This 23-Year-Old Graduate Student Lost More Than 100 Lbs. — and Got Her Confidence Back: ‘I Feel Comfortable In My Body’ (Exclusive)

Cat Brooks described herself as the “anti-walker”: “I was the person who would circle the grocery store parking lot to try to get a spot in front. Now I happily park in the back to get in the extra steps!”

Brooks began her transformation in April 2021. At the time, she was 266 lbs, working in a cubicle, going to school online due to the pandemic and “sitting and eating and being sad,” she says.

A WeightWatchers ad popped up on her computer screen one morning. By that afternoon she had enrolled. In the past, I “struggled with overeating and portion control.” But the program’s application helped her stay accountable.

“I spend a lot of time on my phone, so it’s really easy to have a food tracking app,” says Brooks, who turns to it for recipes when she cooks on Sunday nights. “It pushes me out of my comfort zone with using vegetables and protein.”

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Brooks the cat.

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Before she started to embrace portion control, healthy food choices and more activity (Zumba and walking are favorites), Brooks hated being in photos.

“I would volunteer to be photographed. I was really uncomfortable in my own skin,” says Brooks, who frequently posts her meals, workouts and selfies on Instagram (@catgetsfitonww) to her nearly 15,000 followers. “Now I’m the first to say, ‘Let’s take a group picture.’ ”

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Although she lost more than her 100 lb. goal and now weighs 148 lbs., her motivation “isn’t to lose weight anymore,” says Brooks, who gets up early to walk a mile on the treadmill every day. “I’m not afraid of fitness anymore. Exercise makes me feel good. I do it for the happy endorphins.”

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Source: HIS Education

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