This Texas Beauty Queen Shed More Than 100 Pounds. Find Out What Inspired Her to Do It

Miss South Texas Keli Kryfko—soon to compete in the Miss Texas pageant—used to weigh more than 200 pounds…in middle school. But then she had a wake-up call: In gym class, she flunked her fitness test and overheard her female classmates saying, "Can you believe that fat girl couldn't do any of it?" 

That comment motivated her to change her life: She started drinking more water, upping her intake of fruits and vegetables, and cutting back on fried food. These small changes helped her shed more than 100 pounds, and now she's the reigning queen of South Texas, preparing for the Miss Texas pageant in July.
 
Her dietary changes are nothing new—we all know that eliminating high-calorie foods will lead to weight loss. What's unique about Keli's journey is the moment that triggered her transformation. In a study of National Weight Control Registry data, researchers found that people with a precipitating event that prompted them to slim down—like Keli's—were less likely to regain the weight back after two years than those without a specific motivating incident.
 
This made us wonder: What other types of experiences can give women the push they need to drop excess weight? So we asked our Facebook readers to weigh in. Here are a few of their inspiring stories:
 
"I was told I wouldn't be allowed IVF unless I lost weight. I wanted a baby so much, I was prepared to do anything. I got a personal trainer and made a lifestyle change." –Laura Pragnell
 
"I started avoiding the mirror. And when I would have to look, I would be in a bad mood and hating myself. One day I was just tired of being unhappy. After my second child, I got serious about my weight and have lost over 30 pounds and am still on track to reaching my goal." –Sarah Ashlee McAllister
 
"Traveling halfway around the world on a trip of a lifetime in my 20s, only to find I was too out of shape to do all the awesome activities that we were going on. Started working out the day I got home. Now I'm a therapist and a personal trainer and love my life!" –Kim Hollingdale

MORE: A Mother and Daughter Decided to Lose Weight Together—See Their Inspiring Progress After 100 Days 

"I saw a photo of myself and realized I was three times bigger than my friends who were in the photo with me. I was wearing big shirts meant for sleeping as regular T-shirts. I stepped on the scale at 250 pounds two years ago, and 85 pounds later, I now weigh 165." –Lisa Jacobs
 
"I was getting migraines for 18 days straight. I figured losing weight can't hurt. … Now I'm migraine-free for five months!" –Kali Rose Johnson
 
"I ate a whole pack of Oreos…in one sitting. After doing that, I got up and said, 'no more.' Never looked back." –Rachelle Nadler

MORE: 7 Ways to Curb Your Appetite Naturally  

"My diet was mostly chips and ice cream while I was pregnant. … I gained nearly 70 pounds. My daughter was born healthy, three weeks early, but because of my condition, my placenta ruptured and I had to have an emergency C-section. I had to spend an additional week in the hospital before I was cleared to leave. When I woke up and held her in my arms for the first time, I made a promise to her that I would never allow either of us to get that unhealthy again." –Jennifer Correa-Kruegel
  
"It happened when my son was 10. He said, 'I don't want to be fat like you or dad.' I started eating healthy, joined Weight Watchers, and eventually the gym. Now fitness is like breathing for me." –Rhonda Auger Adams

"I went back to school for a bachelor of recreation degree. … Not being able to fit into a kayak in front of my class made me realize that I couldn't expect to motivate people to enjoy recreation if I was too overweight and out of shape to participate myself! I lost over 100 pounds and found my love of exercise and recreation again." –Teena Doyle

MORE: 7 Ways to make Losing Weight Easier  

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