Obese Mom Loses 100lb After Hearing Husband’s Cheating, Says It’s a Blessing in Disguise

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From the archives: This story was last updated in February 2019.

To be called fat as well as other hurtful names by someone whom you love dearly is surely devastating, and that’s exactly how a Texas woman felt. But these painful words became her motivation to lose weight.

Betsy Ayala, then 34, from Houston, had just given birth to her baby girl when she found out that her husband and his colleague had been calling her fat behind her back, MailOnline reported.

It was a huge blow for Betsy, a former marketing manager. “I had been with him since I was 17 and pretty much devoted my life to our relationship and him. I was devastated. I found out through some messages I read on his Facebook where they were calling me a cow and fat, and just trashing me and my whole world fell apart,” she said.

“He would always tell me I looked fine or would try to get me to eat junk all the time which is why I was so devastated when I read those messages because it was almost like he enabled me or wanted me to stay that way,” she added.

She had been dieting since the age of 13 and was bullied at school for her weight. Eating thus became a “self-medication” for her.

When she read the words her husband had said, she turned the words into a motivation. She got rid of sugary snacks in her diet and started her workouts with her sister. She also attended Zumba classes.

She felt that her husband’s cheating was a blessing in disguise. She reduced her weight from over 200 pounds (approx. 91 kg) to 159 pounds (approx. 72 kg) in two years.

“Now I honestly feel that what he did was a blessing because otherwise, I would have been the way I was forever. I prayed all the time for my life to change and my prayers were answered just maybe not in the way I envisioned but I got a second shot at a fresh start and I’m grateful for that,” she said.

“It’s changed everything in my life. I would cry after every workout and it was then that I decided that this wouldn’t define me and I was going to change for me and for my daughter. I wanted her to be proud of her mom and I wanted to be an example for her,” she continued.

Her journey made her a positive person, and she has also forgiven her ex-husband. “I’m a completely different person both on the inside and outside because of my outlook on everything. I was always very negative and had a chip on my shoulder because I was unhappy with me. I’m happier, I’m confident and most of all I’m positive,” she said.

Betsy is now an independent distributor and wellness coach at Herbalife.