Brooke

What led you to this point in your life and inspired you to change? What was your A-HA moment?

I’ve always been big. It was manageable then high school hit and it spiraled past the point of control.  This has been a lifetime journey for me.

Understand, I have tried every diet out there that is available.

• Starving myself,
• Eliminated food groups,
• Ate only specific food groups,
• Basically, jumped on board every single fad diet that is known to man.
• I even sporadically exercised for good measure.
• I was also guilty of over-exercising.

Sometimes, I would lose a little weight. Other times, I’d lose a lot of weight.

However, every single time I gained it back. I would tell myself it was okay because I could still do all the things I wanted to do, just maybe a little slower than others. I was strong, so that meant everything must be fine. My health wasn’t impacted, so what did it matter if I could eat an entire bag of chips or package of cookies in one sitting?  Right?!?

Then optimism ended and the gravity of the situation hit when my health began to BE impacted. My blood pressure started to rise. I had gestational diabetes while pregnant with my daughter. It was a wake-up alarm, but I kept hitting the snooze button. I felt bad all the time.

Getting back to the original question.  My first a-ha moment truly came when I went to the medical clinic when stationed in Germany. Most doctors have bedside manners, however on this visit, it was different.  I got a doctor with near zero bedside manners and he probably saved my life. Though I was visiting for other reasons, this doctor looked me right in the face and told me that I was killing myself one meal at a time and that needed to dramatically change.  Blunderingly, I stated I can lose weight and that I didn’t want surgery. He stared at me for about five seconds, which felt like five hours, and asked why, if I could lose the weight, I hadn’t done it. And, defeatedly, I didn’t have an answer. He quickly darted out of the exam room and with the least amount of bedside manners possible, loudly blurted for the entire clinic to hear that he needed an immediate referral for weight loss surgery for a 38-year-old female who weighed 316 pounds. Horrified, knowing everyone in the clinic heard it – the exam rooms, the waiting area, probably people walking outside by the clinic. I was absolutely mortified and shocked.

It was the shock that saved my life and propelled me into action.

I started going to a 9 am HIIT class five days a week. The women that went to that class were so supportive and awesome.  My weight went from 316 to 270 within eight weeks. I was pessimistically thrilled.  Then, then we got orders to move (dread).  I was being yanked from my support group.

It took six weeks to move and get readjusted.  And without my support group, my weight had crept up to 275. No this is not going to happen again, I told myself.  I joined a local gym and over the next four years, I would yo-yo, again. I was thrilled to get to 239 with a combination of over-exercising and practical starvation. I was again unable to maintain the loss in the long term, so once again, my weight started to creep up. It did not get horrible until we had to move again, and over the next two years, my weight slowly inched up to 283.  Ugh!

Enter Doreen into my life from stage left. I attended her famous Zumba classes and we became Facebook friends. Little did I know how my life would change, when she became a personal trainer.  I knew her weight loss journey.  And I was thrilled that we could work together on potentially making my journey more like hers.  She understood the struggle as it wasn’t just about food, movement, and number on the scale. My second BIG a-ha moment was when Doreen opened my eyes and I realized the real problem was I attempted to solve my problems with food.  Whoa!

How has your life changed since becoming a better version of you?

Oh my goodness, so many ways! I am physically doing things I never thought I would be able to do. I won the Reformed Living step challenge in September 2017, and I had some crazy competition (Becky, I’m talking about you!). I turned around and walked a half marathon right afterward. Then, I trogged (a combination of trotting and jogging) my first non-stop mile ever in November 2017. I WANT to move my body. I WANT to eat well. I WANT to face my problems, not drown them in self pity, junk food, and sugar.

How have your feelings towards activity, exercise, and eating changed?

How much time do you have? I had so much fear. Fear of failing – whether with an activity, a workout or losing weight. It was often paralyzing. I made excuses, justified whatever I did or didn’t want to do to myself. And in doing so I realize now I missed so many great things. Today, I understand there is a beauty in failing, and that to fail at something doesn’t mean I am a failure. It means I have more to learn and improve. Eating properly presents challenges for me, that’s just the way it is. But Doreen has taught me to look at food as fuel for my body, and that makes it easier to have good eating habits. What does my body need versus what do I want to eat? That’s oversimplifying, though it really is that simple.

What challenges did you encounter and how did you overcome them?

