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I have never been a large person at 6' 4" tall, but starting in 2018, I found myself struggling with keeping the weight off. My journey with health and weight isn’t one of overnight success or quick fixes—it’s been a long path with ups and downs, challenges, and lessons learned. Back in 2012, I went all in on my health. I was determined to make a change and shed the extra pounds I had gained over the years. I dropped from 235 pounds down to 195, which was even less than I weighed at my high school graduation. I felt energized, proud, and hopeful about the road ahead. But life has a way of throwing curveballs. By 2018, stress had crept in, mostly related to my mom’s failing health. I found myself turning to food in ways I hadn’t before. I share many good traits from my mom but the love for food trait was a pattern that I have as well. Her passing left an emptiness that I struggled to fill, and my self-care took a back seat. My blood pressure climbed higher, and medications pile...