My problems began when I arrived to the United States from Colombia. I started to try all different types of foods. I went crazy trying all sorts of foods that I had never had before. Fast food was my weakness; it was easy, cheap and tasty. I started to gain weight but I never really noticed it. I had my first child during this time and my weight reached 220 pounds. I was aware that I was at an unhealthy weight but I kept eating, even though I always felt guilty afterwards.

Everything started to change when my weight started to affect my mood, my self-esteem and my desire to live. I never left my house so I had hardly any friends and every day was more frustrating because nothing I wanted to wear would fit me. I would turn to food for comfort and I got stuck in a vicious cycle. The anxiety I felt was stronger than my desire to look good. I started to feel a lot of pain in my whole body and ended up in the emergency room. My health was clearly threatened, but I still didn't take any action. In January of the following year, after my daughter's birthday, we had been drinking and at about 2 in the morning my friend walked in the kitchen and found me eating a whole pot of sancocho, so he walked up and asked me: Erika why are you so out of control?  I didn't I didn't give him an answer, I just put my head down and kept eating. My world had come tumbling down; I knew I had to do something to lose weight! I thought about having surgery but then I thought of all the people who lost weight through surgery and then gained it back. I didn't have the money to keep having surgery every time I wanted to lose weight. This was when I decided to make a change and discipline my mouth as well as myself!

I had been following Alejandro on Instagram, but I never took action to make a change. Finally I decided to start the Yes You Can! Diet Plan. I realized very quickly that I was able to follow my diet anywhere I went and that there was nothing and no one that could stop me from reaching my goals. And this is how I lost 50 lbs. in just a few months. I still can't believe how different I see myself when I look at the mirror. And it's not only looking different, but feeling a lot healthier. I'm a totally different person emotionally and I got my energy back. I want to thank Alejandro Chaban for all his support and for creating this wonderful and effective diet for all of us.