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Obese Mom Cacia Griggs, Inspired by Daughter, Loses 112 Pounds

Cacia Griggs knew she had to do something about her obesity when she broke her four-year-old daughter's bed while tucking her in one evening.

Since that horrible night one year ago, Griggs, 26, has lost 112 pounds and married her fiancé in a beautiful wedding dress with the help of a local weight center in Peterborough, England.

Her daughter, now four, noticed Griggs's incredible transformation. "She commented about how I didn't have a big belly anymore and she loved doing exercise with me," Griggs told Yahoo! Shine. "She was also great at reprimanding me when I tried to take something from her plate. She would say, 'mummy you're not allowed these, you'll get a big belly again!'

In fact, the major motivating factor for Griggs was concern for her daughter's future weight. After reading an article in the newspaper about how children of obese parents are more likely to be obese themselves, Griggs strengthened her resolve to lose weight. "It might as well have been written about me and my daughter," she said in an interview with the Daily Mail. "She was already starting to copy my bad eating habits, asking for the fizzy drinks and junk food that I was eating."

"The thought of subjecting my beautiful little girl to a lifetime of weight-battling misery and ill health was too much for me to bear."

Obesity weighs on more Americans than ever

The Journal of Pediatrics conducted the study Griggs read about, which determined that there are five factors in whether or not a child will become obese. The main risk factor is parental weight. "Nearly 80 percent of obese 10- to 14-year-olds with an obese parent will be obese as adults," the Yale Medical Group summarized.

Griggs's commitment required major lifestyle changes, such as cutting out high calorie foods and introducing regular exercise into her schedule. She began her diet on a meal replacement plan, only drinking shakes and eating protein bars. Then Griggs slowly reintroduced healthier foods, mostly vegetables and protein. "Now I love seafood and vegetables. I noticed how colorful my plate was becoming," Griggs told Yahoo! Shine. "The increase of water made a massive difference not only to weight loss but to my skin and energy levels."

As she lost weight, Griggs only felt more motivated. "For the first time I began to really believe that I could do this. People started noticing and I fell in love with exercise," she told the Daily Mail. On Twitter, she frequently mentions her love of yoga.

Throughout the past year, Griggs tweeted her progress and posted pictures, including a photo of her in a swimsuit. Speaking about how social media helped her stick to her goals, Griggs said, "The support on these sites is incredible. Everyone is going through the same thing, so you can give each other tips on how to stay focused. It's a great feeling helping others on their weight loss journey, too."

The desire to become a better role model for her daughter wasn't her only inspiration. Griggs told Yahoo! Shine that her upcoming nuptials were "a huge motivating factor." Rather than settling for the size-16 dress she had hoped to wear, she worked past her goal and wore a size-10 on her wedding day.

On Twitter, Griggs couldn't contain her excitement over her November 3 wedding. "Now THIS was my dream dress," and she tweeted a photo. "I managed to fit in yesterday! Amazing day and now Mrs. Griggs."

Related links:
Obesity a big problem for America's future
10 simple weight loss tips that take 30 seconds
World's wackiest diets





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