Mom Ends Roller Coaster Weight Battle and Drops 105 Lbs.

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Stephanie Camacho said she once felt embarrassed, mortified and like a failure because of her weight. The 28-year-old mother and executive assistant from New York had tipped the scales at 250 pounds and admits she didn't even recognize herself at her heaviest. "I could not believe I had let myself get so big," she told the Today Show.

What began at age nine after losing her grandfather turned into a weight loss roller coaster for nearly two decades. Stephanie's daily intake was more than enough for two people, she admitted, and had sent her spiraling out of control. Breakfast consisted of waffles and a bacon, egg and cheese bagel; lunch was often Chinese food and pizza; and dinner was chicken with potatoes in a heavy cream sauce. "I definitely viewed food as something I had to fight against. I had a love/hate relationship with it."

Over the years, this battle took its toll physically and emotionally. Because of being so uncomfortable with the way she looked, Stephanie recalls turning down a promotion at work that would have made her more visible. Shopping for a wedding dress to make her look "less fat" was painful during what should have been a happier time. And seeing herself in vacation photos made her break down in tears.

After seeing those photos though, Stephanie made the decision to do something about her weight, once and for all. "I tried very hard to convince myself that I loved myself how I was -- that I was comfortable in my skin," Stephanie said. "But I never was. I always wanted to change myself."

Stephanie joined Weight Watchers and cried again for an hour with her leader after stepping on the scale. But seeing her new support team convinced Stephanie she was on the right path. "It was at that point that I decided that this was important to me - that I deserved this," she said.

One step at a time, the weight came off. Stephanie made massive changes to her diet with egg whites and whole wheat toast for breakfast, chicken breast salad for lunch, and turkey with steamed vegetables for dinner. "My family basically just thought that I was on another roller coaster," she said. But Stephanie was out to prove to them -- and herself, that she could do this. It wasn't long before she hired a personal trainer and began to love running and working out. She now says her trainer often has to tell her to stop exercising so much.

The once "sad, overweight and hopeless" mom has now turned her life around with diet, exercise and lots of hard work. Stephanie has lost 105 pounds and is now someone her son "can be proud to call his mom". We're proud of you too Stephanie!

For another amazing weight loss story, read about the world's fattest man.