Success Story: How One Woman Stopped Emotional Eating and Lost More Than 100 Pounds

Before: 275 pounds
After: 170 pounds

The Lifestyle
For Californian Diana Wehbe, 28, food was always an escape to dodge stressful situations. When her now-ex used to criticize her, Diana’s already shaky self-esteem crumbled even further. “If you let people stay in your life for a long time, you start to believe the negative things they say to you,” she says. “In a sense, I was eating my feelings—fast food was the worst for me.” Back then, Diana exercised regularly—by swimming, hiking, and doing CrossFit—but when the results came slower than she wanted, she turned to food to quell her frustration. “I didn’t feel good working out,” she says, “so to make myself feel better [about my body], I would eat.” Diana, who stands at 5’9,” knows her unhealthy relationship with food was the reason she weighed 275 pounds by July 2012.

MORE: 3 Ways to Stop Emotional Eating Before You Start

The Change
In one week that summer, Diana was diagnosed with ovarian cancer and type 2 diabetes. The health scare stunned her into cleaning up her act. “How could this be my life at 26?” she asked herself back then. “I really needed help.” 

Diana turned to her faith for guidance—and realized that the root of her problems stemmed from her reliance on emotional eating. So she reached out to a dietitian who specialized in type 2 diabetes to help her create a healthier meal plan. Diana cut out sugar, wheat, and fats before she decided to go vegan. Once she added more structure to her eating habits, she found it easier to avoid overeating. And to satisfy her cravings, Diana found substitutes for her favorite snacks—like eating salsa with carrots instead of chips. She also started loading up on dark, leafy greens—such as spinach and kale—and healthy vegan options like broccoli, nuts, and pumpkin seeds.

MORE: The 6 Veggies with the Most Protein

Diana wakes up at 5 a.m. for work every day, but she still finds time to squeeze in movement when she can. “When I [can take breaks], I go for brisk walks or hikes since it’s always so nice in California,” she says. And when she can make it to the gym, Diana continues her CrossFit training and does body resistance workouts. “I’m toned everywhere, and everyone is amazed by it,” she says.

Two years—and more than 100 pounds—later, Diana is at a comfortable 170 pounds.

The Reward
When she was heavier, Diana used to scour her local mall for clothes but could never find anything in her size. “I thought to myself, ‘If I desperately needed a pair of pants right now, there’s not one place in 10 miles that I could actually find a pair,'” she says. On her first shopping trip after she'd lost a significant amount of weight, Diana’s mother suggested she try on a smaller size than she’s used to wearing. Because she had grown so accustomed to her plus-size clothes, Diana was hesitant—but she’s glad that she went for it. “I remember feeling really, really happy,” she says. “I didn’t realize I was a size six!”

Diana’s Tips
Have patience with yourself. “I used to give up really quickly when I didn’t see results and be miserable. It’s a really trying time in your life, so you do the best you can and see where you end up.”
Be flexible with exercise. “I squeeze in workouts during work. I’ll do lunges in the hallway or jog around the building.”
Find satisfying substitutes for cravings. “I satisfied my sweet tooth by eating more fruits like pears, cherries, plums, and peaches. I made sure that if I had a craving, I had an apple with me so that I could eat it and be done with that craving.”

MORE: The BEST Way to Satisfy Cravings Without Going Overboard

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