“It got to a point where I was walking up the stairs at my parents house, and I was so completely out of breath, I could not catch my breath back,” she said.
The NDSU student says her doctor told her she could develop high risk polycystic ovary syndrome.
“I was only 20 at that point, and I thought this is way too young for this to be happening to me. And I mean, I hadn’t had kids, my life hadn’t even started yet,” she said.
Four years later, Odegaard is celebrating a milestone.
“If you would have told me at 12 years old, that I would have lost 100 pounds, I would not have believed you. It’s really the best thing that’s ever happened to me, and it’s gonna affect me for the rest of my life in such a positive way,” she said.
She says, growing up she struggled with her weight and mental health, and it was time for a change.
After plateauing at 40 pounds lost, she reached out to Sanford’s Adult Weight Loss Program.
“It’s really inspiring to be able to see patients that do meet meet their goals and then you know, set another goal. Whether that’s running a 10k, losing a couple more pounds, or having a better blood pressure reading up their next visit,” said Whitney Kohoutek.
The program focuses on holistic health, eating in moderation and physical activity.
Odegaard says getting the individual nutrition guidance helped her get over the plateau and lose 60 more pounds.
“The reason i did it was for my health, i didn’t do it for anybody else. I didn’t do it for social media standards that that society has said, you need to do it for yourself and for your health, because that is what matters,” said Odegaard.
She isn’t stopping there, as she continues her health journey.