Ashley Barrett-Carter weighed 263 pounds when she entered Sgt. Ryan Memolo’s Army recruiting station about one year ago, the Dallas News reported Tuesday.
Barrett-Carter wanted to join the Army and serve her country, but first, Memolo told her she had to lose 100 pounds.
“I’ll never see her again,” Memolo thought to himself.
However, two months later, Barrett-Carter returned 20 pounds lighter – and she kept returning to report her weight loss.
Barrett-Carter, 21, of Lewisville, Texas, who once consumed approximately 5,000 calories a day, has lost 113 pounds and is currently preparing for basic training.
How did she do it?
Her doctor advised her to lose about two pounds per week, so Barrett-Carter hung a pair of size 7 pants on her closet door as inspiration.
She didn’t join a gym, or use diet pills.
“I didn’t stop eating normal food – I just started rationing,” she told the newspaper. “I still eat rice, I still eat ice cream. It’s just about how much you eat. . . . You have to control the urge to eat the entire half-gallon.”
Barrett-Carter started walking around the block, gradually she added jogging and biking to her routine.
Now, she is well-prepared for basic training, Memolo said.
"It's given me the courage to follow through and serve my country," she said.
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