Woman undergoes massive weight loss to become a bodybuilder after a kid called her a hippopotamus

For 48yr old Peggy Pullen, an offhand insult from the mouth of a child was all the motivation she needed to lose 80 pounds in under a year. Her amazing weight loss journey took off several years ago when the mum from Utah visited a public pool with her four kids, while there, a child unknowingly referred to Pullen as a 'hippopotamus'.

That was the kick she needed to get going. Pullen says she hid in her room and cried on returning home and was too devastated to even speak to her family. She said: 'I didn't want to eat. I didn't want to come out of the room or anything. I was in a really bad place.' Yet, from this low point rose a newfound sense of resolution:

'I needed to do something about my weight. I knew I had to make a choice that my children could learn from.'

The next day after the incident, she registered for a 12-week program on a fitness website and community.
Pullen said that the hardest part of the program was posting her 'before' picture to the online community. She says the second she uploaded the picture to the online community, she had a 'nervous breakdown.'

Fortunately, others in the community helped uplift and inspire Pullen to continue on her weight-loss journey. She said sticking to a healthy diet was a challenge and dealing with the negative attitudes of people at the gym wasn't any easier.

She said:

'They laugh at you, and they don't like an old, fat lady in their space, so they bully you.'

She ignored the jibes and dedicated herself to her programme which was a combination of strength training and clean eating. Exercise and diet aside, Pullen says the mindset is also a factor, she said: 'If you can change your mindset, you can do anything.'