My Success Story

     My whole life has been a struggle when it comes to my body weight and my image. I was constantly made fun of for being overweight and for the way that I look. I recall that at one point, I no longer cared about my weight; I was just enjoying food and life in general. It wasn't until I had gotten married and our first child was on the way that life hit me in the face. I was the heaviest I have ever been, my blood work was atrocious, and I just looked awful. I soon learned that I wasn't the only one in America who was like this. I started looking into going to the gym, working out, and eating a healthy, clean diet. According to new demographic estimates from the CDC for 2023, more than one in three individuals (35%) in 23 states suffer from obesity. Before 2013, no state reported an adult obesity prevalence of 35% or higher. Currently, every U.S. state has at least 20% of adults who are classified as obese. (CDC, 2024,p.1) After I started reading into the obesity epidemic in America, I knew I needed to start taking care of myself so I wasn't one of those numbers. I first started out by going to the gym and lifting weights only on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. I was tracking what I ate in a calorie-counting app, and I also started fasting for 8 hours. At this point, I was pretty locked in and confident in what I was doing, but it seemed like the weight wasn't coming off like it should. After my daughter was born, I started the crazed Keto Diet that everyone was raving about. The ketogenic diet, for people who do not know, is a high-fat moderate protein, and almost no-carb diet. When your body is depleted of carbs, it starts using body fat as a source of energy in place of carbs; this is known as ketosis. (Mawyer, 2024). I was almost 2 weeks in on this diet, and I remember I felt great. I was starting to fit into my old t-shirts, and I just felt more focused. I remember my acid reflux went away, my knees didn't ache as much, and I was getting stronger. I had bought the ketone blood tester and did a lot of research at the time about this diet. I was on this diet for 7 months, and I had lost almost 70lbs of fat at this point. i was feeling amazing and on top of the world at this point in my life. We were in the hospital awaiting our second child to come into this world when my diet came to an end. The hospital does not really have healthy food or keto-friendly food, which was very surprising to me. Why would a hospital have healthier food choices? There was a short period during which I went into bouts of depression and worry that I was going to gain all of this weight back because I wasn't on that specific diet. Then I started doing research on eating protein and lifting weights to build muscle. This opened up a whole new door for me when I came to taking care of my body. I had gained a little bit of weight back at this point in time, but I have also noticed major muscle gain in my arms, chest, and legs. I was beyond excited at this point to keep going and build this dream body that I have seen so many others have. In the article Benefits of Strength Training, Katie Davidson says, "Strength training provides many benefits, such as a lower risk of chronic disease, better self-esteem, and a reduced risk of injury and falls." (Davidson, 2024) I decided to attend college and get a degree in a field that I love to study. I am a personal trainer now, and I am working on my bachelor's degree to hopefully one day become a weight lifting coach or a physical therapist assistant. I want to help people change their lives just like I have changed mine. I had learned that I am capable of doing all these things I thought I would never be able to do. I have changed my life forever, and I continue to improve it day by day.    

Resources

(2024, September 12). New CDC Data Show Adult Obesity Prevalence Remains High. CCD Newsroom. https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2024/p0912-adult-obesity.html   

  

Mawyer , R. (2023, November 7). The Ketogenic Diet: A Detailed Beginner’s Guide to Keto. Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/ketogenic-diet-101  

Davidson, K. (2023, November 7). Benefits of Strength Training. Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/health/fitness/benefits-of-strength-training