Meet a weight loss icon
In an article posted on www.smdailyjournal.com by By Heather Murtagh
Kate Smith, a school teacher in Foster City, lost more than 100 pounds.
In her 20s, Kate Smith had just accepted she was going to be big. 
The 32-year-old English and journalism teacher at Bowditch Middle School in Foster City had been large since she was 7 years old. The trend continued until Smith gave birth to her now 4-year-old daughter Elena. That’s when Smith decided she wanted better for her own little girl. Her loss of more than 100 pounds earned her the cover of People magazine last week in a two-piece bathing suit no less.
Getting down to her goal weight wasn’t an instant fix, nor is it over. It’s a daily battle for Smith to maintain her weight and stay healthy for herself, her family and her students.
Extra pounds always weighed Smith down. She was extremely insecure in school and was teased a lot in middle school.
Before entering high school, Smith went to a Weight Watchers summer camp. She entered her freshman year at a healthy weight, however, didn’t maintain the lifestyle changes taught during camp. Slowly the weight piled on.
After graduating from San Mateo High School in 1992, Smith headed to the University of the Pacific then Fordham University for her master’s degree. It was after college that Smith simply accepted her large physique as the way it would always be.
