I’ve been overweight most of my adult life. I never cooked healthy, ate healthy, or cared about what I consumed. I just ate it because is tasted good, not because it was remotely good for me. So my poor diet, combined with battling various health issues for more than a decade, took its toll on my body and by the time I was in my late 30’s, I ballooned to over 400 pounds. For years, doctors told me I needed to lose weight, and that if I didn’t, I probably wouldn’t make it to my 50th birthday. So when my father-in-law passed away from complications due to being overweight, I got the wake up call I needed.
My greatest challenge in losing weight was getting motivated and staying motivated. I’ve done tons of diets before, but when I’d go off them, I’d gain back more than I had lost. I did Atkins and ate meat and cheese all the time, but felt deprived of other foods. I did Weight Watchers, but it was a temporary fix. The biggest problem with all those “diets” was that they didn’t motivate me to move, it was mostly about eating. And I knew that for me to lose weight and keep it off, I needed to get involved in a program that helped me with nutrition AND exercise, not just one or the other.
Thankfully, I found Beachbody. Through the support of my amazing Coach, all the various programs, and through the support of millions of people online, I was able to get focused and stay focused long enough to shed 142 lbs. So how’d I do it? Well, I started with Power 90 because I needed a program that was not as advanced as P90X, but just as effective. Once I powered through that program, I did the Power 90 Master Series, P90X and Rockin' Body. Now I’m in the middle of TurboFire and the weight keeps melting away.
Today, I am healthy and happy and can do things that I couldn't do before, like: I can go on amusement park rides with my daughter. I can run 5k's (I even look forward to running a marathon one day). I can buckle my seat belt. I can walk without being in pain. My pacemaker had to be adjusted because I lost so much weight. I no longer have problems with gout. I don't have to gasp for air when walking a short distance or climbing stairs. I buy clothes at normal stores. And I no longer get strange looks from strangers.
But more than anything, I’m so proud of myself for losing 142 pounds and for finding the strength inside me to keep going when things got tough. No longer do I live to eat, but now, I eat to live. Thanks Beachbody—because of you guys, I’ll definitely be celebrating many, many, many more birthdays.
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