2011 MA Division 2 2nd Place Female
Terri Lavigne

Before
from MA 211 Chicopee with a loss of 52.75#
My weight loss journey has been a long road with many obstacles in my way.  Honestly I didn’t think I would make it this far.

I can’t say losing weight gave me the chance to go off all my medication, but it has taught me three things; self-love, forgiveness and perseverance. I learned that failure would not be an option no matter how high the mountain.

Attending therapy, I discovered I deserve to love myself and the best way is to take care of my health both physical and mental and to experience feelings. But most of all, I learned forgiveness of those that harmed me and of myself because without it I would have stopped going to TOPS and who knows where I would be.

Awhile back I was told I acted as if I lived in a cocoon when we met but now I’m a butterfly.  I think I like this feeling.  Thank you Dave and all my TOPS friends who are standing by me on this roller coaster ride.