I live in Watts in South Central L. A. and I'm fat. There are many fast food stores near my home and my mom 1 buys hamburgers for dinner. I've tried to talk her so many times into buying something 2. But she just doesn't have time to do it. So I had to make better 3 for myself.
To 4 more, I talked to Andres Chopin, a student at Jefferson High School who is part of an after-school program where students learn to 5 and they're taught ways to eat healthily. Andres said it's 6 to eat whole foods, like vegetables, fruit and whole grains. Processed foods don't 7 you as many nutrients. He told me to prepare food for myself, 8 I had never cooked before. I thought, "I may not be a good cook, but I can prevent myself from eating things that are 9 for me. "
I learned from Andres to look more 10 to food labels for ingredients (成分) that I know are bad for me. Now I know 11 about which foods I can eat more of and which I should eat less of. I've been eating more fruit and I'm getting better about not going into the 12 to see what there is to eat after I've already eaten.
13 a habit that you've had since you were young is not easy. I want to lose 14 in the healthy way, something I can control for the rest of my life. With time and self-control I know I can 15 it. I can take two ways looking into the 16 at myself—feeling bad about myself or encouraging myself to 17. I choose to encourage myself.
After a month I 18 10 pounds. I'm not going to 19 trying to eat better. The changes I've made 20 me to keep on going. I can still do better.
