Cheerleading was so important to me in high school that I would subject myself to unpleasant dieting and strenuous exercise just to please the people around me. There was a constant pressure to be thin, and that pressure became a desire. We all wanted to be the thinnest. Now I look back in regret because I became so obsessed with my weight that even today, I still feel that need to be thin.
Every year about a month before tryouts, I would began my diet. My goal was to lose 10-15 lbs in that month. I was already a strict vegetarian so my diet became even stricter. During this period I limited myself to fruits, vegetables, and water. I would even take diet pills called Xenadrine to help me achieve my goal weight faster. Xenadrine was clinically proven to boost energy and help weight loss, and it did just that. I would wake up every morning around 5:30 am. I would take my pill, and then I’d go out for a jog. I usually jogged about a mile or two. Sometimes I would jog up to three miles. It all depended on my energy level. After my jog, I would drink a bunch of water, and I would eat small piece of fruit for breakfast. It was hard
When I would get home from practice, I would take another pill. To help burn off some of the energy I had, I would do more cardiovascular workouts like dancing or aerobics. Afterwards, I’d concentrate on my abs. First I’d do sit ups, then crunches, and finally I’d do side bends. I did them until the pain was too unbearable, and I couldn’t do anymore. Around 8:00 pm, I would eat another piece of fruit for dinner. I preferred grapefruit because it supposedly helped burn fat.
On weekends I would sleep in instead of jogging in the morning. I had to give myself some rest. Whenever I did wake up, I’d take my pill and eat some fruit. At lunch time I would take another pill and eat a salad or some vegetables. I still went jogging in the evenings however. I would take my third pill for energy and I would go to the high school stadium. I would even run up and down the bleachers afterwards to tone my legs. When I arrived home, I didn’t eat dinner. Instead I would drink Metamucil mixed with orange juice. Metamucil is a natural laxative that contains large amounts of dietary fiber. It helped make my stomach look flatter when I