I Lost 150lb - Now I'm Learning To Love My Excess Skin | BRAND NEW ME

A MOTHER of three is learning to love her excess skin after losing 150lbs in two years. Karla Johnson, from Chaska, Minnesota, weighed 352lbs at her heaviest. Since January 2019, Karla has lost 150lbs but has been left with excess skin on her stomach. At times, Karla has felt insecure from her loose skin but hopes by sharing her story she will empower others. Karla told Truly: “It’s harder to exist in this world being bigger - I want other people to know it is fine to look different.” As a child, Karla’s mother was often working long hours so Karla spent her time indoors watching TV. “I was about 200lbs by the sixth grade and by senior year I was 300lbs.” Although Karla often dreamt about losing the weight, she carried a great deal of self-doubt and it wasn’t until she hit rock bottom in 2019 that she decided to really change her lifestyle. Karla cut out sugar and carbohydrates from her diet and began to notice a visible difference. She describes watching the scale go down as “intoxicating”. Karla, who finds the gym an intimidating place, enjoys home workouts and running - she now weighs 210lbs and feels better than ever before. However, she still carries a lot of loose skin in her midsection which can make her feel insecure: “It’s hard when you work so hard to not be exactly what society’s ideal beauty is.” Despite this, Karla says learning to love her skin has bought her “new accomplishments” and believes we should “never let fear stop us.”