Have you ever found yourself in a position where you felt that there was no way out? That you'd always be stuck where you were, with no hope of ever leaving? I'm sure you have--we all have at some point, and I'm no exception to that.

Many of you have a tale that's all yours, one that involves personal trials and one that involves your own set of triumphs. The one I'm about to share with you, from my own personal collection, is a tad more serious than the ones I normally deliver, but I guarantee you that its message will be just as meaningful for those of you that have gone through a similar situation as it was for me.

I've always felt as though a person's life could be summed up with a single word and that the measure of their lives are only as meaningful as the word that describes it. My life has undergone a series of changes, but if I had to choose a single word to describe it, I would say that the majority of my life can be explained with a single-syllable, four letter word: food.

I adored it. Yeah, I know what many of you are probably thinking: "Doesn't everybody?" But the thing is, I had a bit of a problem that many of you don't have. I not only adored food, I couldn't stop eating it.

There was never a moment where I was not filling my mouth with something; the salted, crunchy French fries from Burger King, or a massive bowl of marinara-soaked spaghetti noodles from Olive Garden. This obsession I possessed stayed with me for as long as I could remember. Servings never mattered; I always ate until I was full. And it often took a lot for me to reach that point.

Yet it was still a surprise when I was prescribed as overweight by my doctor. Needless to say, I was devastated. The worst thing about it is that it was neither a hereditary ailment, nor any kind of disorder. It was a choice.

I had a pretty complex routine back in my youth. At home, when under the public eye, I'd eat in moderation (I’d have two helpings instead of three. Real sneaky, I know). But whenever I was not, I would consume a rigorous amount of food in one sitting. I'd tiptoe into the kitchen at night, open the refrigerator (the home to my temptations and solaces), and devour portions larger than those I had before them.

There's no real way to explain why I did what I did. But I always felt that it was something I had to do. It was like a high that I couldn’t get enough of. But my escapades were eventually unveiled by my parents, who began to monitor my food intake more closely.

It was only until my family and I moved to Europe, when a certain incident occurred, that I began to make a change. My family and I flew to Barcelona, Spain in 2008, exploring the Mediterranean on one of their cruise lines: The Norwegian Gem.

On the third day aboard the ship, a barbecue took place on its top deck. The penetrating aroma of smoked brisket and ribs was so intoxicating I did not hesitate to satisfy my stomach’s bellowing. I mean, honestly, who could say no to all of that? With all of that on the table, you'd better believe I threw every piece of food onto my large plate and was excited at the thought of devouring every sliver.

But once everything was consumed, my stomach as tight as could be, I regurgitated everything on that top deck in front of the hundreds of people that were present. I was so embarrassed and ashamed, but that incident is what finally opened my eyes to the err of my ways. The repercussions of my actions on that day still serve as a reminder of what I used to be and what I never want to become again.

Two years after the event on the cruise occurred and I was over two hundred pounds and still gaining. I had learned from the cruise incident, but not enough to make a significant change in my weight.

Thankfully, at that point in time, we were living in Virginia and my mother was teaching a spin class at the gymnasium on Langley. She was concerned with my health and urged me to tag along. I was home-schooled, so she figured I could consider it to be PE. I participated in her class each Monday, Wednesday and Friday, and gradually began to incorporate weights into the routine as well.

It was hard to adjust to not only spin class, but also the dietary lifestyle I adopted. I came close to giving up and surrendering myself to the temptations of food once more, but with my mother and father’s support, I stayed with it and eventually came to enjoy it.

A few more years pass, and I am down sixty plus pounds. My body is below two hundred pounds, within the healthy range of the one hundred fifties, and I have never felt better. That chunky boy I used to be is no more. By becoming the way I am now, despite it taking many years to accomplish, I learned that by trying my hardest, I would receive the desired results.

It also taught me the meaning of commitment. From 2012 to current, I have been writing an original book series with its sequel nearly completed. Had I not changed my way of living, I never would have possessed the mentality to achieve this feat.

And now, as I've reached the end of my first year in college, not only have I maintained my weight, in addition to gaining significant muscle mass, I'm assisting a few friends onto the right track as well. Granted, my methods are somewhat harsh and always leaves them sore and hostile towards me, but they're leaving them with the desired results. So in the end, it's like what my mom once said to me when I first started: "You get what you give."

There comes a time where, one way or another, you're driven into a corner. This corner could be anything from health issues to simple stress eating. My advice to you, if you have an issue like this, is to fight back and never let it beat you. You're stronger than you give yourself credit for.

I know that it's hard, that it's a lot of work, but trust me, the payoff is definitely worth it in the end. And if you need help, go out and seek exactly that. A journey like this can't always be undertaken alone. The lessons I learned through this experience, commitment and persistence, will always stay with me.

If you fight back, like I did, you'll look back and think of everything you've accomplished, the trials you've passed, the lessons you've learned and so much more. Believe me, you definitely won't regret it.

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