Losing pounds through gigabytes

Kristi Burns struggled with her weight since she was a young girl.

An overweight child, Burns dealt with all of the common struggles.

"I was always picked last in gym class," she said. "But, I probably picked on myself more than others picked on me."

Even if the other kids weren't saying anything, she said she always felt they were thinking she was too fat for whatever they were doing.

As a result, Burns was a very self-conscious child and was always concerned with how people would view her outward appearance.

"Food was a comfort for me," she said. "When I was sad, I would eat. In my family we even ate when we were celebrating."

Over time, that caught up with her.

In high school, she tried to do something about it, but not in a healthy way.

"I would starve myself all day long," Burns said. "When I got home at night, I would eat supper and then throw it up."

The dangerous practice damaged her esophagus and left her with intense stomach pain for quite some time.

She lost some weight, but knew her method wasn't worth the risk.

Over the years, she tried several methods of weight loss with mixed results. Her best results came from calorie counting, but she always struggled to stick with the diets.

Instead of being concerned with the possible health risks associated with obesity, she was more worried about her appearance.

In February 2012, Burns stepped on a scale and found that she weighed 303 lbs.

For years, she said she refused to cross 300 lbs. When it happened, she realized it was time to make a move.

"Something had to change," she said.

Around that same time, she was approached by her mother who was concerned about her health due to the weight.

"It's something I thought about every day of my life," she said. "I knew it wasn't healthy and that one day it would catch up with me."

She was also concerned about how hard it would be to exercise. Despite hating exercise, she knew eventually it would have to happen if she was going to lose the weight and keep it off.

Despite that knowledge, she tried to convince herself she could do it simply by counting calories.

So she set out on a mission. Burns Googled "calorie counter" and came across an interesting telephone app/website called "My Fitness Pal."

MyFitnessPal is a diet and fitness community, accessible through a computer or mobile device, that allows individuals to track the calorie "ins and outs" of their food and exercise habits.

On March 1, 2012, Burns began her diet--one that she knew would not be easy.

Similar to Facebook, users are able to "friend" individuals who are then able to track one another's diets and progress.

"That was huge for me because it gave me accountability," she said. "I really needed that to stick with this."

Burns said that was when the weight began to fall off.

She stuck with it and fought the hard fight, and today - without the aid of medications or surgery - she has lost a total of 127 lbs.

It didn't happen without exercise though, like she had originally hoped. In fact, she eventually found that she loves exercise.

Now instead of avoiding exercise, she's turning it into her livelihood.

Formerly a social worker with the Missouri Children's Division, Burns has now given up that career in search of something new.

Now, she's teaching fitness to individuals who need to lose in excess of 50 pounds. She teaches Hip Hop Dance among other things and this week will become a certified Zumba instructor.

"I may go back to social work one day," Burns said. "But, for now my focus is on losing weight and helping others in need do the same."

Even without the career change, Burns said she feels like a new person.

"I'm resting better and have so much more energy," she said. "Instead of going home to sit on the couch all night, now I'm playing with my daughter or mowing my yard,"

She feels healthier, much happier and better about herself for the first time in as long as she can remember.

"I'm never going to go back to 300 or even 200 pounds," Burns said. "MyFitnessPal was exactly what I needed."

She firmly believes that. In prior years, she had inquired about diet pills, but doctors had refused to give them to her.

She was told that taking diet pills might help lose weight, but it doesn't change one's lifestyle. That was the advantage of the gradual weight loss.

"Now instead of eating french fries for a snack, I might eat fruit," she said. "I'm so glad I did and encourage anyone needing to lose weight to just go for it."