Men left me because I was "too big." I lost 80 kg, and now they want me back (6 photos + 1 video)

Heather Floda decided to lose weight when another first date turned into her last. At the time, she weighed 350 pounds. "They kept telling me, 'You're beautiful, but I don't date plus-size women,'" she recalls.





28-year-old Heather shares: "After those dates, I'd stop for fast food and drinks. It was my way of coping with rejection. But how can I expect to be loved if I don't love myself?"

Overnight, she made the decision to change.

"I was in college and working full-time, so I was always making excuses for not cooking at home. At first, exercise seemed tedious. I remember the first time I went to the gym: I had no idea what I was doing, and people were staring at me. Then I cut out processed foods and focused on whole foods."



Heather started drinking more water. It was hard at first, but it got easier.

"I changed my diet and started walking 10,000 steps every day. I only went to the gym after I lost 80 pounds."

In three and a half years of hard work, the woman lost 81 kilograms.

She admitted: “After losing weight, I felt a deep respect for myself for the first time. This feeling was new and incredibly powerful. I also gained a confidence I never knew I had. Confidence is truly a skill that needs to be developed.”

“It felt good to reject people who used to be rude to me about my weight, and to do so confidently. Some men think I changed for them. But really, I did it to see what I was capable of.”

“So many exes started messaging me. Even friends I'd stopped talking to tried to get back together. It's weird how many people want to be around you when you're doing well.”





She remembered how, before she lost weight, she'd bought a first-class ticket, knowing the seats were wider there.

"The flight attendant came up to me right after landing and handed me a seatbelt extender, even though I didn't ask for one. I felt like people were judging me for my weight. Now I can comfortably fit in economy class, and everyone is so kind to me. Passersby hold the doors, people look at me as they pass and say, 'You're so beautiful.'"



Today, Heather from Tampa, Florida, got engaged and is expecting a baby.

She shared: "We met at a bar, and on our first date, I felt confident. We went to the beach, and I was wearing a red bikini, but I wasn't self-conscious about loose skin or stretch marks. My man makes me feel like the most beautiful girl on the planet. He loves me without makeup, without my hair—for who I am, not for how I look."



"I knew that if I continued to gain weight and eat unhealthy food, my life would be short. I would never find what I dreamed of – a family."

Heather addressed those who want to follow her example.

"Start now. There is no perfect moment. But every day you wait is a missed opportunity to get closer to your goals. I can say with certainty: if I hadn't lost the weight, I wouldn't be who I am today."



Floda's old diet:

Breakfast: Eight eggs, a whole package of bacon, one bagel, a sugar-free cola or two Egg and Sausage McMuffins, one sausage burrito, a hash brown, and a large caramel frappe.

Lunch: Big Mac and Diet Coke.

Dinner: A whole family lasagna or chicken fajitas with tortillas, cheese sauce, and salsa.

Today's Meal:

Breakfast: 150g egg whites, three slices of turkey bacon, and a bagel.

Lunch: One serving of grilled chicken.

Dinner: Turkey or chicken breast, taco bowl, or high-protein pasta.