Jean's journey

NOTE: Jean is a client of Debra Mazda's who has agreed to share her journey in reaching her goal weight.

I have always had this crazy confidence. I was never picked on or teased growing up. It never bothered me that I was overweight or fat or full-figured or whatever you want to call these days. It took my dad dying Nov. 13, 2009, just six days after my 29th birthday at the young age or 59 to realize this cycle must be broken. Afterall, his father died from health-related issues and so did his uncle. My dad, he was a diabetic in his 30s, had bypass surgery in is 40s, and was a dialysis patient in his 50s. He was dying a slow death. It was hard watching him die, especially in the last hours. That image will forever be engrained in my mind...watching him try to fight death...it was painful to see. A daughter is more likely than a son to carry the trait of those diseases...that would just be ignorance on my part if I didn't try to break that trait.

At age 11 I was diagnosed with hypertension. Through the years I have been on and off medication and have been your chronic yo-yo dieter. I've done The Best Life Diet, Weight Watchers, South Beach, and so on. Just this year I was considering bariatric surgery. Those who've never struggled with their weight don't  understand that losing weight is a constant battle. It's an even bigger struggle for me because I've always been very comfortable in my skin. I love the way I look and I love who I am no matter what size I am. However, losing a parent to the "black diseases" forces you to see things in a different light.

For the last year or two, for the first time, I became an emotional eater. Dealing with a failed marriage, major debt, and a laundry list of other things...I found comfort in food, but didn't even realize it. It's not until I got over those downfalls in my life that I realized what I've become and where I found my comfort. This was surely a recipe for disaster.

In February of this year, in an online search for weight-loss support groups, I stumbled upon a group that gathered in South Philly. Still not really serious about lossing weight, I got to participate in a group that would change my life forever. Led by a woman named Debra...I thought to myself this lady is a walking billboard of what hard work, consistency, and dedication can do for you. She lived the way all of us in the group lived... she had the same story...only difference is she did something about. She lost well over 100lbs and have kept it off for 25 years....no surgery, no crazy diets, no gimmics. I was inspired.

As time went on, I did a little here and a little there to watch my weight, still not super serious. But, one day I realized I had to stop playing and get my ass moving...and so I did. I stopped going to the group simply because of my schedule, but I did something even better...I decided to ask Debra to be my personal trainer. This has been the best experience of my life. She is so motivating. She make you want to lose weight. She gives you this confidence that anything is possible. She help you set your weight-loss goals and she tell you that its going to get done. I see her faithfully once a week and for the rest of the week, schedule permitting, I work out on my own. Every week isn't perfect and some weeks are a bit of struggle to want to work out, espcially when I'm super tired. But, I've never been so proud of myself. Down 33 pounds...just 17 pounds shy of my first goal of 50 pounds. I've never felt better and I'm loving me even more...not that I needed a reason; but it gives me a new-found confidence. My goal every week is to lose...no matter how much it is, I gotta keep losing. My clothes and my bras are fitting differently...and my shoes. I'm down a shoe size and a dress size. How's that for a reward? Again...the results are making me even more proud of myself. The greater reward is that I'm doing this for me and for my future and if I ever have any... for my children, and for the future love of my life. I would never want my loved ones to go through what me and my family went through last year. I would never want to leave them with that pain.

So, with all of that said. I hope you will follow me on my path to great health. I welcome the support because afterall a great support system is always needed when trying to reach the goal that I'm trying to reach.

Keeping you posted. Thanks for reading!