The Journey from Obesity to Fitness Model and Figure Competitor

When I decided to take control of my problem with weight gain, a problem that began when I was eight years old; I had a long difficult task ahead of me. However, I�ve never regretted my decision or looked back. I�m now aware of the pitfalls I fell into with bad eating habits.

Eating can be a way to escape the hurt feelings we have in life. Food provides nourish-ment and one can confuse the need for emotional nourishment by overeating. It is not the correct way but that�s what I did. My parents got divorced when I was eight years old. I didn�t know how to cope with my feelings so I started overeating, trying to escape.

From that time to age nineteen, I was sedentary and classified as obese from the body fat chart. Throughout my school years, I was ridiculed with names like butterball, fatty, wide load, two ton, etc. I was depressed and hurt, so I hid away in my room and overate. I lacked confidence in sports and resisted my mom�s attempts to keep me active. Inactivity and overeating made me gain more weight.

After graduating high school, I had boyfriends whose eating habits were no better if not worse. From McDonalds to Jack in the Box, fast food was my primary food intake and we would supersize! I did make several attempts to lose weight; a weight loss camp, trainers, aerobic classes, etc. However, I always fell off the program and gained everything back.

At age nineteen, things changed for me and I became committed to changing my life. It was a few days after Christmas which I�d spent gorging on sweets, when I decided to go to a local gym and take a kickboxing class for fun. When I got on the scale, I had maxed out at 181 lbs. Shocked, I realized I was close to 200 lbs, not acceptable for my tiny 5�3� frame. I went ahead and took the kickboxing class which I really enjoyed because of the amazing instructor. Her name is Denise Hart and after class she mentioned that she was also a personal trainer. I was so impressed by her physique; she�s also short with a small frame so I could relate to her easily. I signed up that day.

Denise corrected my eating habits, small meals 4-5 times a day, weight training twice a week, and cardio six times a week. As we trained, she would ask me, �Do you want it?� That motivated me to correct the bad eating habits and to train harder. I managed to lose 60 lbs. Motivated and so much happier with my new healthy body, I decided to move to Los Angeles to pursue a degree in exercise science.

I read the book, �Championship Bodybuilding,� and began training even harder more than attending school. One day while doing my cardio routine, I read a fitness magazine and discovered the fitness model, Monica Brant, who has such an incredible physique. I wanted to become a fitness model too. I contacted Monica by e-mail about getting a coach. We had a great talk on the telephone and she was so helpful, giving me all the neccessary contacts. She said the best way to get noticed is to compete. I began training with Joanne Lee and started nutrition counselling with Kim Oddo. I�m training with heavier weights, building muscle, have gone from 181 lbs/ 39.9 % body fat to 115 lbs/ 9% body fat, and will compete in my first figure competition on December 4, 2004. I�ve decided to reach for the sky and compete in Fitness Olympia.

It�s been four years since I began and no one believes I was ever heavy. I�ve changed my whole life, am now an athelete, and enjoy life so much more. I�m proof it can be done!