Ever since I was born, I was bigger than anyone my age,” said Cindy Dale. Facing challenges as a child, “food was the only thing that made me feel better,” she said.

Now a 34-year-old mother of two, Dale has made exercise and healthy food priorities in her life. But it’s been an eventful journey to get to this place.

When she was young, her family moved back and forth between Missouri and Evansville, and her parents eventually divorced when she was in fifth grade.

“That’s when my problem with food really started,” she said. “I had a rough time with the divorce, and that caused me to turn to food for comfort. I ate everything and anything.

“When I was 13, I weighed almost 220 pounds; in high school I weighed 260,” she said.

Not having grown up with the other students in her Evansville school, Dale was quiet and shy.

“I didn’t want anyone to notice me,” she said. But they did anyway.

“I was teased every day at school. every time I got on the school bus in the morning, everyone on the bus mooed like a cow,” she said. And even though she eventually made friends, “I never really fit in.”

While Dale did try dieting during this time — and took off 40 pounds at one point — she always reverted back to her emotional eating to ease the challenges she faced during the day.

At 17, Dale met Darrell, and after she finished college, they wed. After two years, they became parents.

It was then that her life went in an unexpected direction.

Her son was diagnosed with severe ADHD and was put on medication when he was 3.

“Needless to say, I was stressed. I ate and ate and ate,” said Dale.

A few years later, another son was born. she gained only 15 pounds during this pregnancy, but still was dealing with life’s ups and downs with food.

Throughout this time, she constantly worried about how she looked.

“I couldn’t fit well in theater seats, on amusement park rides or in an airplane,” she said. “I always felt like I was holding myself in, not wanting to get into someone else’s space.”

She tried “fad” diets over the years, but they always backfired on her, often causing her to gain back more weight than she had lost.

In May of 2007 — and at an all-time high of 305 pounds — Dale decided to make a change. her employer, Old National Bank, sponsored a mock “Biggest Loser” contest.

A local fitness club provided free personal trainers for 30 days in conjunction with the contest.

“It was at the ZONE (fitness club) that I met my personal trainer, Travis way, and was on my way to a healthier me,” she said.

It was also during this time that Dale met Barb Dunn, who taught indoor cycling classes.

“That’s where I think it happened for me,” said Dale. “Something clicked with that class. I stuck with it despite how painful and exhausting it was.”

Beginning an exercise regimen encouraged Dale to eat better.

She started simply, by eliminating a few unhealthy foods.

She eventually added more fruits, vegetables and lean meat to her diet. she discovered that daily snacks kept her from overeating at mealtime.

During meals, she cut back on serving sizes.

She also found that, for her, a combination of protein and carbohydrates was the best way to keep her body feeling full.

Having a fondness for iced sugar cookies, she tried her best to resist the cravings. But if she wanted an occasional treat, she’d offset the calories by doing extra exercising.

She also began running in local 5K races and tried some new fitness activities. she even completed a triathlon.

When she began losing the weight, people started noticing.

“I had a hard time taking the compliments at first,” she said.

But she is quick to say that it was fun to finally throw out the baggy men’s clothing she used to wear and shop for sleeveless tops and shorts.

“When other people notice your weight loss, it encourages you,” she said.

Today, Dale continues toward her goal of losing 150 pounds by eating well, keeping a food diary and exercising consistently. She’s lost a total of 128 pounds to date.

In addition to working at ONB, she’s now an exercise instructor at the YMCA, teaching a cycling class on Sunday afternoons. she also has a personal training certification and will soon qualify to teach Zumba, a dance exercise class.

Now that she’s close to her ultimate goal, the going is getting a little tougher.

“Your body resets itself as you lose the weight,” she said.

Her simple formula of staying within her daily calorie count is working well for her. She’s had the occasional slip-up — “If I go off the wagon, it’s never for more than three days” — but she gets back on her plan and forges ahead.

“I will always struggle with weight,” she said. “I will always beat myself up. But I won’t let myself get there (305 pounds) again.”

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