"The number on the scale was close to 300 pounds….270 to be exact. This wasn’t about losing weight it was about finding the person who I abandoned a long time ago. The strong, funny and even sexy person had been lost in a neglected marriage.

Years of not eating right, emotional sabotage and an unsupportive spouse was enough to change the game.

Play time was over. Learn how I not only found myself and released the weight but also learned to love, embrace and strengthen my physical temple."

-Rhonda N., Book Creator and Contributor

"When you suffer from depression, you never know the impact it will have on other areas of your life. For instance – for me, it was weight gain that was triggered by a prescription I needed for my depression. Although one of the side effects listed on the pharmaceutical literature was weight loss, it had the opposite effect on me. My weight soared to 193 pounds, and it didn’t take long for the excess weight to become more than I could bear on my small frame. After seeing a picture of myself, I realized that something had to change. I had to make a lifestyle transformation!"

-Tina H.

Trying to lose weight but always seem to gain it back? Never can keep on a diet or exercise plan? This time gets to be different because you get to be different. Learn how Eve lost the weight and pushed past self-sabotaging behaviors through the path of self-love. After years of being 300 pounds, her health in jeopardy and bulimia, Eve knew the path to hating herself wasn’t working. The body will lose what the mind is ready to, and until we are ready to let go of the traumas of the past, the body will hold on to it.

-Inspirational Eve

www.inspirationaleve.com 

"This story of how I released 100+ lbs of physical weight is for the seen unseen, the heard unheard, the judged and the many who desperately cry out for validation from within but whose scars were visible and literally wreaking havoc on them, their purpose and destiny. Where the life they didn’t choose is killing them swiftly and by their own hands. I stand and speak truth and life in death and lies and misconceptions about what it means to be obese. This isn’t a story of losing physical weight, but of self-love and purpose and courage to love your scars – both seen and unseen – so that they may be healed."

-Katrina H.

"I was watching the OWN's Addicted To Food, and I see myself in most of the people on this show. I am Tinisha, embraced in the fat. The fat was "my lover", it seduces me, it comforted and protected me like a man does a woman, or so I thought. Is it because mommy didn't hug and kiss me or daddy didn't tell me he loved me or that I was beautiful? Did it make me unattractive so men wouldn't want to feel me up while my family slept like my cousin did when I was 12? Did it allow me to make many stupid decisions about my choices in lovers, and toxic relationships and friendships? Now that I am older, wiser and still struggle with "my lover", I fight not to ever go back to that place that makes me so tired and feel so ugly. I have been so busy or making excuses like I'm too busy to work out, that once again I put my appointment with my personal trainer and my therapist on hold! Once again I put me on hold, why? Do I love me? Why do I sabotage myself! I think about food. I never did that before the surgery......it's bothering me. I can't go back to "my lover". He is not good for me. He smothers me, holds me back and makes me feel so ugly! But I'm walking out of the forest, into an open clear path, where I can see things a whole lot clearer now. Thank God! Watch out world, I hope you are ready for me! Here we go.....

-Icy G.

Imagine if you will, living the majority of your life wishing you were someone else. Imagine if you will, standing in line with your family for hours at an amusement park to ride a roller coaster ride only to be told, “ ma’am step aside, you’re too big”. Imagine if you will, being teased as a child about being fat and called names like jelly roll and bull. Imagine if you will, never feeling wanted or love by your own family. Imagine if you will, being in one unhealthy relationship after another just to gain acceptance from others. Imagine if you will, what type of impact that has on an individual’s self-esteem and self-worth. For most people reading this it may seem unimaginable but for me it was my reality. I lived most of my life hiding behind the scenes embarrassed by the weight and living by others standards in ordered to be accepted. I had allowed my weight to define me because that’s how others defined me from a very young age. No one ever told me that that was a small part of who I was and even with the weight I was still beautiful and wonderfully made, not even my family. I spent most of my adult life trying all kinds of programs to lose weight from weight watchers, weight loss pills and crazy fad diets. With temporary results and continued weight gain my self-esteem was at its lowest until one day I hit what I called rock bottom. I stood in my boss’s office with a lump in my throat holding back the tears, feeling like an absolute failure because I didn’t have the courage to express myself. This occurred prior to a meeting at my son’s school, as a result of that incident, and the pain associated with those feelings I was unable to be the advocate my son needed during that meeting at his school instead I was a pure basket case. I cried the entire time during the drive back to work, because I had not only failed myself, I had failed my son. It was in that moment, that I made a decision to change my life and change the way I felt about myself not only for myself but for my son. I contacted Duke Metabolic Weight Loss Center that exact day and began the process that would change my life forever. Today, nearly four years later and 100 pounds lighter I can honestly say my life is no longer defined by what others think of me. I am stronger, I am more confident and I’ve gained a new found passion for running. Before the weight loss, I never envision myself being much of anything but to now be considered an athlete and a half marathoner brings me great joy and self-pride.

I’m grateful for this opportunity to share my story, because I know that there are many people living behind the Scene trying not to be Seen just as I was. I hope my story will inspire someone to stop letting others define who they are and take the steps necessary to create their own definition.

-Melinda S.

In 2014, I was a 34-year-old mother of two children who had never exercised consistently nor paid any attention to the foods that I was eating. No matter what weight, I saw myself as the chunky kid in my aunt’s size 14 dress in my third grade fall picture. My heaviest weight came at 215 pounds during my first pregnancy. After my son, the scale started creeping up again and I was tired of hearing myself make excuses; I decided to make a change. Boot camp workouts and better nutrition have allowed me to be healthier and happier, positively impacting my entire family and myself!

Katie K.

Pregnancy…a beautiful and amazing experience, which does crazy things to our bodies. I was blessed to have two boys in 2 years, yes, you read that correctly. They are 15 months apart. After being pregnant for two years and essentially taking 1.5-2 years off from my passion, I realized that getting “my body” back was not going to be the easiest thing I have done. I mean seriously, who has time to work out with 4, yes FOUR children….I also have 2 school age girls. So here we are…LIFE HAPPENS, right?

This is the part where I had to STOP and say “I am important too.” We live for our children, and we want to continue to live and be there for them each and every day…so we have to be healthy for ourselves but also for them, right? Right! Each day I dedicated 1-2 hours for ME, and ONLY Me! And what did I do? I exercised and exercised! SWEAT IS BEAUTIFUL!!! Sweat is the fat Crying!! I made lots and lots and lots of sweat daily!!! I also changed my eating tremendously, no more cravings, no more fatty foods. I changed my lifestyle, because I knew it would be something I would have to be able to do forever in order to keep a healthy lifestyle for myself….and my family!

Christin P.

www.psquaredfitness.com