I have always had a bad relationship with food. I am an emotional eater. I eat to find comfort and a sense of calm when life is stressful or overwhelming. In college I began yo-yo dieting and obsessively exercising.  These bad habits bloomed out of control and before I knew it I was battling Bulimia and Anorexia. Besides the obvious physical risks of having an eating disorder the shame and the secrecy is consuming. My life became about food and exercise and the hold that they had on my life. I was lucky to have an amazing, supportive, and strong family who got me the help I needed to get back on track and out of that dark time.

 

In October of 2015 I was almost a year postpartum with my daughter and I felt stuck. The “baby weight” was just turning into weight and I was struggling to balance good eating into my busy working mom life. I had this idea that after I had my daughter nursing, working fulltime and casual exercise would be enough to put me back to where I was before getting pregnant. That just wasn’t happening for me and I was the heaviest I had ever been. I felt insecure about my body and that insecurity was bubbling over to other areas of my life. I wasn’t as confident at work in front of people, I was too afraid to go to the gym; I hated the idea of buying clothes (I was secretly still wearing maternity clothes). I could feel myself being enveloped by the same darkness that had a hold on me in college and I knew I couldn’t go down that road again. I needed to be the role model for my daughter, and I knew I could never teach her to love herself, feel confident and proud if I didn’t feel it myself.

 

I took a leap of faith and I purchased 21 Day Fix through Shannon. The idea of a guide to eating and the portion control was what attracted me to the program. I needed something that would teach me how to eat well. What foods, in what which combinations, and how much of each. I do not do well with restrictive diets; it just doesn’t fit into my lifestyle. This program allows me to eat the foods I love, as long as I moderate myself. I was not totally convinced of the at home workouts to be honest, I didn’t think it would challenge me enough. I used to be an athlete; I had completed marathons, triathlons and always worked out at gyms. Boy was I wrong!!

 

The workouts are amazing and they really do challenge me. I like the variety you get from DVD’s and Autumn is incredibly motivating. I also started using the Beachbody on demand, so if I want to try something different I have access to any Beachbody workout I want. The eating guide has become second nature to me. I don’t have to think about what I am going to eat as much. I know what items to choose now and can visually measure portions. I now eat the right amounts of food to fuel my body all day. I feel better than I ever have before in my life! I am stronger, healthier, more determined and at peace with myself. I have lost weight before successfully, but I have never been able to maintain it and I have never been proud of myself for having done it. This time I can say that I am proud of how I did it. I know that I can maintain it. I know I have lost weight in a healthy way. Most importantly, I know I am healthy and finally happy with myself. I have lost 60 pounds in a year with 21 Day Fix, but more importantly I have learned how to live a balanced life. A life that is not about food and exercise; It is a life that is about hope, love, and progress. I am the role model for my daughter that I always hoped I could be and I am the reminder to myself that strength comes from a desire to overcome darkness.

 

I don’t think I could ever thank Shannon and Beachbody enough for what I was given. The program gave me the opportunity to change myself. The accountability I had from the challenge groups each month kept me motivated, especially in the beginning. I would not say it was easy, but I would say that it was worth it!!