My Journey to Here – Kirsten

My success story is just beginning and know that it will be ongoing for the rest of my life!

Before I can tell you about my success, you need to know where I came from. I apologize in advance for this being so long!

In high school I was a competitive swimmer – I trained 6 days week, 2 hrs per weekday, 3 hours on Saturday’s. Needless to say, I was in great shape, and nutrition wise also, since my family didn’t eat a whole lot of junk food or sweets, really only special occasions and holidays. Plus, where I grew up in Canada, we didn’t have fast food restaurants on every corner. So through high school I was in excellent shape, then I graduated.

The first year after graduation wasn’t too bad, because I still lived in Vancouver, didn’t have much money, and food had to yet to become love/hate binge cycle. In 1991, (20 yrs old) I got out of an abusive 2 year relationship, started to party hard about 3-4 days per week with alcohol being one of my main food groups. (How I made it to work and actually do my job in those days I will never know), I still didn’t gain too much weight at this point maybe 5-10lbs, as it is hard to overeat when you don’t eat dinner (so the effects of the alcohol come on quicker), and then crash until until 10-11am the next day and usually couldn’t eat for a few hours as I was usually hungover.

Anyway, then I moved to the States at the end of 1991 – and stayed with my mom and her severely obese husband, who didn’t think twice about using 1 cup of olive oil in spaghetti sauce. Since I didn’t know anybody, and didn’t work when I first got there I had lots of time to catch-up on my eating. Since I had never struggled with my weight, ever, I had no clue that what and how much I was stuffing in my mouth was going to lead me to what I became. I binged good and hard, I know realize, but at the time I had no clue. Once I did meet some people, I resumed my party hardy days, only my new best friend introduced me to Taco Hell at 2am – the best feast for after a night of drinking, and cheap too! And I just spiraled, I started getting into drugs (nothing heavy, that came later) which did nothing for making healthy eating choices – especial ly when the munchies hit.

I lived in Florida for 8 long years – by the time I left I weighed 215lbs – I moved to Bellingham became depressed because I had no friends, again, and so now I just ate – my highest weight was 256 lbs and I just submerged into my own private semi-hell with a 9 year binge cycle of bingeing, then not and working out and losing a few pounds, only to gain them all back plus some, and repeat the cycle.

Though I did manage to finish my BA during this time, so it wasn’t a total loss. Early on in this cycle I once again found friends with the same party attitude as I, and continued where I had left off in Florida. Only this time, I worked for a towing company where I saw first hand the effects of drinking and driving – the cars, the families after a loved one was lost – after driving drunk for 12 years, it finally hit me that it wasn’t just my life I was risking – how would I feel if hurt someone or worse, killed them? That was when I separated from my current life at the time. I stopped drinking, stopped going out, lost contact with all my friends, and just kept eating and kept the cycle going.

Fast forward to 2007 – my body was finally starting to show the effects of my ill-health, high blood pressure, and hypoglycemia. Thankfully I have never made it to the pre-diabetic stage. Anyway, I realized that if I wanted to live a full and productive life I needed to get healthy, I also needed to forgive myself for the 2 year abusive relationship (since then my longest “relationship” has been 6 months, then I’m out).

I discovered Cathe (yay Cathe, for creating workouts that are not geared towards little kewpie dolls, but really women interested in transforming their bodies – thank you from the bottom of my heart!!!!!!)Anyway, started working out to Cathe starting with the beginner dvd’s, gradually moving up to her intermediate low-impact workouts and joined Weight Watchers and lost 42 lbs.

2008 I left a job that was very unhealthy emotionally – somewhere I had been for almost 9 years. I had no idea that I would fall into a major depression during this transition as I w ent from knowing almost everything, to knowing nothing. Plus, I ended up in a job that wasn’t what I had applied for. So I gained back about 24 lbs. During

2008 I gained and lost the same 5-10 lbs. I believe I only gained back that much because through everything I kept working out, 4-5 days a week to Cathe’s Low Max and Low Impact Circuit. In March, my anti-depressants were finally right (I started in January 2009), and it was like a switch was flicked on – all of sudden I was making different food choices, over the course of 3 months, I dropped fast food, then most pre-packaged chemical laden food, discovered Tosca Reno, and Dr. Mark Hyman and finally went completely clean. The first 2 months I was probably anywhere from 50-70% clean, the third month and continuing to present day I eat approx. 90-95% clean, and the 5-10% is organic granola bars, and cereal and the very occasional meal out at a real restaurant that serves real food, but may not be “clean” food. In th e last 3 months I have lost 18 lbs and am still going strong. I have graduated to the Gym Style series, and IMAX 3, Body Max 2, 4 Day Split.

I feel better than I have in years – my skin has cleared up, I’m sleeping better (and no more sleep apnea), my endurance and strength are increasing daily. I am so proud of myself and so happy that I allowed myself the time I needed to get to this point. Before I would always get mad at myself, because I would always slide back into old habits. This time I just made slow changes and have become a work in progess – I am living in the sidelines no more.

Thank you Cathe for everything you do!!! You truly are one of a kind! Because of you I get up every morning at 4am to work out, and enjoy it – I absolutely love feeling my muscles work, my body glistening/dripping by the end of the workout! Because of your workouts, I was able to hike a 4 hour hike (2hrs each way) on a 1100 degree elevation. I was sore for a week, but it was a g ood sore!! So to me, and all of you, who reside in Catheland, “we’re getting ready to work!”