Growing up I was always a little chubby & usually the biggest girl in my group of friends. It bugged me throughout high school, but not enough to do anything about it. During my freshman year of college I gained the freshman 15...and then an additional 10 or 15 more! I'm sure it had nothing to do with the fact that my roommates and I would often make a pan of brownies and proceed to eat the entire thing in one evening! When I got home for the summer, I knew it was time to do something & make a change. I was tired of feeling self conscious and having to buy bigger clothes every couple months. That was in 2002 & my all time high weight was 215. I was wearing a size 16 jean & that was pushing it. I couldn't run a lap around a track or lift the 45 pound bar on the squat rack in the weight room. Heck, I didn't even know what that bar was for or how much it weighed!
Enter my husband...except he wasn't my husband back then. I met Z at church & he offered to be my personal trainer in exchange for a homecooked meal once a week (he was a bachelor). He was ripped. And super good looking. Of course I had no choice but to accept his offer (I'd have done anything at that point to get to look at him three times a week!) He started training me & we were inseparable the rest of the summer. He became my best friend and my coach. He didn't take it easy on me & I'm grateful for that. After a lot of hard work, several breakdowns & times when I really thought Z was torturing me just for the fun of it, I lost about 35 pounds. By the end of the summer we'd started dating and the rest-as they say-is history! We got married a year later & now have two beautiful boys & love where we're at in our life journey.
I kept losing slowly after we got married and got down to about 155 at my lowest. With the exception of two pregnancies, I've pretty much maintained between 155-160. I'm finally ready to take my body to the next level. I am a health coach for an awesome company, Take Shape for Life, and love the program/products/people, and what the company stands for. I love health & I love people. I care deeply about helping people succeed & know that optimal health brings optimal happiness.
I love being a mom, reading a good book, watching chick flicks, lifting weights to good music, naps, Glee, hanging with my girlfriends, vanilla diet coke, having playdates (for the kids & the moms!), a good massage, and cuddling on the couch with the hot husband.
Oh yeah...I also still love a big bowl of ice cream & a warm brownie every once in a while.
