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I have had challenges with obesity and emotional eating for most of my life. In 3rd grade, someone nicknamed me "elephant." In 8th grade, I weighed 200 pounds! I didn't play school sports and fitness/exercise was never a part of my daily life. There I was in my 40s and getting further away from any type of decent fitness level with my health rapidly declining. My largest size clothing was a size 28/30 - which is where I began with Beachbody in 2004. I have gained and lost 60-100 pounds about 4 times, never able to make a true lifestyle change with better food & fitness until I made up my mind in 2009! :)

One of the worst emotional eating challenges I ever had to face hit me in May 2000, when my father had a heart attack. During the next three years, I emotionally ate to the point of gaining 100 pounds!! Extremely depressing!! The extra weight caused more back pain which eventually cut off the circulation in my spinal column to the point where I would faint when I tried to sleep in a bed. For SEVEN YEARS, I had to sleep in a recliner to take the pressure off my spine so I could actually sleep through most of the night. I wasn't sure that I'd ever be able to sleep in a bed again. Thankfully, in July 2009, I began to sleep in a bed again with NO PAIN OR FAINTING!

Along with my back pain and sleeping challenges, the extra weight put too much pressure on my feet which caused the arches to collapse. My shoe size had actually increased a whole size! I had to buy new shoes! :( I was in constant pain. Every morning, I dreaded putting my feet on the floor because the intense pain brought me to tears. It really hurt that much. I was 44, 100+ pounds overweight and couldn't walk without pain. One time, I went walking with a friend and had to stop after 2 miles and wait for her to return to her car to pick me up. That was the end of my walking. It was so embarrassing.

While caring for my father in February 2003, I saw a Power 90 Infomercial. Tony Horton really made a mind-grabbing positive impact on me. It's like he helped me believe that I could really change my life if I got off the couch and MOVED and cleaned up my eating! I knew Tony was speaking truth and common sense! I called Beachbody and ordered Power 90. When it arrived, I never opened the box. I put it aside for “some other time…...” My father’s health was declining fast and a few months later, his awesome 79 years of life ended. During the next month of sadness, I promised myself I would take some action to improve my health and fitness. I knew my father truly loved me, but it really bothered me that he had to look at his obese daughter by his side the last couple years of his life. Having to watch my father’s life decline due to a heart attack was wake-up call #1 for me. It was time to really face my family history --> heart attack, stroke, high blood pressure, cancer and diabetes.

I continued to emotionally eat off and on until the spring of 2004, when I saw an infomercial for Slim in 6. Beachbody caught my attention again. I thought I could commit to 6 weeks with Debbie's program better than 90 days to begin with and work up to Power 90 later. When Slim in 6 arrived, I opened the box and then put it in a closet. Why?!? …because I was still too depressed at 260 pounds. Even though I wanted to succeed, I just didn’t believe I could really change my lifestyle, so I kept avoiding being responsible for my own health and fitness.

July 4, 2004: While shopping at a store, I ran into a former college Biology professor I hadn’t seen since taking his class in 2002. I highly respect this man for his teaching ability and great example of health and fitness. Deep down in my heart, I wanted to live a life like he had. One of our Biology labs included a fit test. I couldn’t run or hide. I had to do the test, and learn how to take blood pressure and heart rates. Taking that test left me totally embarrassed, out of breath and disgusted with myself. On July 4, 2004, I was in worse shape than in 2002. I couldn’t run or hide from this man once again. I wanted to immediately disappear. This was wake-up call #2 for me. I had to do something to change my lifestyle! I was tired of being embarrassed to be seen in public.

July 5, 2004: Still in shock from seeing my Biology professor the day before, I had a silent pity party by myself. When I was done, I grabbed my mind and then the following thoughts came to mind after the fog cleared...”you know ... quitting is not acceptable behavior! You need to make a plan and start working on it. You CAN turn this around – you know you can.”

I knew I needed to change my lifestyle and take personal responsibility for my life...I just had to rise up and make better choices no matter HOW DIFFICULT it was.

Immediately after that, I found the Slim in 6 box, started reading everything that came with it and promised myself to finish all 6 weeks no matter what. I wanted to be able to say I didn't give up on myself for a change. I was obese and sick and tired of it. Even with the terrible pain in my feet, I decided to exercise through the pain. Maybe the pain would go away if I could get the extra weight off. I began Slim in 6 that same day and lost 10 pounds and 10 inches in 6 weeks. If I had cleaned up my food choices, I would have lost more, but that was a start!!

