BEFORE: 198 lbs
AFTER: 137 lbs
KJ Golden fell into an unhealthy eating pattern at an early age. Strapped for time, her single mom cooked comfort food (think: pizza, fried chicken) and took her three girls to McDonald’s several times a week.
Despite playing basketball in high school, KJ reached 160 pounds by her senior year in 2010. That fall, her doctor told her she was hypoglycemic—a possible precursor to diabetes, which ran in her family. The news scared KJ, but not enough for her to change her habits as the demands of school and office work took over.
By fall of 2014, she was up to 198, but after a mile-long walk to class left her short of breath, it finally clicked: Her health needed to become top priority.