WHO: Tammy Ducharme, project assistant
AGE: 30
CITY: Winnipeg, Man.
By The Numbers: 369 at my heaviest, and currently 233. Height: 5'9"
The Weight Gain: As far as I can remember, I've always been bigger, even as a kid. I was active and had a lot of energy and liked to be on the go, but I've always had extra weight.
The Final Straw: In March of 2009, I was asked to be a bridesmaid. I decided I wanted to lose as much weight as I could before the wedding in October. When I started, I weighed 369 (pounds) — I will never forget that number. Fortunately for the nutrition aspect, I was able to get help from someone at the gym. She gave me tips and was extremely supportive. I don’t recall how much I weighed at the wedding, but I do remember weighing 318 pounds at the end of November that year. After that I still worked out, kept eating better, but fell off track. I was like a seesaw. I could never get exercising and eating healthier at the same time and sometimes I would just fall off both.
In March 2012, my co-worker and I researched the 17 Day Diet. It took us almost a full month to finally get the motivation to try it. I was hesitant because I hated diets and hated the thought of diets. The weekend before I started it, I had started chatting to a new friend. I was asked if I liked being bigger. My reply was along the lines of "yeah, I've learned to deal with it." Then I realized this wasn't the question. "Do I LIKE it?" I sat for a few minutes and actually thought about it — the light bulb had finally clicked. "No, I don’t like it, I hate it." I finally realized it’s not who I am, not who I want to be, and I’m strong enough to change it.
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