I sit here stunned as I write this post. Let me let you in on a little secret…I don’t win things. Ever. I constantly apply for contests and giveaways, but I know in the back of my mind that my attempts are futile. So imagine my thought process when I saw on Facebook that my gym, Everybodys Fitness Center, was having a contest where they would choose one person for a Total Body Transformation (TBT)! This means two workouts a week with a Certified Fitness Coach and two other independent workouts written by one of the coaches. They would also receive free enrollment of the Take It Off weight loss program and receive free products for the program along with working with a weight loss coach twice a week. I performed the required tasks….I liked the post, shared the post and then went to the application page. I assumed the application would be generic and predictable. What I didn’t see coming was a 250 word essay requirement. I begin fervently typing away about why I wanted this TBT. About 3 sentences in, I was crying.
Weight has been a lifelong battle for me. I’ve never seen myself as skinny. I was always active, 3 sport athlete in high school and 4 year Varsity athlete in college. I was so used to working out 5 or 6 days a week, getting killed in the weight room, constantly having to be at the gym that when I graduated in 2009, I breathed a sigh of relief. It was nice to not have to do cleans and squats and box jumps. No GPP or 300 workouts (my Throwers will know what I’m talking about….Yup!). Unfortunately, I started packing on the pounds. I’ve gained close to 40 pounds since graduation which is heartbreaking. Nursing school did a number on me and just starting work was a challenge.
Throughout this application process at EFC, I learned that nurses have one of the highest obesity rates. It is both eye opening but unsurprising. Working 3-11 has certainly been a challenge for me. Coming home late, I make bad food choices when I come home. Family members bring in treats for the staff…dangerous. But most of the time you rationalize it because of the stress of the job. That patient has been crazy all shift so I deserve this brownie…and that cookie. I am weak willed when it comes to that. It’s easy to think that because we are on our feet for 8 hours that having a few extra calories won’t affect us….but it does and in a big way.
Surprisingly, the application process encompassed 2 face-to-face interviews which were both nerve-wracking and humbling at the same time. I sat in front of the people who I see working during the few times a week I go to the gym and basically spilled my guts about why I need to lose weight. What were my main points?
1. I am sick and tired of being asked if I’m pregnant , or when I’m due or if I’m having a boy or a girl. It’s one of the worst questions you can ask a woman. “Oh, I’m not, I’m just fat.” (Yeah, I don’t want to have to come up with those responses anymore)
2. I have high blood pressure, at age 27….controlled and genetic but I’d like to decrease the dose of my medication and decrease my cardiac risk factors. I don’t want to have a stroke or high cholesterol or diabetes.
3. Someday, I want to actually try to get pregnant and I would like to be in a state of health that lends me to have a better pregnancy. I also don’t want to look even more like a beached whale.
4. I would like to be a better role model for my patients. When I’m educating them, I would like it if they didn’t give me the look as if to say, “And what about you?”
5. This opportunity would be beneficial for not only me, but for my entire family. We could use a positive change in our lives.
Well…after reading this whole post, you’re probably wondering, why is she stunned? Well I’m stunned because I got a phone call that I have been chosen for the Total Body Transformation!!! I’m excited, nervous, a bundle of emotions. I promise to keep you all updated here (by you all I mean you Mom and Dad, since you’re my readers). But I’ll be posting here and I pray that by working hard and eating right, we will make some complete lifestyle changes….habits that will stick around forever! Wish me luck!!
magically medeiros 
I’m so excited and so proud that you have begun this venture! And to have won this prize is just so awesome !! I know that you have always been an excellent student and have no doubt that you will ace this! This is definitely going to trickle down to all the family because thee is this little competitive thing that will surface . Good luck and I’m here for you if you have a rough go of it on some days. 😘
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I second everything your Mom just said.
This post was well written and I’m pleased to see that you go right to the heart of the matter.
That is very hard do do when writing.
There is a proverbial pot at the end of the rainbow but it’s not filled with gold it’s all
about your deepest wishes and dreams.
We’ll be there with you every step of the way.
And we will also be there when you look at yourself in the mirror one day and truly see yourself as we do: beautiful.
Keep the faith.
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Thanks Mom and Dad! It means so much to me that you are both so completely supportive!
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I am so proud of you my wonderful, beautiful daughter-in-law. You are brave and strong and there is no doubt in my mind that you will reach your goals. You have also inspired us here…..Derek and I have both done our weigh-ins and are ready to face our health challenges too! It’s not only about losing weight or how others perceive you. It is about YOU and ONLY YOU….what YOU want, how YOU feel inside and out and what YOUR dreams are. From the first moment I met you (really met you) I knew you were strong willed and determined and I admire and also envy that in you. You have achieved in your 27 years what some people never do in a lifetime. Hold on to that….remember when you are tired and sore and frustrated what you are capable of! You can do it and I will support you in any way you need! Good luck and stay strong….Love, MIL
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