You Can Accomplish Whatever You Put Your Mind To!

I know first hand just how difficult it is to lose weight and feel great! I have faced depression more times than I care to admit, and needless to say, the struggle is beyond real when it comes to the weight gain weight loss life yo-yo! The best advice I heard one day was: “Strive for progress not perfection! Don't give up!! Slow progress is good progress!” Those words hit me and it slapped me so hard in the face that it woke me right up!! It was the wake up call I was needing all my life! It made me feel like I wasn’t alone on this journey, that someone out there understood my pain and that it’s OK to have trouble and go slowly! The whole fitness journey the world is raving about is very intimidating, especially if you have tried so many times and failed each time. After having a baby, I gained a lot of extra weight. I don’t know what I was thinking but one thing is for sure, I thought it would all just magically disappear after the baby was born. To my surprise, I looked great after the baby’s birth but it was the next few weeks that really did it to me. As I recovered from my c-section, working out was not allowed and the food train I was on during pregnancy was still very much in motion! I wasn’t controlling my food intake and a combination of that, taking care of the baby and resting as much as possible, took me on a road that I never want to travel again! I gained 80 pounds and I was simply not myself! Depression took over and I became a hermit. I didn’t come out of my shell until I had no other choice. My body hurt so bad all over and the baby was growing so fast and began to crawl. I was mortified with myself the moment I said, “Aww man, she’s crawling! Now I have to get up and go after her!” I quickly realized what a horrible thing it was to say that, and it was then that my world changed! THAT was my turning point! I started to work out and slowly but surely, I got real serious! It took me about a year, but I did it!! Not only did I lose weight, but I lost more than I thought I even could!

I started out wanting to lose 40 lbs and in the end, I lost a total of 100 lbs!!! I never thought it was possible but it’s true what they say “Hard work pays off!!” You see, all my life I wanted to be fit and I tried getting fit over and over again using all kinds of fad diets and quick fixes, but nothing worked—not for the long haul anyway. The weight always seemed to find its way back, and now, after a having a baby it felt like it was impossible! Again, I tried fad diets and fell into the trap of every fitness infomercial until one day I finally faced the music and accepted the fact that there just was no way around it except through that dreadful thing we call EXERCISE! So, I finally decided to give it my all and I started to work out and really mean it.

From the very beginning it was a tough ride that often felt like a roller-coaster ride that was trying to kick me off, but I held on!! I remember looking in the mirror many times, sore and out of breath, still looking like 215 lbs no matter what I did, saying to myself, "This sucks, I'm never going to get there!" But I kept going!!! Now, looking back, I realize that once I stopped focusing on the mirror, I redirected my thoughts, and the rest is history. I focused more on my form, my breathing, and finding different things to do to keep my interest high on a daily basis. I slowly began to make exercising super fun, and I even started to look forward to "working out!" All this was happening while I focused on simply trying and doing my best and staying consistent in my efforts. I no longer focused on the number showing up on the scale or what I saw in the mirror. At times, many times, in fact, I felt like it was all just a waste of time, but change was indeed happening, and in due time I succeeded and I even surpassed my goal! It was all a very slow process, but it happened, and all because I didn't give up! Now, I just want to help encourage others to pursue their own health and fitness dreams because I know first hand that it really can be done, naturally. You don’t have to have any surgeries or drink any pills, you just have to make small lifestyle changes and stick to them! My success is proof, and now I’m a firm believer that you truly can accomplish anything you put your mind to!