Team Beachbody ¡preestreno!Español Guest

I used to be athletic when I was younger. It seemed I was always just a step away from being obese. Fortunately I loved softball and volleyball and could keep up with training in high school to keep the pounds at bay, although I was never thin. After high school, I moved into Information Technology and loved the field, and began over a decade of chair-sitting. It led to more weight gain - I went from 190 to 300 lbs in eight years. I had married, I stopped trying anything, I stopped moving. When I tried to go on a run to reclaim my figure, I ended up herniating a disc in my lumbar spine, and we found I had degenerative disc disease - chronically weak area that was damaged by the additional weight and stress. I had to have spinal surgery because I could not walk. I had one of those God Talks in the three months I was on disability - too in pain, and too upset, for the first time in my life, to eat. Eating was no longer #1 for me, and it took completely getting shut down by my body to make me realize what that felt like. I had an amazing surgery and recovered very quickly. I told God or whoever that if I could just get out of pain, I would lose this weight. I understood the lesson, I was not to abuse my body. By the time I'd healed, though, trying to exercise was painful, uncomfortable and embarrassing. I no longer got the rush or feeling of well being that I used to, which depressed me. What was wrong? A few years passed and I still kept at it. When it came time for my ex husband and I to have a child, I couldn't lose the weight. I always thought I could do it if I really wanted to, but I had crossed some line either mentally or physically where despair was stronger than my desire even for a family. I was not willing to get pregnant being 300 lbs, even I knew enough to know that it was terrible for my back and just irresponsible. I failed on diet after diet. I knew I had this pledge to the universe out there to conquer this thing once and for all. My moods controlled my actions. I didn't think I could get back to health without something drastic. I decided after many failures at 28 to get the Lap Band. I still wanted to have a role in my weight loss, and I felt that the "tool" of hunger control was perfect for me. That stubborn third basemen charging chopping hops was still insisting she could do it, and be successful. The woman who could jump serve a zooming heater over the net wanted another chance to BE the change, not content to just be the person to whom change happened. I dropped 100 lbs in 18 months and kept it off for another 3 years, but still stalled at my high school weight of 190. My life has changed dramatically with what I have accomplished, but I want that last item checked off my list - to get within normal weight range. To buy clothes off the rack. I'm almost there...and I need help. After finally feeling normal, and realizing I was NOT actually drowning, I was just lost, I decided I would go after the one thing I always really wanted: The tight, firm, trim, athletic body that I was born with. Somewhere inside. I've never seen it, I've never had it, and I want it. And I will have it. When I had my back surgery, I researched and read everything and went to the best ortho I could find. When I had my Lap Band surgery, I read everything (including medical papers) and went to the top doctor in the US at NYU. It seems only fitting that now, completing this last step of my journey, I'm going with the best program I can find. I love it. I love P90X Tony, I love the Spartans I've adopted as my teammates in the forums, and I feel like I'm right where I'm supposed to be. I've added ChaLEAN Extreme to the lineup, too. Watch this space, cause I'm shrinking.