Why I am….

To tell you how I got to where I am today, I have to go back a bit, no no not to when I was conceived that maybe to far back.. yes I think it is, besides I wasn’t there so I don’t know the ‘real’ story nor do I want to..

Ill go back to 2001, I thought I was a healthy girl going about life and doing my thing. But this is where it begins. It all started with a small pain in my side so I went to the Dr, he started running tests and alas nothing was being found, he was treating me for a kidney infection because this is how it acted. On the other side of things the nurse and I were starting to notice other changes, like every week that I went in my weight was going up anywhere from 5-10 lbs..  In one week at one point I gained 20lbs….. yes you read that right 20lbs. So I brought this to the Drs attention, telling him um excuse me I think my weight is becoming an issue in which his response was all women think that, he wasn’t to bothered. At the time I was traveling for work, so fast food was the staple of my food source.  So the 2nd week in which I gained another 20lbs I told him OK look Dr I know women are concerned about weight and all but 40 lbs… come on… He actually jumped at the 40lbs and said I think there was a mistake, no no mistake. long story short in one month I gained 60lbs… This is how it began, he then set me up for another round of tests the Phlebotomist and I became good friends. This is when I discovered I had PCOS ( Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome). At the time I think there was one book out about it and it was all about how to conceive a child, which I was not looking for, since then many books have come out and I understand it much better. The Dr’s cure all was Metformin to help regulate the insulin because along with PCOS comes insulin resistance, which is where the weight gain was coming from my body had turned into a fat making machine. Every girls dream right? ha ha NO.  PCOS is caused by your Endocrine system and affects everything in your body.

After 9 years of of not knowing what to do you start to get use to certain things. You get use to the what you think is the inability to lose weight, that no matter what you eat you will gain more weight and that you will never be a size 8 again.  But then as I learned how this disorder works I realized none of this is true. It will take me longer then the average Mary to lose weight and I wont get fast results and that this has to be a life change not a quick fix.

In Sept of 2010 I quit my job and decided that this was the time to make a drastic change, I put myself and husband on Natalie Roses Raw Diet for 30 days and I started to see major changes! I lost 8 lbs for the first time in my life! I was so excited, it took a month but I was elated! Here I had gone 9 years without losing a lb and whamm-o I did it!

I had gone thru a few personal trainers, and frustration would set in for both of us, I couldn’t explain what I was going through and they figured I was cheating somewhere so I would leave them trying to maintain what self confidence I had left.

In March of 2011 I walked into a gym, where my friend was renting a room (she is a massage therapist and my workout buddy!), to get a massage. The owner of the gym was training someone and I realized this place is different. Not a meat market and he was invested in his client. So I set up an appointment to take a tour and hear about the gym. This is where I met Steph! She became my personal trainer. From day one I told her I’m not your typical client and I saw the look of “yes yes you are different and unique uh huh” inside I smiled and knew this would be a learning experience for both of us. I went home and told my hubby I give this 60 days if it doesn’t work I will move on and Ive lost nothing. ( side note in 2008 I rotated L4 L5 and was layed up for almost a year. My chiropractor was very ify as to me wanting to join a gym, he had me doing some small exercise at home. But I am stubborn and told him I’m tired of not being able to do things so he said OK but we are going to monitor this closely – so off I go)  60 days went by and I had total respect for Steph, she altered things for me so that I could build my core and gain strength, there was a light at the end of the tunnel. My first weigh in after started I was so excited I lost 1 lb I believe, but my body fat went down 5% !  Yea progress!!! after the second weigh in and not a lot of change is where frustration set in for both myself and Steph. So off I went to the book store found an amazing book and shared it with Steph to help us both understand what my body was doing…… Her reaction was amazing! She stepped back and said “OK change of plan” and we moved on… I went home and told my hubby, ” ahh Steph is a keeper!!!”  I dont look at my condition as an excuse only as a road block, I have to figure how to get around it, to get back on the road to success.

This brings us to today!

Because of the motivation and dedication Steph has invested in me, I have come farther then I ever thought possible!I may not be losing weight in mass amounts but I am stronger – I feel healthier and have a much more positive outlook on life!!!

This is where my blogging begins!  My food & life here in the open! I hope that my story will inspire someone! I went from fit to couch to getting my ass off the couch again and doing things I have always wanted to!!!!

I love to make people laugh and enjoy trying new things! The most important person in my life is my husband, however I still have a sense of self.

Enjoy my food porn – cause really isn’t that what food is about???  you see it, desire it and let the tastes tease you?