The Fat Princess No More

I was an “average” child, if there is such a thing. In my early childhood the only thing out of the ordinary was an occasional temper tantrum when I couldn’t have my way. But heck, we’ve all had a few quirks in our adolescence haven’t we? The point is, I was just like many of you – happy, healthy, and “average.” Then things started to change a bit by the time I was six years old. I had become overweight. My Mom explained it away by saying the weight-gain culprit was actually a change in my daily routine. I had gone from the run-jump-play days of pre-school to the regimented world of full-time student, sitting in a desk all day and getting far less exercise in the process. Those three or four rolls of fat on my belly could be easily explained away. But it was not the norm. The sight of an overweight young girl was far less common back in the 70s compared to today, where obesity is on the rise. The fact is, I was fat. And only a few other girls in my school had that same look. These were the alarming statistics: • By age 12 I weighed more than 200 pounds and wore size 16 clothes. • By age 18 my weight climbed to 225 pounds. • By age 27 I reached 242 pounds. I had spent nine years fluctuating between 180 and 242 pounds. On top of these ups and downs I had been battling high blood pressure – since I was 10 years old. My doctors explained it as hypertension (a medical condition where the blood pressure is chronically elevated) but I knew better. I simply thought it meant that I was too fat. On top of all of this, my blood sugar was also elevated. I was a mess and I was depressed. I had to confront my mental and physical state of mind. At that point I was facing a very big decision. If I didn’t so something about my weight problem I could become a diabetic or face serious health issues the rest of my life. On top of that, I couldn’t even walk up the stairs without becoming winded. Exercise was the farthest thing from my mind. Reality really struck home when I received a Mother’s Day message from my daughter Torri, who was six at the time. As we all know, the wisdom of children goes way beyond their years – whether that wisdom is learned or unintentional. In this case, Torri had made me a beautiful Mother’s Day booklet that described her impressions of me. On one page she wrote, “My Mom’s favorite thing to do at home is rest.” REST. Now I knew that my weight was making a negative impression on my daughter, too. It was taking me away from doing physical activities and in a way, had become a selfish crutch to lean on. Torri deserved to have a Mom who was full of energy, not a couch potato. This was still another reason why I needed to CHANGE MY WORLD. Around that same time (as if I needed any more motivation) I received the wedding pictures from my first marriage. (To clear up any confusion, Torri was born out of wedlock.) As I looked at the photographs I could not believe it was me. Or at least I was in denial over the true identity of the bride in those poses. My first impression was that the photographers were out to get me. Maybe it was an evil plot just to truly show how big and fat I was. It’s amazing what photographers can do with lighting and later, with photo software. My first marriage didn’t last and I was hoping for the same thing with my weight. I knew that I deserved to be happy – both for myself and for the people I loved and cared about. And for me, it all started with being happy with the way I looked. I had spent a young lifetime of being overweight or obese and being teased mercilessly at times because of it. I had endured terrible relationships with men and a less-than-fulfilling relationship with my own daughter. I was a single Mom who barely had the energy to come home and make dinner, let alone play with my daughter – a very great kid. There was a really great person inside this fat body and now it was time to bring it out. I was convinced that it was time to lose weight and maintain it – to make me very happy and important. I knew I had a lot of great things going for me. I have always been a caring and loving person, a great Mom who loved her daughter and was smart, funny, and yes – very charming. But my weight held me back and caused much unhappiness. So it was time to fix my life – for good. But setting a goal took a lot more than just losing a lot of pounds – believe me. Over the next two-and-a-half years through lots of perseverance I lost and kept off 107 pounds. That sounds impressive. However, I did not lose the weight in the healthiest of ways. I often ate too few calories and the end result was that I wasn’t a very pleasant person to be around – especially while I was dieting and trying to maintain my weight. In other words, I was a bitch almost all of the time. And although I lost the weight I was very flabby and still tired all of the time. I just didn’t get it. My body was saggy and I was still unhappy. On vacation I wore a bikini and my husband took a picture of me coming out of the water. To be blunt, I looked bad. My saddle bags and legs had so much cellulite and lumps; I couldn’t stand to take a second look at the photograph. Flash forward a bit. It took me three more years after the original weight loss to join a gym and then another ten months before I hired a personal trainer. Talk about a life-changing decision! Having a personal trainer helped me learn the proper technique, working each body part independently, and stretching. I began to see positive results very quickly. Fortunately, personal trainers know the importance of changing routines so the body is “tricked” and can never get used to the same routine. In my case, being tricked was a good thing. For the next two years I weight trained regularly until the point where I was finally happy with my body. Yes, I “got my skinny!” Although I weighed the same as I had when I started the training, I looked 20 pounds lighter. Working with weights and learning about muscle confusion was the key. It changed my shape and finally brought out the true me. I was finally happy in my own skin. Armed with a new body and a new attitude for helping other people who had experienced my misfortunes, I plunged into learning everything I could about fitness and nutrition. I took an online Personal Training & Nutrition Program and passed with flying colors. After that success I studied for the American Council on Exercise (A.C.E.) certification exam and passed it in November 2007. I had arrived. To me, the phrase (and my business name) “Change Your World Fitness” is about becoming healthy, no matter what size you are. In fact, it has very little to do with size at all. What it really means is achieving your own personal best in mind, body, and spirit. I have changed my world and I would like to help you change yours. I know you can do it.