I still have challenges. I will always have them, and that’s okay, isn’t life just a big beautiful struggle anyway? The daily prominent challenge is making nutritional food choices over emotional food choices.  Some days are easy, some days are not. And when it is not, I have tools to help. Tracking my food and being held accountable for my choices are vital for me. I found I need to have a goal to work towards. My goals are rarely weight loss numbers or to fit into a certain size of clothing anymore. Instead, I push for progress. I am working on strength right now. I’m in a good place for myself weight wise at the moment, so now it’s time to focus on strength and flexibility.

What recent accomplishments are you proud of?

I have accomplished a lot in the last year! I hit my goal of “onederland”, weighing under 199 pounds. I joined Body Fit through Reformed Living. During that program not only did I lose some weight, I also lost inches and hit my goal of having a waist measurement under 35. I can’t even begin to remember when I was last there, probably junior high. I also trogged a mile (more than once to make sure it wasn’t a fluke). My family and I have done several 5k races in the last year. I walk them and am always looking to beat my previous time. I walked a half marathon. I look for ways to stay active. I love to be outside now because I don’t immediately become drenched in sweat just by walking out the door. It’s been a really great year for accomplishments.

What motivates you to keep going?

Ok stick with me on this, ready…I look on the outside the way I feel on the inside. The inside me, emotional me, is getting better and naturally, the outside me reflects the change.  I can now physically do so much more.  For example, over the summer, I was working at a day camp and we were teaching the kids some choreography to Jump, Jive, and Wail and I never got winded, despite all the jumping, bouncing, and kicking. It was a quietly triumphant moment. That’s a huge motivation. HUGE.

What is your next Big Goal?

I’m working on strength and flexibility right now. I want to feel stronger and gaining more muscle is my current path.  I am also actively working on reducing my body fat percentage.  Ideally, I want to do what I have never done, a pull-up.

How did Reformed Living help you in your journey?

Oh, just in every way possible! My situation was a little different, I worked with Doreen only remotely. She gave me workouts and I did them, which was amazing. The honest truth of it is that the majority of my journey has been mental and emotional. I had a lot of baggage to work through before I would allow myself to succeed. I don’t know if it would have been possible in the same time frame without Doreen’s support every step of the way. How do you begin to repay someone for giving you your life back? I don’t even know where to begin!

Finally, what advice do you have for anyone thinking of taking that first step in changing their body?

It’s not an overnight process. There’s no magic pill. It’s hard work and it’s making lots and lots of small positive changes over and over again. Having a support system is vital, and support includes accountability. Hold yourself accountable and don’t let yourself make excuses.

Tell us a bit more about you!

What do you do for fun and relaxation?

I love to read and to watch movies and walk or bike outside. Never one to turn down a nap, being totally honest here. I also love to hang out with friends and family. Let’s have a great conversation!

What type of music do you listen to?

I love all kinds of music, so it depends on my mood. I like to listen to pop, dance, or Zumba music when I work out. Give me some rock-n-roll when I’m driving for some strange reason. I love 70’s, 80’s and 90’s, show tunes, jazz, and blues, too.   Then again at times, I am partial to older country music. No way could I narrow it down to just one.

If you could spend time with a famous person past or present, who would it be and why?

If I could have a genuine conversation with the real person and not the personality, I would love to sit down with Henry Rollins and just discuss the entire universe. He’s pretty opinionated, but extraordinarily well read. I feel like I could learn a lot from him. Plus, he’s always been in fantastic shape, so I would try really, really hard to convince him to let me workout with him.

What do you think is your most outstanding characteristic?

I do my best to treat other people the way I would like to be treated even when I know they aren’t going to do the same. With that, I am loyal to people I love. I think those are my best characteristics by far.

What are your words to live by?

Don’t let other people define who you are. Our differences are what make the world interesting and there’s no reason why we can’t all respect one another.

What habit are you most proud of?

It’s not just one habit, it’s the fact that I realize I can replace bad habits with good habits over time. All I have to do is stick to it, right accountability buddy?

What is your favorite healthy meal?

I love chicken with fresh veggies. The possibilities are endless and the colors are beautiful.

How much sleep do you get per day?

Not nearly enough. I aim for 7-8 hours, but my average is more like 5-6. Maybe that’s why I love naps so much!

What do you like best about Reformed Living?

That they have helped me become the best version of me that I can be today. And I’ll continue to improve!

This is a Snapshot of my Journey

Here I Am Today

And Where I Came From…

You can change too!  I know it is possible if I can, so can you.  Small daily changes add up to wonderful long-term results.  I am living proof!