered her new love: kickboxing. "It was so much fun and it was also the most intense workout I have ever done. I just love it!"
Slowly but surely to the goal
Kristin is a good 50 kilos lighter today and is finally feeling good in her body again
This love has remained until today. And in addition to kickboxing, Kristin hired a personal trainer who showed her how much her body can actually do. Bit by bit, Kristin learned to love herself again. Overall, she has lost about 50 kilos since January 2017 and feels better than ever.
"I finally have the confidence to do the things I was previously afraid of because of my weight. Losing weight has changed not only my body but also my view of life." With her story, Kristin wants to encourage other people affected, to take the first step: "It's a hard road and you will make mistakes. But don't give up, it's worth it!"