Before and Now - Losing over 200 lbs!

Why....

I filled the gap of what I always thought I should do and actually made it happen. The lies I told myself for so many years had now reached their peak; "I'll do it when I'm ready", "It won’t take but a little while once I really get serious", "I'm young and I have lots of time", or “If I start working out it will take up all my freetime". My birthday brought an avoidable reality; the time that I thought I had plenty of time for was here. I was out of time and not at all who I thought I would be.

Growing up overweight gave me a relationship with food that led to being bigger than I ever imagined I would be. Uncomfortable with how I looked, my personality and all of my life became affected by my weight. My health suffered for it and I worried that it would soon be too late. Too late to catch the life that was quickly passing me by. So many times throughout my life I tried other people’s diets, got frustrated and quit. Or began a work out regime and stopped. It’s not that I didn't ever see any results; I just never really learned what it would take to keep them.

I made the decision to get down to business and commit to finding a way to change for the best. After seriously considering and researching gastric bypass as a solution, I choose to combat it with a fail proof plan of never giving up. To simply learn how to eat well, and find out what it would take to sweat and shrink. I wanted success for life. I was ready to find a way to a better body and a better way to live.

My first step was making a commitment to a boot-camp workout 4 nights a week, the maximum that they would offer in the program. I knew I would also have to change my eating habits and I had only begun to understand what that meant. Showing up for the first few classes of boot-camp was such a wonderful reality check. No one there was as heavy as I was, and none of my attire was appropriate to work out in. I hadn't ever owned a proper pair of running shoes. I met the trainers and the owner all on the first night, and I knew right away they were concerned for my well being. I was definitely not the everyday client that would sign up for a boot-camp class.

The Powerful Shift
 
After completing fitness testing and a mile run (where I watched women twice my age race past me), I knew that I would need to quit smoking and get determined real fast. The owner of the program approached me after class in private and suggested that I lose weight before I continue in boot-camp. She said she didn't want me to get discouraged with not being able to keep up. That moment I made a decision to prove myself and there was no way I was going to pass up the opportunity to show what I was really made of. My desire for success was too great. I had reached my rock bottom, the perceived lowest of the low I would ever let happen.

Weeks into the program I kept my commitment of doing my best and did not miss a day. My accomplishment caught the attention of the owner. She applauded my progress and admitted she was glad I proved her wrong. The weeks led to months and the shrinking was well underway. I modified my diet many times over, making small sensible changes I knew I could maintain. I turned into my own science project, practicing what I could eat that would satisfy my taste and needs without tipping the scale. It was empowering to know I was finely in control over my body. There was no more mystery.

Now years later, what you see is the product of all that I’ve learned and all I’ve experienced. Anyone can achieve and maintain a life of optimum health and well being.

See me now!

Passion

Drive

Inspiration

Motivation

Believe

Goals

Creative

Positive

Encouraging

Exciting

Fantastic

Confident

Courageous

Energenic

Glorious

Radiant

Positive

Focused

Accomplished

Remarkable

Brave

Beautiful

Amazing

Strong

Successful

Victorious

Worthy

WINNER!