Then, I went backward and gained 20 pounds by December 2004. I had not made a true lifestyle change YET. There I was at 280# and needed to once again do something and turn my life around. I got Slim in 6 back out, stayed connected to the message boards and WOWY (Work Out With You - online gym) and began working one day at a time, setting my focus on exercise and better eating choices. Every time I would make attempts at getting back on track if I fell off, I always reached for Slim in 6 - because I knew if I could just get Start it Up done, I could continue working out the next day and the next. Slim in 6 gave me the confidence to keep going. I could definitely feel the positive effects from the workouts! Later on, I found Power 90 again and finally saw what that program could do as well. I love Tony's motivation and humor! I found that what also helped was to mix up my Beachbody workouts, making my own version of "muscle confusion.” I lost a total of 50 pounds by 2006 and then hovered between 210 and 235 until April, 2009.

My oldest son was about to graduate high school in June '09, and I decided the best graduation present I could give him was a healthy, fit mom before he went to college. He was recruited to play basketball for a Division III college, so I've had a disciplined athlete before my eyes for years as motivation! I wanted to be less weight for his last high school basketball game as a senior in February, but didn't make that goal. It was now April and graduation was the end of June. I had three months to make something happen.

I also had a doctor appointment with a blood test scheduled in June. I had been getting blood tests every 3-4 months for a couple years, keeping watch on high blood pressure, high cholesterol, my thyroid and high triglycerides. My health was steadily becoming a medical disaster. I had high cholesterol, high LDL levels and high blood pressure. At 49, I wasn’t getting any younger OR healthier. It was time to finally get serious about my health/fitness and DO SOMETHING about it! Thus, wake-up call #3 for me. I was sick of being sick and tired and getting worse as the days went by.

During March 2009, I was having what would be my last “pity party for Joycey.” Not long after this, a long time friend and Beachbody Coach asked me if I wanted his help. He was Beachbody's 1st Million Dollar Body Grand Prize Winner in 2007 and he wanted to know if I wanted him to help me. I had to face myself in the mirror right then. DID I REALLY WANT TO SUCCEED OR NOT??!!?? WAS I WILLING TO DO THE WORK? ....I had about 80 more pounds to lose! He had last 180 pounds and has kept it off ever since!! Yes - he could definitely help me. So, I decided that NOW was the time to put Joycey FIRST and focus on MY health and fitness needs. It was up to *ME* to make my dream come true.

I focused on eating better and drinking SHAKEOLOGY every day. I wanted to see what Shakeology would do for me, especially since I had a blood test in two months. I was looking at the possibility of my doctor wanting to put me on cholesterol medicine after the last extremely high count of 261 and I really did NOT want to start taking cholesterol medicine. I had closely avoided it up until this time, but I knew my doctor was going to insist I start taking it at my next appointment! Within the first week of taking Shakeology, my energy increased tremendously!

---> During the following two months, my cholesterol dropped 83 points, LDLs (bad cholesterol) dropped 77 points, and I lost 20 pounds!!! All my blood test results were back in normal ranges again and I finally dropped down OUT of the OBESE category!!! My doctor told me that I needed to keep doing whatever it was I was doing!!!

(10/20/09) my doctor told me I could stop taking my blood pressure medication!!! Blood pressure AND blood test results continue to remain in normal ranges!!! :)

I started walking to build up strength and endurance and then added Slim in 6 and Power 90 as well. It wasn’t long before I was challenging myself to grandstand/bleacher workouts. I can run 1,600+ grandstand steps, even leaping double steps without stopping! I’m also walking/jogging 5 miles. (...jogging over half a mile without stopping! NEVER before! )

As of January 27, 2010, I’ve lost 55 pounds since May 2009, making it a total of 90 pounds since 2004.

I was able to give my oldest son a healthier, fit mom for his high school graduation present, with 20 pounds off and awesome blood test results in two months. Now, I get to give my youngest son a great present as well - a mom who is still making healthy lifestyle choices.

Because I've STRUGGLED for so many years, my story may take longer than some others, but achieving and succeeding is great no matter how long it takes. Regaining health, fitness and LIFE is the BEST!

Slim in 6 helped me jumpstart my quest. Later, I added Power 90, Turbo Jam, Slim Series Express, Slim Series, 10 Minute Trainer, Tony Horton's One-on-One workouts and others. I like to follow the Power 90 format - alternating sculpt and cardio workouts.

I have always wanted to help others improve their lives. My dream is to motivate, inspire and encourage others to regain their health and fitness and to become a motivational speaker. I’ve also known that I could never achieve that dream if I didn’t change MY lifestyle FIRST. Recently, I have begun to catch a glimpse of that ultimate dream!

I’m very thankful for Beachbody, which truly is a team of supportive people building each other up TO WIN HEALTHY, FIT LIVES!

DECIDE. COMMIT. SUCCEED.
Beachbody can help you save your life and health!
It helped me save mine!
THANK YOU, Beachbody!