It's Not a Diet- It's a Lifestyle

I was never an overweight child. I was, in fact, called "flaka," which means skinny in Spanish. In high school, I was 135 lbs, and wore a size 9 women's. However, I was extremely big breasted, and was not athletic. In hindsight, if I knew then what I know now, and had the motivation, I could have had a killer body! I know what to do and what to eat, and unfortunately, I am having to get rid of a lot of body fat on top of these muscles that are starting to pop out.
I was in the Army after high school. In 9 weeks of training, I lost maybe 5 lbs, gained a lot of muscle tone, and fit into a size 7. On my time off, away from training, all I could think about was #1, I have money- which I never did living at home, or with my parents, and #2, I am going to eat whatever I want, because I was so deprived at home. I got married after that, and immediately went back into a size 9/11. I was injured in Basic Training, and my knee pain caused a HUGE lack of motivation, and ability to do what I needed to do. As time went on, I was overweight according to the Army, and even missed out on getting an Army Achievement Medal because I was "flagged" for being 10 lbs. over their standard. I got out of the Army Reserves in 2004, and all motivation to attempt to stay in shape was gone. As the years progressed, and so did my depression, I sank into a deeper and deeper hole of despair. I was depressed because I was overweight. So I ate. And I hated myself, and became even more depressed. In 2006 I finally decided to take control of one aspect of my life and I started seeing a therapist. I talked about a lot of my childhood traumas and problems, but when I told her I thought I had an eating disorder, she blew me off. I feel I am right in saying something about her response was due to the fact that my therapist was at least 350 lbs., and to her my 200 lbs. looked small. I can't confirm this, nor can I speculate what she was thinking; however, I did feel shunned when I told her I was not happy with my size, weight, and that I ate for emotional reasons. I had breast reduction surgery in August 2007. That opened up a whole new world of possibilities for me and despite the breasts being smaller, I became very aware of how big my belly was. At that time, and in February 2008 when I had to have a 2nd breast surgery on the left side, I wasn't ready for weight loss yet. My mind wasn't right, so to speak. I didn't have the right motivation. Yet.


Once I got my mind set that I WAS going to "DO THIS," I started out walking after work at the 1 mile track nearby. I was not able to do any more than that. Luckily it was January (2009) because at my weight and fitness level, I wasn't able to tolerate the heat. I bundled up and braced myself for the frigid weather. That 1st mile was so empowering. I was thrilled that I made it. It was hard, it was painful, it was tiring, but I had a new mindset, and I was determined to walk 7x a week. I had made the decision to stop eating fast food, candy, soda, and other things that I knew were my emotional crutches, and face my depression and pain head on with exercise. Two weeks later, while still abiding by my diet plan, and not having had a cheat meal, I had lost 8 pounds!!! I was enthralled! I couldn't believe it. I had NEVER tried to lose weight before, and here it was working.

My goal was to lose 20 lbs by the time I went on the NKOTB cruise in May 2009. I continued the walking everyday, despite the snow, rain, wind, and cold, and sure enough, the pounds were walking themselves off. I rapidly approached the cruise deadline, and in March 2009, I was happily went to the Twilight DVD midnight release wearing a pair of size 16's that had never seen my body in them before! In April 2009 I did the Making Strides for Breast Cancer Walk (5 miles) and did it in just under an hour! May 2009 marked my 31st birthday and I was wearing a size 14!! I had lost 25 lbs just in time for the cruise! I was thrilled!!!! I felt cuter and sexier than I EVER had; I had muscle, tone, and my breasts looked great too, since the surgeries were successful. I had never been happier. On the cruise I ate whatever I wanted, and prior to going, I had consult with my friend who has a Ph.D. in Exercise Science. She told me to have fun, and pick back up where I left off when I returned. She also told me about HIIT and weight lifting, and about proper nutrition. I was doing well with eating NON-JUNK FOOD, but wasn't taking in enough whole foods, protein, carbs, or the right calories for an ultimate weight loss goal that was sustainable. When I got home from the cruise, I was surprised to find out that I had lost 7 lbs! I saw my doctor for my physical a week later! She was astonished to see my weight loss. When I had seen her last, in May 2008, I was 188 lbs. I told her by January 2009, I was 200. When I stepped on her scale in May 2009, I was 169. She asked me all the usual questions: HOW AND WHY? I told her the story I am telling you now. She said *I* was inspiring her right as I spoke. She had about 15 lbs she needed to lose, and felt she was being a bad doctor by preaching to her patients about losing weight, if she didn't do it herself!

After the cruise recovery, I continued walking, and by the time I went to my Las Vegas NKOTB concerts in July 2009, I was wearing a size 12!! That month, my husband and I joined a gym, and I started HIIT-ing it!! I revised my nutrition and really started putting an effort into my exercise. I was swimming up to 50 laps a day, doing water aerobics, walking and jogging on the treadmill, and eventually I built up to lifting weights. The key to my nutrition has been from the start: I eat every 2 hours, starting at 7 am. My metabolism is fast, and I got it that way by "training" it, just like I train my body for long bike rides, running, and swimming. People think dieting is starving themselves and complete deprivation of everything that's good.That's the wrong idea. Diet is a bad word, as well. It's not a diet. It's a lifestyle.
By mid-2009, a new hygienist started working at my office, and lo and behold, I found out she's a serious body builder and had studied weight lifting for 10 years to get where she's at. She started giving me pointers (for free, I might add!) and helped me understand the mechanics of nutrition and exercise. I had reached another plateau and didn't know where to turn to, so she was just what I needed!

I continued with the daily grind. The temptation is endless, but the constant motivation brought on by my grandpa's death is overwhelming.

By September 2009 I was wearing a size 10. I was overwhelmed with joy, and with more motivation to keep it up.

January 2010 marked my 1 year of changing my life. And I fit into a size 8. I touched the scale with 143 lbs, and was astonished at the direction my life had taken.