01/10/2021
124. A number. Crazy how that can have such an impact on your life....
I remember weighing 124 in highschool and being upset, thinking I needed to lose at least 5 pounds to get under 120 (thinking I had to be smaller like some of my friends were). It’s hard to believe my conflict with my weight started in highschool. I’ll have to post an old photo from back then sometime so you can really see how crazy that sounded that 124 was too big. I remember many times in my 20s and 30s thinking, “gosh I would be thrilled to look like I did in highschool”. Well, minus the big bangs of course. My weight issues and how I felt about myself grew worse when I went away to college. I’m sure this had something to do with why I partied so much. Which honestly was just making my problems worse. During my first semester, I gained close to 30 pounds. This up and down weight battle went on for some time. I’d lose some, gain some, lose some more, and gain a lot more (a lot more than 30 pounds)! The added weight and my behavior of how to handle it led me to develop an eating disorder. I would eat very little and exercise excessively, suffering from Exercise Bulimia. This led eventually to being underweight, and I was advised to seek professional counseling. After being exhausted of my own crazy behavior, thankfully I could now recognize I needed help, and did end up meeting with counselors and began the healing process. I wish my story ended there, and all was great! Well, it was great that I finally recognized what I was doing to myself and I could stop torturing my body. But watch out, wow, I missed food, and the enjoyment of food. A little too much... LOL
I hate to share this, but I unfortunately gained 40 pounds over the following six months. This time, I at least wasn’t sad or obsessed, just really enjoyed eating again (which I hadn’t done in over a year). My body was so malnourished that it was storing the extra fats, my body was probably nervous if I would eat again, LOL, and made sure to store extra fat in case I went back to my old ways. Something was still missing though from the counseling I had. I was continuing to work on eating healthy and exercising regularly (but not overdoing it), but I really wasn’t over my weight battle. I tried other means of weight loss, but it never ended in long term success. So the yo-to dieting continued. I would try the latest fad diet, which would help me lose weight, but then gain it right back. I remember thinking that since some snack foods would say "low fat" you could eat more than one serving in a sitting. Honesty, portion control, not incorporating all the food groups, and lack of support and education were all contributing factors to my weight struggle. The many attempts I took to improve my body image were taking a toll on me mentally and physically. I remember reading how I most likely lacked calcium in my body from the eating disorder I struggled with for so many years, which could have resulted in bone loss. Ugh, what I have done. I remember feeling so alone and losing hope that ever I’d get through this. In February of 2002, I was looking for a new career (I wanted to get into something in nutrition since I enjoyed this course work most when going to college). My boyfriend (now he’s my husband) suggested that I interview for a job at LA Weight Loss. He knew someone working there and they shared that they really enjoyed what they did. I landed a job as a Counselor for LA Weight Loss, and decided to join the program. Heck, I still wanted to lose more weight, and maybe this really will work (yes I was skeptical even after deciding to work for the company). So I went ALL IN! I bought all the products, followed the guidelines, and became a believer. I was so excited, to finally learn how to lose weight and keep it off, and adopt a healthier lifestyle. I regularly met with my peers (other successful staff), and learned how to balance and eat foods from each food group. I started to lose weight, and felt comfortable putting on a bathing suit for the first time in my life! At this point I lived in Arizona for 5 years, and I now could truly enjoy the hot days by the pool. My success along with the hundreds of others success, I knew this is what I wanted to do. In November of 2002, Ryan and I moved to South Dakota and became LA Weight Loss Franchise Owners. My success and confidence in the program has influenced thousands of people in South Dakota, North Dakota, Iowa, and Illinois to join the program. Looking back, the worst part about being and feeling heavy was the time it took up in my life. I feel it was selfish, because I would put a lot of energy in what I was going to eat and how I felt, instead of spending that time with my family and friends. The LA Weight Loss program taught me how to make eating healthy part of my lifestyle. In 2009, I was asked to be in some of the new LA Weight Loss commercials. I was thrilled, well until they told me they wanted me to wear a bikini. 😳🤦♀️ The thought of wearing a swimsuit in the commercial truly gave me anxiety, but I did it! Now be nice people, I was 31 years old. But you know I looked better at 31 than I did when I was 20. I also said yes because I wanted to give women my age more confidence, and show that age doesn’t have to be an obstacle. Which is why I posted this picture from just a couple weeks ago in Phoenix. I’ll be 46 this year, and I want my kids to be proud of me. And I want them to have a mom that can keep up with them, and also challenge them to be the best they can be and succeed at whatever it is they desire!
Ok, this is the longest post I’ve ever written. I don’t know how people do this, I’m mentally exhausted from this. 🤪 I hope my timeline of events made sense, I was trying to summarize about 30 years here. Enjoy your Sunday! Bye for now...
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