First a little background! I grew up in a family that loved cooking soul food (in other
words, food rich in fat and other things that reek havoc on our bodies). Therefore being overweight was something that,
well, came naturally. I have family members that suffered from heart problems, diabetes, and high blood pressure just to name
a few! No doubt we are genetically predisposed to certain diseases, but most of us can avoid these life threatening diseases
by adopting a healthy lifestyle. I myself developed blood pressure problems and diabetes as a result of my unhealthy lifestyle.
So, what you don't know can literally kill you. I have watched my loved ones struggle with and who have died and are dying
from these illnesses and as I speak. Yes, ignorance is not bliss. This is not a fate that I want for myself. I believe premature
death can be avoided. I hope at this point in my story you're now thinking about making some healthy lifestyle changes if
you're not doing so already.
So now here is my story! For as long as I can remember I've always had to work at maintaining
a healthy weight. I was not genetically blessed to be slender. Somewhere during my college years I adopted an unhealthy lifestyle
of eating bad foods and being inactive. Yes, I noticed the size of my clothing increasing but I wasn't focused on my personal
appearance. My weight gain did not affect me socially so I continued to live in my overweight body. It wasn't until a few
friends and family members began to comment occasionally about how I was loosing my neat figure that I began to really want
to address an obvious weight problem. At this point, I was beginning to become very unhappy with my body. In spite of my efforts
to fix the problem, nothing worked. My weight was like a yo-yo. Up, down, up, up, down. Something had to change.
So what changed? I honestly can't give you one answer. I can say that it was like someone
had shined a light on me and there was no hiding anymore. I was diagnosed with diabetes about three years ago. My doctor put
me on a pill to control my blood sugar and a pill to control my blood pressure. At another visit he gave me another pill for
diabetes control. So now I'm taking two pills and on my way to insulin. It was at this point that I had developed the
by any means necessary attitude. Yes, it's amazing how we can appear normal to others on the outside but be living on shaky
ground on the inside. Life isn't much if your inner house is in shambles. I began to pray about my weight problem and health
issues because I knew that I was at a healthy weight before but something happened. How to solve my problem seemed to be out
of my control. A friend told me about the Atkins diet. I lost 20 pounds by low carbing and walking the stairs at work. This
was also the first time that I began to get better control of my diabetes. Now that I was experiencing some success, I did
not want to stop. Therefore, when I hit the brick wall I became depressed. I was doing so good and the weight loss just stopped.
I was not even half way close to my goal. This leads me to tell you about a conversation that I had with my cousin one
day that would later change my life drastically. She shared with me how she achieved her phenomenal weight loss. I was admiring
her success and new that I needed to be in her position not only for physical appearance but for health reasons. She began
to explain some of the things she was learning about weight loss through a program at Chiro Elite. I had never heard of this
clinic before but I had to get there and soon. I didn't know how I would fit the gym in my schedule or my pocket but it was
a matter of life or death and I was choosing life. I had to make my health a PRIORITY. Well, it took some time
to meet Dr. Reginald Rodges but it was well worth the wait. I went to an orientation for his new weight loss class and thus
began my journey to success in weight loss. (Eating the elephant one bite at a time as "Doc" would always say!)
The weight loss really began at this point for me. Through his program I was learning
a whole new way of eating and working out to be fit. People say a picture is worth a thousand words and yes I believe that
to be true. Only for me, it was a thousand words I did not want to hear when I looked at my picture. I knew I simply was carrying
too much weight for my 5'3" frame and couldn't believe it had gone that far. I finally realized that I was petite in height
but obese in size. Through Dr. Rodges and his very professional staff or personall trainers, I am able to celebrate a weight
loss of over 90 pounds and counting for over two years now. At my highest weight I was wearing a size 20W and now I am currently
holding a comfortable size 10. I know women don't usually discuss their weight or their age.
However, I figured those who knew me when I was a size 20W knew that I was overweight even if they didn't know the number
on the scale. It's impossible to hide the obvious. So my feeling of shame my be deminished by me working on the problem and
accepting that I have to work daily. I thank God daily for the gift of letting me meet Dr. Reginald Rodges. Through his motivational
talks and willingness to journey with me, I have gone from fat to fit. Words can not express my gratitude. If I could put
it in money he would be a wealthy man. My life has truly been changed inside (emotional, health) and out (physical). I'm living
proof that we can overcome HBP, diabetes, and other diseases with a healthy lifestyle. Some of us can avoid these diseases
altogether. Each day we have to make a conscious effort to make good choices.
Even on my worst days, I know that this is the way of life for me. Exercising for total
body wellness makes me feel good, look good, and helps me stay in control. Never give up on yourself! Success is waiting for
YOU to claim it. Remember: "The chief cause of unhappiness and failure is trading what we want most for what we want at the
moment." I have been inspired by others and I in turn hope that I have inspired you.
Thanks to everyone who visits this site and a special thanks to Dr. Reginald Rodges,
Terry Collins, and Carlenski Price.
