My Before and After Story

Roseanna at Doctors Wellness Center was collecting some testimonials for their corporate office and asked me to do one. I have been trying to post a pdf of it, but keep having issues. So here is the text and before/after pictures. Most of y’all know the story, but I wanted to share it. Even I was surprised looking at the before and after pictures.

I am a woman of 45 – with the palate of a five year old – who has improved my life through exercise and healthier eating via Doctors Wellness Center.

I was on my first diet in fourth grade and have had a love-hate relationship with food ever since. Needless to say, I’ve always struggled with my weight.

When my grandmother came to live with my parents, I had a midlife crisis of sorts when I realized that when I got to my grandmother’s age, I may not have anyone to help take care of me. I decided then and there that I needed to take proactive steps to improve my health – it’s hard enough aging without extra weight working against you.

Enter Doctors Wellness Center. I was 44, overweight and out of shape when I signed up for Doctors Wellness Center’s 12 week wellness program through my employer, the City of Columbia. I was skeptical – I’d tried to lose weight so many times before to no avail – but decided to give it a try. I started in September, 2010 and haven’t looked back.

A little over a year later, I’m a new woman:

  • I’ve completely given up fast food, processed food and soft drinks.
  • An avowed vegetable hater since childhood, I’m now incorporating them into my meals.
  • I exercise daily, and I even have some muscle definition.
  • My blood pressure has gone down, and my fitness level has gone up, dramatically.
  • I’ve gone from a size 20w to a 10p.
  • My weight is down to 146 lbs. from a starting weight of 229 lbs.

The best thing is that the changes I’ve made are now a part of my lifestyle, not some short-term solution to lose a few pounds. With the knowledge and experience I gained from Doctors Wellness Center, my new lifestyle is now second nature, and I’m confident that I will maintain it.

In closing, I share what is perhaps my greatest source of pride.  I recently celebrated my 45th birthday, and the biggest present was the number on the scales. A year after starting Doctors Wellness Center, I was not only 83 lbs. lighter, but the same weight as I was as a college freshman some 28 years ago.

4 comments to “My Before and After Story”
  1. You are my hero! You are my inspiration! You are a rock star! It has been an amazing and teriffic journey following your progress over the last year. We were all there cheering you on with every new veggie you ate and ever early morning workout. OK, so maybe we were all still asleep during those AM workouts but we were still cheering. We are all so proud of you, girl!

Leave a Reply to Mandy Buchanan Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

*