I’ve been battling my weight since I was 10 years old. I grew up on a diet of cereals, Hostess cakes, pizza, McDonald’s and Carvel Ice Cream. With two very hard working Jamaican parents, it was easier to buy quick meals, than spend hours cooking each day.
I remember going to the local video store (remember those, before Blockbusters?) and renting Jane Fonda videos, all in an effort to look like those “perfect” girls on TV.
It’s sad now to think about hating my body at such a young age. And this hatred for my body continued until adulthood.
By the time I was 27 years old, I was tipping the scales at 210 pounds.
My decision to lose weight stemmed from a hip hop dance class I took in my late 20’s. At the end of the year, the dance school was putting on a recital (I didn’t even know adults did recitals). My teacher chose the costumes we would wear. I two pieced red sparkly outfit. Yes, 2 pieces. Which means I belly would be showing for all to see.
I really wanted to be in this recital, so I found a low fat diet and lost about 40 pounds.
While I’m proud of the weight I lost, I didn’t do it in the healthliest of ways. I restricted my eating, engaged in binge eating, and saw food as the enemy.
Because of these bad habits, I stuggled with my weight (and self esteem) for years.
I did a lot of work on myself (therapist, heal thyself) and changed my relationship with food and my body.
Instead of being skinny, I wanted to be STRONG. I wanted to be an athlete. The little girl in me who always got picked last for teams in gym class, had something to prove.
About 10 years ago, decided I want to be fit and run a 5k. I invested in multiple apps to help me achieve my goals, but after a few weeks, I simply lost the motivation.
After years of starting and stopping my trainng, I decided on a whim to join a local running group (mostly in a effort to be more social and reduce some of my social anxiety). The group met every Saturday morning, and each week increasing in miles. In a matter of weeks, I was already running a 5k (3.1 miles)!!
The more miles we ran, the earlier we would start.
I would wake up at 4 in the morning, just to start running with my group at 5am!!
And the craziest part, was I enjoyed it!!!
I couldn’t believe in a matter of a few short months I was running 13.1 miles (a half marathon).
I wondered how that was even possible when I couldn’t even committ to a 5k program with the apps.
Then I realized, it was the accountability factor, that helped me reach my goals.
Here’s what I learned…
- Doing an activity with a group of people makes an activity seem less challenging
- Knowing people will wonder where I am or text you if me don’t show up, helped me show up every week.
- Running with others were just starting, helped me feel less inept.
- Running with (and learning from) veterans, who started out just like me, motivated me not to give up.
- Paying for something helps me show up, because I don’t want to feel like you’re wasting your money.
And my relationship with food has also improved. I adopted a plant based diet, which has helped me lower my cholesteriol (even after initially losing those 40 pounds and wearing a size 10, I still had high cholesterol). I have tons of energy, my recovery time after my workouts are faster, and I simply feel better in my body.
I know first hand, how the power of accountability has transformed my life.
That’s why I decided to help other women achieve their health and fitness goals.
With my 24+ years a psychotherapist, along with a decade of knowledge in health and fitness, I know I can help you develop the mindet and create a realistic plan for you to achieve the health and body you want.
I decided to help other women with similar struggles achieve their goals.
There are plenty of personal trainers, diet books and work out plans to show you how to reach your fitness goals but 73% of people give up before they reach them. Not because of a lack of knowledge, it’s because you don’t have the help and support you need to stay consistent.
I’m here for you.
