Here is Debra’s Story in her own Words
As you can see from my before and after photos I look very different today than I did as a young woman. I grew up as a fat child who became an even fatter teenager and a morbidly obese adult. My highest weight peaked at about 315 pounds. I could barely walk or breathe. Even moving was difficult. I was a slave to my house and literally lived in my own world. I shut everything out of my life except my love of eating. Food was my friend, companion and lover. Food helped me escape memories the loneliness that I felt through-out my childhood. I ate all day and cried myself to sleep every night.
As you can imagine I was chronically depressed, angry at the world, sad and frustrated. Not a single diet in the world helped me – I had been on them all. You name it, I’d been on in. My health, my whole world in fact, was crumbling around me to the point of becoming suicidal. It was then I realized that I would either sink or swim and I was not ready to die and had so much more to do with my life. Even while living in this despair I knew in the deepest part of me that I would find a way out of this prison of fat.
One day while eating a normal breakfast – a rack of ribs, fried eggs and biscuits along with a milkshake, I felt tremendous pressure in my chest. I ran to my neighbors who took me to the E.R. Fortunately I wasn’t having a heart attack, but what I did have on that day more than 25 years ago, was a spiritual awakening. In the hospital I made a decision. From that day forward I would take control of my life and make changes. I would begin on my path to getting healthy, strong and fit, both mentally as well as physically. I was determined to learn as much as I could about myself to overcome obesity and this unhealthy environment I existed in..
How did I do it?
By using the components that I still use today:
- I read everything I could get my hands on about food and nutrition
- I reduced my portions. The rack of ribs became half a rack.
- I began to make healthier choices with my food
- I started to move
- I learned to practice mental skills
I joined a women’s gym and started taking aerobics classes every day – even when I didn’t want to. Even when people laughed at the fat girl sweating like crazy. And yes even when two guys from the gym staff had to come to get me up off the mat during one of my first workouts.
It took about a month before I was feeling better physically and mentally and I began dropping the pounds. One day I looked down and there they were – MY FEET! Yes, I finally could see them. I dropped 160 pounds to a size 12 and have kept them off for almost 25 years. I love fitting into my slinky, low-rise jeans.
I made an unequivocal decision not to let anything stand in my way. Sure there were many times I wanted to give up, many challenges I faced and mountains to move but my mental resolve has been my greatest strength. There are still days I wake up wanting doughnuts. But then I’ll ask myself – why? Do I feel lonely or angry? Why are doughnuts the answer? Then I decide to workout and see if I still want doughnuts afterward. I still have challenges, but today I know I am in control of my health.
Over the years, I worked my way through college and received an undergraduate degree in Exercise Science and a Master’s Degree in Sports Psychology.. I thank God every day for helping me to triumph over this addiction that controlled me for so many years. Today, I am a certified fitness trainer, coach, motivational speaker and creator of SHAPELYGIRL FITNESS, a program to help women to change their lives. I believe the answer to all change begins with moving and breathing in order to feel and look better. I believe that FITNESS COME IN MANY SIZES because we are not all meant to be a size 2 but we can all move toward better health. My goal is to stay fit and healthy so I can help and support overweight and obese women through their journey of changing their lives. At a fit and healthy and curvy size 12, I truly am fit and fabulous, I look and feel better today than I did 2 decades ago.
Visit Debra’s website at www.SHAPELYGIRLFITNESS.com
Tags: weight loss transformation, testimonial, inspiration, Debra Mazda
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