This picture of me was taken two years ago at my sister-in-law’s wedding. When I saw
this picture I couldn’t believe how much weight I had let myself gain over the years. I
was 31 years old, stood 5 feet 5 inches tall, and weighed 296 pounds! Two months after
the picture was taken I was diagnosed with diabetes type II and with high blood pressure.
These diagnoses were on top of the allergic asthma I had been diagnosed with 5 years
prior. I was 31 years old, I felt young, but I was taking 10 pills and giving myself 2
injections a day. My doctors sent me to diabetes educations classes where I learned how
to eat properly. It was a juggling act to keep my blood sugar balanced with the right food
and medication. It was a difficult time, but I came to the realization that I had to be
proactive about my health. Eating the right things only to avoid low blood sugar and
blood sugar spikes was not enough, I needed to eat right to live longer, to get off of all
those medications. So, I changed the way I lived. I got a trainer and started on my path
to a healthier life. As time went by, I got thinner. I stopped needing one of my diabetes
medications, then another, and another, finally I needed no medication for diabetes. Then,
I needed no medication for high blood pressure. Soon after that, I needed no medications
for the asthma. My first trainer at SMU helped me so much, keeping me motivated to
work-out and informed about food and vitamins. He unfortunately moved out of town,
but my next, and current, SMU trainer pushes me harder than I can push myself, and
makes our sessions so fun I always look forward to them. I’ve lost 126 pounds, I am a
beginning runner, and I play on a semi-professional women’s rugby team. I feel like I
lost my twenties due to the poor choices I made, but I have my thirties back and I’m
stronger and happier than ever. Thank you to the fabulous trainers I found at SMU!! I
also must thank the great people I see in the gym every morning, your kind words have
kept me motivated through this journey!!!