How to change yourself: the story of a man who got rid of bad habits and dropped 55 kilos

Steven Odom, 28, is a photographer and assistant sound engineer based in Houston, Texas. He had once been a fat, aspiring youth who did nothing but do drugs, eat junk food, and ruin his life. But one fine day, Stephen realized that something needed to change. And changed! Read his story.

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Source: buzzfeed.com

1. When Steven Odom started smoking weed as a teenager, it was just a way to relax and have fun. But gradually he got involved, attachment began to form. “It all started as a fun party with friends, but ended up turning into something dark,” Stephen recalls. — I was constantly looking for “new horizons”. He constantly tried to forget himself, to drown out the inner pain. Gradually, the young man lost control of himself, somehow finished school and even received his first conviction for drunk driving.

2. Even in high school, Stephen became addicted to drugs.

3. By the age of 22, Stephen had reached his "bottom" - drinking three liters of whiskey every couple of days and taking tons of pills. He already had two convictions for drunk driving. Steven's doctor gave him a choice: either he would go to rehab or she would no longer see him. This ultimatum worked. The young man signed up for a rehabilitation program. Not everything went smoothly the first time, but by August 2009, Odom eventually "cleared up".

4. And although he got rid of addictions, and his career as a photographer went up, it seemed to him that something was still missing. Finally, he realized what it was: it was time to lose weight. He was chubby as a child, lost some weight in middle school, but gained weight again in high school when drugs made him stop paying attention to what he ate. As a result, Stephen weighed almost 136 kg. He had no idea about a healthy diet (before that, he had never eaten salad in his life), he did not go in for sports. But still, Stephen understood that if he could not use drugs, then he was strong enough to lose weight. He did not consult a trainer or nutritionist, did not read scientific texts. He just went to the gym and discovered a lot of useful exercises.

5. 30-45 minutes of training 4-5 times a week - and those extra pounds began to go away right before our eyes. Encouraged by the results, Stephen stopped drinking soda and eating fast food. He learned to cook, started cycling and started strength training. Four years later, Odom already weighed 79 kg and was happy.

6. Steven offers five simple tips to help those who are trying to get on the right path: 1) Reward yourself. If you eat right and healthy all week, then on the weekend you can treat yourself to a slice of pizza; 2) focus on small achievements. Do not immediately set an unattainable goal;

7. 3) start small. Give up fast food; 4) learn how to cook some healthy meals yourself;

8. Finally, 5) keep yourself motivated and confident. If you don't want to leave the house, start cleaning! When you achieve visible results, reward yourself. For example, buy those very sneakers that you have always dreamed of. Or a blender for cocktails and smoothies.