Chatting Online Helps Grand Rapids Woman Lose 530 Pounds


GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- She says she didn't get her stomach stapled, didn't really diet and didn't exercise much. However, a Grand Rapids woman still managed to lose more than 500 pounds.

"530 pounds," says Nancy Makin.

It took more than 10 years to gain, but Nancy weighed 700 pounds in 2001.

She's not sure why. Loneliness after a divorce, boredom and eating to feel better may have all contributed.

"You are stuffing your feelings," says Nancy. "Substituting the real thing that will make you feel whole for food and food does not last."

Nancy Makin says her life changed when she got a second hand computer and went on line for the first time.

She made friends in chat rooms about politics.

No one knew how big she was.

They just knew she was smart and funny.

"It was beautiful," she says. "It was anonymous. I didn't have that barrier there. They saw my wit and they saw my intelligence and I was not in that shell."

Chatting 12 to 13 hours a day, Nancy says she barely had time to eat.

She spent most of her time on line.

She missed a lot of meals and the weight started to fall off.

"I never knew how much I was losing because it didn't matter," she says. "That is the key. It didn't matter."

After she lost around 400 pounds Nancy says she got off the computer and started going out in public again.

She had the confidence to form face to face friendships.

"People aren't staring at me like I am part of a circus act," she says.

Nancy wrote to Oprah Winfrey about her weight loss and was invited to Chicago to appear on the show.

"I wanted somebody to hear and have hope and be able to help themselves," she says.

Good Morning America and other national programs are also interested in her story.

Nancy says she is grateful for the opportunity to improve the public understanding of obese individuals.



**************************************************************


Who said Current Events and Politics were fattening???


I feel lighter already..



http://www.firstcoastnews.com/news/strange/news-article.
aspx?storyid=96543

very inspirational, where did you manage to find this


on a side not- i did take some of your advice, i think my paper makes more sence, thank you

I guess sitting around on my fat butt, doing nothing, isn't actually nothing afterall...hmm...inspiring!

Well I guess in that woman's case she typed rather than stuffed her face with cheetos.......

All this time, I thought I could gain weight using the internet, I wondered why we needed mesh over the shower drain...

IT'S NOT WORKING

Artgurl...doesn't look like it needs to work for you

YES! im on the jsh diet hehehe...that is one heck of a story! good for her!!!

I like this thread, it reminds me, I need to go eat...

hey lee did you get my e-mail

there may be food in it

No!!

Oh, I have a left over mail with some bread, and water, and a file.... I shall have some of that, thankyou..

If only that were true Searchin ... if only that were true