How 3 moms each lost half their body weight l GMA

it is day 2 of course of 2020 and for so many people the new year it's all about embracing those resolutions and living your best life this morning we're sharing the stories of three inspiring women who push themselves to not only lose more than a hundred pounds each but keep it off they're all featured in People magazine's half their size issue we're going to meet them and just a moment but first Diane Macedo has their story for us 38 year old Shawn attend ole battled her weight since she was young she says as a teen

she hit over 330 pounds at a very young age I learned to use food for something it can't be I try to make it my friend and to provide emotional comfort she says she would sneak food and binge secretly in her room until college when some good friends helped her find a new path I realized that I could create my own identity away from my family away from my high school 41 year old Marsha Parker says she gained 70 pounds during her pregnancy and ballooned to 290 by the time her daughter was 5 I wasn't

eating in a healthy way at all Chinese food fried rice fried wings foods that were easy to get and that were more economical for me at the time but it was her daughter Kumari now 9 who motivated Marsha to take better care of herself she not only pressed me to eat healthy like her she would set my alarm so I could go to my class and start exercising Lindey Cellucci started gaining weight in her 30s eventually hitting 299 pounds I've gave up a lucrative career and quit smoking all the same it was a trifecta she

says she fed her kids well but her own eating habits fell apart I would provide a healthy breakfast for my kids but for myself I would grab an Ice Cream Sandwich because it was in the freezer and convenient Lindy's turning point came in 2014 on a trip with friends she couldn't keep up and needed to sit out on a steep walk down to the ocean I was so disappointed in myself I didn't want to be the person who's missing out on life and for Good Morning America Diane Macedo ABC News New York oh my we're

joined now by People magazine editor Zooey I could only imagine how many people reach out to you but what was it about these three women you know we get so many submissions every year for this issue but these women really stood out to us because they talked about their emotional relationship with food this wasn't about I just want to look better in my jeans or in a bathing suit it was about changing that relationship we heard phrases like intuitive eating and freedom whoo so these were really special stories has it changed the inside as well

as the absolutely did it all with really hard work there were no weight loss pills no surgery this was just hard work hard work all right thank you so much you want to meet these women [Applause] first let's see Lindy before and Lindy now come on out Lindy [Applause] how much weight you've lost she's got to show us right here okay turn it around [Applause] little bit of your story and that setup piece made me cry actually talked about that that that breaking moment for you well it's awful you're you're with your friends you're the

same age as them and you go to this place that's fantastic you can go down onto the ocean floor and these awesome flowers hot rocks and and I couldn't do it I stood there and I can't do 300 steps I'm 56 years old I can't do 300 steps and I stood there and I I cried and I was so embarrassed and ashamed and they went down I could hear them playing and uh they Sophie's are there yeah yes yeah they were having a great talk in here my friend Laura laughs and down there like a

crazy and I just was I was so disappointed and I said that's it I actually said those words out loud I'm sure people around me thought what she saying yeah it's time but your time yeah started [Applause] like so many so many women you are putting other people before yourself so what is your what's your advice to women did you know everyone's busy you all got that you know busy times your your doing things I I think if I could do it again I wouldn't help like have them help me incorporate them into my plan

so on a Sunday spent a few hours in meal prep get some things in the fridge get all that stuff you know into the freezer and then when you get up in the morning and you need something you're not gonna go for the Ice Cream Sandwich because guess what it's not gonna be there right are you ready to meet Marsha Marsha Marsha before and here is Marsha now [Applause] you talked about this this is something I'm sure a lot of your readers reach out to you about women during and after pregnancy gaining weight and that

is what's happened to you exactly yeah and your daughter helped you she's I'm blessed to have her as my little girl okay she started reading early so she would read food labels with me set the alarm so I could go to my classes she would run with me she would tell me how proud she is of me she's amazing she's nine years old now what do you want to tell her you are so powerful like you were able to use your love to influence an adult you know so there's nothing that you can't do and

I don't want to be like you when I grow up Oh Oscar here with your mama come up here with your mom [Applause] Seana okay okay here's shot up before and now Shawna come on out [Applause] okay so show people how much mo yeah yes yes yes yes yes drum roll this is something but a lot of people that they you've had a history of dealing with your weight you said even in middle school you were what 300 pounds yeah woman so what was that moment for you what was what turned it around for you

you know I had to say that becoming who I was knowing who I was meant to be and starting to learn that from adolescent into early adulthood and knowing that I was worthy of being treasured regardless of my size so regardless of my size and being empowered by that and knowing that gave me the freedom to say food does it have a magical power over me I can use it I can enjoy it we're allowed to enjoy food or am I allowed to have fellowship it with mood but it doesn't have to have a strong

hold over us and so as you explained and you really personified that all three of you inside that you just really absolutely that it was more for feeding your soul yes and that really jumped out at us especially with your story it was about freedom from that power that who'd had a held over you for your whole life all right well Zoe thank you ladies [Applause] well hey there GMA fans Robin Roberts here thanks for checking out our YouTube channel lots of great stuff here so go on click the subscribe button right over right over

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