Female

35

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States

Myofascial Release Therapist / Massage Therapist

Aug, 2009

Was blessed to meet a wonderful man in June 2009 with whom I am now in an exclusive relationship. Through working out & supplementation, he has brought himself down from a very high weight (pictures of him at the time cannot be used for ID, even his face had no definition) & built a very nice form. When I showed interest in what he has accomplished and how, he offered to help me start training.

Back in 2004, I had reached my highest weight: 245lbs. After a lifetime of dieting and the usual crap they feed women about how to lose weight, I realized I didn't have the tools I needed. I went the route of gastric bypass (roux-en-y). Having the surgery caused a long disruption in my eating patterns that allowed me to break a lot of old bad habits. Over the next year, I dropped 110lbs (weight-135). Past the first year, the effects of the surgery mostly wear off and behavior is the largest indicator for successfully keeping the weight off. I spent 2005-2006 learning to eat better, while my weight settled at 140lbs and my self-image rose. In 2006 I entered massage therapy school and unknowingly built up some of the muscle I'd lost since the surgery, while learning how to properly use my body and increasing range of motion. Bodywork has been THE greatest tool for improving my ability to focus, to move my body efficiently and safely, and to care for myself properly. I love working out because it lets me feel/see that everything I've done since 2004 has had a real effect on my body and wasn't just about fitting into a smaller size - I am stronger & healthier, my attitude has changed to a far more positive outlook, and I enjoy activity now...it makes me feel alive! Working out is just a natural progression along the path I chose in 2004. I expect that working out, in addition to my myofascial release treatments, will lead me to reach my full potential in all areas.

While I have no regrets about choosing surgery when I did, I'm no longer the same person I was and I have many more tools available to me. On that path, you do some aerobic exercise to keep healthy and keep some basic muscle and you handle excess skin with more surgery. That's not the direction I want to follow. While both my look and my strength is far improved from my pre-surgery days, I don't feel I've finished. Working out offers me the best opportunity to reach a sense of completion with this project called my body. That's my motivation. That and having my guy as my trainer - he is supportive and knowledgeable and good at keeping me from being frustrated beyond belief.