I was raised on a small rural farm. A few chickens, some pigs, a cow and a steer. These were for our benefit and I worked every day with my parents. I was never the healthy kid; although, I played sports through high school but always lazily. I had been raised to eat the whole God made foods but I always longed to eat the garbage my cousins were raised on. Therefore, when I moved out I ate what I wanted, life just got in the way and my weight crept up and up. I never really complained because I knew it was my own fault, maybe some genetics but I didn't want to claim that because then I would be admitting I wasn't as good as other people. I already felt that way but I didn't want others to know it so my defense was to make everyone comfortable with my weight thereby being comfortable with me. Fast forwarded to June 2007 when my husband announced he was going to weight watchers and asked me to help him out with it by making his lunch and buying the right kinds of food. Now although I had made attempts in the past to get into shape, I always tried to keep my kids eating right and playing outside to prevent them from suffer my fat fate, I was always thwarted by my husband and his insatiable appetite. As you may well imagine, I was slightly fearful. At 37 years old I was 294lbs and extremely unhealthy. My blood pressure and cholesterol levels have just recently become unsafe and now if my husband losing weight, he may leave me. Something just snapped and I determined right then and there that he WAS NOT going to win. I announced I would be doing it with him and that we should join a gym as well. He agreed and the games began. I stayed with weight watchers for the first hundred pounds and then continued on my own until I reached a goal weight of 150 in March of 2009.

This journey has changed my life. I always floundered around, wondering what my calling was to be, fearful that I was running out of time but it became clear that I not only loved the health and fitness I had gained for myself but that I wanted to help others regain their lives as well. I found myself in a unique position, one that a small percentage of overweight/obese people actually discover, and that was both perspectives. This is my life, and really I always knew deep down that I wanted to be a part of the health/fitness industry but never thought it could be mine. About 5 years before this episode of my journey began, I had discovered Monica Brant. I began working towards this goal but without any means of support and really friends freaking out, I just dropped as a hokie dream. Now, I don't care. I want to continue and reach the goals that I KNOW I CAN ACHIEVE.