Cathe and the Milestones of My Life – by Dawncharlie

Cathe and the Milestones of My Life-96 pounds lost!

I have been struggling with weight my whole life. I was an athlete in high school and college, so there were times when I was able to stay pretty fit, but after college, my weight seemed to spiral out of control. Throughout my 20s and early 30s, I tried varying diets with limited success. I tried Atkins, only eating protein for a few weeks until the smell of movie-theater popcorn sent me over the edge and I just had to eat a whole bucket. I’m embarrassed to admit that I even spent (wasted) hundreds of dollars on weight-loss hypnosis! I remember feeling sleepy during hypnosis but honestly still awake as the “doctor” told me that I was heavy as a child and was picked on (actually, this was not true, but I didn’t want to hurt his feelings as I know he thought we had reached a breakthrough).

Every time I went for a physical during this period, my doctor would tell me that my cholesterol was very high and she wanted to put me on medicine but feared it might affect my chances of ever having a child. She also warned me about the diabetes in my family and the need to get control of my weight now.

Things changed for me in August 2006, when at the local library and scanning the fitness videos, I found Step Jam by Cathe Friedrich. I decided to take it home and give it a try. This may sound silly, but this was a life-changing moment for me. I absolutely LOVED this video. I did Step Jam over and over, each time learning more of the choreography and feeling stronger. I rushed back to the library and checked out Boot Camp and Mega Step Blast. This was so much fun, I need more! I quickly went to the Internet and found cathe.com. I began adding to my library, starting with the Body Blast Series: Timesaver DVD. I loved it and soon had to buy all the DVDs in that series; timesaver workouts just were not enough.

I remember that when I was dating the man who is now my husband, I told myself that if I were to get engaged then I would treat myself to Cathe’s How to Get in Shape for Your Wedding video, and I did! And I remember Low Impact Step was on my wishlist, and I told myself if I was ever to get pregnant then I would treat myself to that DVD, too, and this January I did!

STS arrived right when I found out I was pregnant with my first child, so I am holding it in reserve to help me work off the baby weight. I have become an active member of

Cathe’s forum “Pregnancy and Postpartum.” This is the best and most supportive pregnancy forum I have found anywhere. In fact, it was recommended that I eat hard-boiled eggs as a snack. At the supermarket, I recently found an Eggland’s Best hard-boiled-and-peeled-egg product that I could buy and go. Since Cathe is a partner, I just knew that Eggland’s Best would be the product I wanted!

I began my journey in August 2006 at 234 pounds. When I attended the road trip in August 2008, I had lost 96 pounds! Before this pregnancy (I’m currently 8 months pregnant), I exercised with Cathe every day! I used the Slow & Heavy and Gym Styles series to help me tone up for my wedding, and I’ve being using her low-impact DVDs (Low Impact Step and Basic Step) and modifying others as much as I can during this pregnancy. When I work out with Cathe, I just feel I have a supportive friend(s) helping me stay on track.

Thanks to Cathe, I found a fitness program that works for me. I’ve made friends through her road trip and forums/Web site, and I can’t wait until my unborn daughter is old enough so I can introduce her to Cathe’s fitness workouts as well. Thanks, Cathe, you changed my life!