Team Beachbody Guest

Seven years ago, I found myself sitting in a doctor’s office - unable to speak a coherent sentence, unable to walk a strait line, unable to move the right side of my body very well. I was experiencing all the classic signs of a stroke. I was only 27 and pregnant with my third child. I couldn’t believe this was happening!! My doctor ordered an MRI for later that week so we could see how serious the situation was.

I spent the next few days researching strokes. I couldn’t shake the idea of my children having a mom who was paralyzed, brain damaged, or even worse …dead. I learned that being even a little overweight can increase one’s chances of having a stroke. Plus, I had so many other factors working against me in my family’s medical history. Factors such as stroke, heart disease, and diabetes, all of which are more prevalent in obese people. I knew I was carrying a little extra weight, but never really worried about it. I never considered myself to be obese!! So, I went to a site that determined ideal weight, BMI and body fat percent. I plugged in all the numbers, using my pre-pregnancy weight and GUESS WHAT….I was OBESE!!! I couldn’t believe my eyes! I always had this idea that “obese” was the person who could barely get around, who struggled to do normal activity. But there were the numbers showing me the cold, hard truth. Thankfully, the MRI did not show any type of scarring or damage commonly seen in a stroke victim. The doctor who read my MRI believed I had experienced a TIA or very severe migraine (also common in my family). But the whole ordeal served as a wake-up call that I needed to make some changes.

After my son was born, I did try to start getting the extra weight off. I was nursing him, so it really wasn’t difficult at first. I was eating better and bought a treadmill. I walked everyday for a couple months, but it didn’t take long before I just got completely bored! I was struggling with the transition to being a stay-at-home-mom, too. It was difficult being home by myself all day long. All my close friends worked and I felt isolated. I became a little depressed and let those old habits of eating creep back in to my daily routine.

Over the next 18 months, I jumped from one crazy diet to another! I did shakes, cabbage soup, fat-burning salad, low-carb, no-carb - you name it!!! I would exercise sporadically - all-out for several weeks, then nothing for several weeks. I just couldn’t get it all together at the same time! I had no idea what I was doing! My weight was a roller coaster and I became very discouraged and just quit trying!

Then three years ago I became very close friends with another stay-at -home mom. She had worked at a weight-loss clinic and had lost weight on the plan several years ago, so we decided to try it together. The diet was very restrictive. I spent most days with a growling stomach and a bad mood!! In my desperation, I combined prescription diet pills with the diet, all the while knowing this was probably not wise given my family history. The pills took the edge off my hunger and cravings and the weight began to fall off. I lost over 40 pounds in less than 3 months. I couldn’t believe it - I really thought I had found the answer! I didn’t care about my shaky hands, parched mouth, or all the money I had to spend on doctor visits and prescriptions - I was finally thin!! Thin-yes, but healthy - no!!!

I got down to 150 pounds and was happy at that weight. So I quit taking the pills and started eating normally again. Little did I know that those tiny little pills had taken my already slow metabolism and ground it to a complete stop. My body had spent three long months in total “famine mode”. When I began to eat again, my body wanted to hold on to every morsel of food I put into my mouth. In less than one year, I packed on 60 pounds - the 40 I lost plus an extra 20!! I was at an all-time high of 210 pounds!!

I hated everything about myself. I was so embarrassed to go anywhere because I felt like people were looking at me thinking “What is wrong with her?? She lost all that weight and is so fat now!” I felt like a complete failure. Against my better judgment, I tried the diet pills again, however, I knew this was not the solution. My health was always in the back of my mind and I knew the negative effects on my health were not worth it. I began having severe gall-bladder pain and the pills seemed to aggravate that to the point of being unbearable. So I stopped taking the pills within a couple weeks.

I became very depressed, but did my very best to hide it. To this day, I don’t know if my family even realized how awful I felt. I spent many nights crying in bed after everyone else had gone to sleep. I remember being in a fitting room with a stack of plus size clothes that were to small trying to muffle my sobs so nobody else in the fitting room would hear me.

I became so sick of listening to myself whine and complain about how fat I was!!! My husband got tired of hearing it, too!! One day he looked at me and said, “Brandi, I love you regardless of how big or small you are, but I am so tired of hearing this. You either need to do something about it or hush!!” He was right & I knew it!

So, I began making small changes in my diet and began to feel a little better. Then a friend told me about a website called “Team Beachbody” she had joined. I think I must have looked at that site everyday for the next couple weeks, wondering “Can this work for me?”. I read countless stories and looked at hundreds of before/after pictures!!

Finally, on March 17, 2008, at 210 pounds, I committed to becoming a member of this awesome community. I found a coach who once had the same body type and weight as myself and emailed her. That day, I started on a journey that has already changed my life for the better in so many ways!! I used the meal planner and tips from my coach to really clean-up my diet. I started Slim in 6 immediately. I was barely able to do the “Start It Up” in the beginning, and COULD NOT imagine completing “Burn It Up” !! I got stronger with each workout and completed the Slim In 6 15 pounds lighter and 16 inches smaller!! Since then, I have completed Turbo Jam, P90, Chalean Extreme and 2 1/2 rounds of P90X!! There are days when I complete a workout with tears in my eyes because I am doing things I NEVER thought I could do!! That feeling is indescribable!! To date, I have lost 30 pounds and over 24 inches!!! I can feel a difference both physically and emotionally! I am no longer this out-of-control, blubbering mess!! I feel so good about myself and all the hard work I have put into this program! I know I am losing the weight in a way that is HEALTHY and SAFE!!! I appreciate my progress even more because I WORKED for it!

Beachbody, my Coach, and my “Buddies” have been an endless supply of information, encouragement and accountability!! I can not say “Thank You” enough!! This experience has brought all the pieces of the puzzle together and I can’t wait to see where I am in one year…five years….and beyond!!