So the night after all this was found out, I realized that I needed to do something. I was an overweight teen at the height of 5 feet, 11 inches and the weight of 215 lbs; I thought that losing weight could substantially lower my cholesterol readings.

Coming up with goals

I started to write down all of my measurements to include the size of my chest and how much I weighed. Then I wrote down some goals I thought might be impossible but I had to do for my health. I wanted to weigh 185 lbs.

After all my goals were specified, I started to think how I would reach them. I came up with a plan that consisted of running everyday for at least 30 minutes, and I would not go back for second helpings of food. One of the most important rules, I think, was staying away from pasta, cheese and bread. Another important thing I did was check my weight three times a day: morning, afternoon and before I went to bed.

To make sure I would keep to this schedule, I made a promise that if I didn't reach this goal in three months at 11:59 pm, December 31, 2005, I wouldn't be able to do the thing I love to do most in the coming summer: wakeboarding.

The half-way mark of my journey to losing weight was finally here. I was stunned to see that I had reached my goal a month and a half before the ending date. So, I set another goal: I wanted to get down to 167 pounds and I had to do it by my original target date. I realized there was plenty of work for me to do and there was no patting myself on the back yet, I wasn't done. I continued to exercise and eat healthy until New Year's Eve 2005. I weighed myself and, miraculously, I had done it! I had met my goals.