Kayley McNeal, 13, of Lake Stevens joined the YMCA’s Strong Teens program to improve her fitness and learn healthy eating tips. Here’s a Q-and-A on her experience:
Q: How did you find out about the program?
A: I went to a checkup with my doctor. I was having this whole thing in confidence issues. I had just turned 13. She wanted to see some change and healthy behaviors.
Q: Would you say weight was an issue for you? Was it hard to pull on shorts and a T-shirt?
A: Yes, especially in P.E.
Q: Before you joined the Strong Teens program, what were your eating habits like?
A: I used to eat big portions. … That’s kind of the way the family did it.
We learned about “portion distortion.” Once my mom heard that, she changed things for the entire family.
When we started having (smaller portions) … when we ate the right stuff and right portions, we were full.
Q: The class didn’t really a focus on weight, but on fitness. Was it a relief not to have a focus on a number?
A: It was. I didn’t have the other kids looking at what I weighed. It was a real relief I didn’t have to worry about numbers, but focusing on how to eat and work out and to make it fun.
I didn’t have to worry about … feeling bad that I hadn’t lost as much as they wanted me to.
Q: So what did you see change?
A: Sit-ups. Every time we did it, the more I did it, I always increased two or three sit-ups. It was a lot more fun. This isn’t a chore for me. It’s fun because I’m getting good results.
Q: Did you think of yourself as overweight?
A: It depended on who said it. If it was one of my friends, it would hit me that maybe I am and it was time to change. When it was one of the popular girls who said it, it was, “Whatever.” It was a big roller coaster. I finally decided I really want to see a change.
Q: What’s the biggest change you’ve seen physically in yourself?
A: I’m able to walk long distances; half a mile at time before I have to stop. Being able to see sizes in clothes go down and my appearance. I’m happier to see that I don’t fit into the big clothes, I’m into small clothes. It feels great to have that opportunity.
Q: Does it feel good just to feel fit physically?
A: It does. When you go to school, you think, “Hey, I feel great today.’ I look good. It doesn’t matter what people think. I see myself as pretty and that’s all that matters.
Reporter Sharon Salyer: 425-339-3486 or salyer@heraldnet.com.
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