Jenell's Journey

I have read that there are 9 million Americans who are considered morbidly obese in the United States, according to a recent study by the Obesity Action Coalition.  As hard as it was for me to admit, for the past twenty years, I was a part of that number.  I hated the idea of being considered morbidly obese and often tried to do something to fix it.  I tried every diet plan known to man. Everything I tried left me back to my old obese self after only a couple of months.  Then before I knew it, I weighed a whopping 240 lbs!

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Looking back at my past, the majority of my days were spent eating.  With fast food long being a weak spot for me, it probably seemed as I did my best to keep the stock prices of various fast food chains at all time highs.  For breakfast, I would visit Starbucks, indulging in muffins and mochas. Lunch was fast food, with more take-out for dinner.  It was always fast, easy and delicious, only I didn’t care that it was full of fat and preservatives.  In between each meal I would snack on whatever my heart desired: chips, candy, cakes, and cookies.  Food was how I celebrated every emotion.  It didn’t matter if I was happy, sad, lonely or depressed; any excuse was a good one to eat.  This lifestyle left me with absolutely no energy, and even more, left me with the deterioration of my health.    

The doctor told me I was borderline diabetic.  I had high blood pressure, and was diagnosed with arthritis.  My feet and knees hurt so badly that I could hardly walk.  I struggled with acid reflux, and spent many sleepless nights tossing and turning.

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In January of 2008, I was about to try the latest weight loss program when my husband Marvin intervened.  He said, “Jenell, why don’t you try something different this time around?  You always diet, and you always get the same results.

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Vicki was the perfect trainer/coach for me.  She had this way of not making me feel pathetic or like a victim.  Instead she made me feel like I could accomplish anything.  She was very patient with me.  Vicki started me out slowly with my own personalized exercise routine, had me write down my daily food intake, and after a few short sessions it was pretty clear to her all of my bad habits that I had spent a longtime developing.  The day she challenged me to go for three weeks without any fast food was the day I almost fainted from disbelief.  She wanted me to see what making my own meals was like.  The funny thing is, I found that I am actually a pretty good cook, and the food I make at home taste pretty darn good!  Now days I don’t even eat at fast food places.  I even limit my meals out to once a week.

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The way I look at food and what I eat is so different compared to what it used to be.  When I grocery shop, I shop around the outside of the store.  I don’t go down the aisles anymore, avoiding processed foods and snacks, and I can’t remember the last time I went down the cookie aisle, which used to be a staple of my diet.  Vicki always told me, “Jenell, it tastes good to eat healthy!”  Now, I believe her.  

 

For breakfast now instead of Starbucks mochas and muffins, I eat egg whites with spinach omelets.  I love to eat fruit, which I never ate before.  I even look forward to the different fruits that come out each season.  I love yogurts, whole grains and most plant based foods.  My cravings for fatty snacks and foods seem to have disappeared, and my energy level is through the roof.  My husband even calls me the energizer bunny!  Because of Vicki, exercise and eating healthy has become a daily part of my life.

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I never would have believed before I‘d be someone who exercised.  At the beginning I could only go on short twenty minutes walks.  I would be so out of breath and really struggled going up hills. I would have to stop several times just to catch my breath. Today I fly up those same hills. I have even done a half marathon and I am planning on doing another one in November.  When I go on walks now it’s mostly running for 4-8 miles. I feel so great now, and have virtually no health problems at all.

 

“TO DATE, I HAVE LOST 105LBS AND OVER THREE FEET AROUND MY BODY! WITH THE HELP OF MY GUARDIAN ANGEL, VICKI, I KNOW THE BEST OF MY JOURNEY IS YET TO COME.”

— JENELL