And so to go on! Once I had gotten my diabetes diagnosis, I knew it was time to get healthy! Once again I headed to Weight Watcher's, and this time I knew I also had to add some activity to the mix! I was already a member of Women's Premier Fitness through my job, but knew I had to step it up, and actually GO to the gym. I decided to pay for a trainer and started to workout with Jana Chantabane. She put me through the paces, and I was exhausted after each and every workout. But I was actually feeling, well, good! Like I was doing something to help myself live a much longer and healthier life. Granted, when I first started, I just knew I was gonna pop the big stability ball! And crunches...I started those on an incline bench that was practically sitting up!!! When I did stepping, it was only on the step itself, no risers at all! Then I added a fitness class to my routine. It was called Premier Fit, and the first class I could only get through about 20 minutes of it. I remember how cool it was to have a guy instructor at a women's only gym!! His name is Josh Keemun. But he was so good to me! I always felt such an incredible amount of support and encouragement from not only Josh, but from the other instructors also!! I never once felt like I didn't belong there, and never felt like people were watching me, wondering why such a really fat woman was at their gym!!
After two years or so, I was down about 80 pounds. It was right around that time that I decided to retire from teaching and do something different! I decided that the fitness classes I was taking had helped me so much, it was time for me to give something back! With support and encouragement from Jana and Josh, I went through an organization called Aerobics and Fitness Association of America (AFAA) and got certified in Group Exercise Instruction, and was able to teach some of the Premier Fitness classes as a sub! That was so incredibly awesome, and I knew I was showing others that you can do ANYTHING once you put your mind to it!!!
Today, it's been 3 and 1/2 years since that phone call from my doc. I am now down 100 pounds, with about 40 to go! This time I know I'm gonna make it!! The blood work I had done showed a large drop in my "bad" cholesterol levels, and my A1c had come down almost to the normal range! My goal all those years ago was to 'reverse' my diagnosis, and it looks like that just might happen sooner rather than later!! I'm still certified through AFAA, but I have also taken training to teach Les Mills BodyVive, and am currently waiting for results of that assessment! My next endeavor is to become certified as a personal trainer and work specifically with obese/overweight and older women! Cause I'm here to tell ya, if I can do it, ANYBODY can do it!!!!!
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