“You wouldn’t know it by the way I live my life now but I was once a complete mess”

You wouldn’t know it by the way I live my life now but I was once a complete mess nutritionally, physically, and emotionally.  “Complete mess”, by the way, is a perfectly acceptable technical term for me several years ago.

I was living and working as a model and television host in Los Angeles.  Life was good. I was invited to all the big events, exclusive parties, and many of my friends were people you would see on television every night or on the movie screen.  For a little girl from small town America, it didn’t get any better than this.  I was on top of the world, living the dream… and then it all came crashing down.
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“Gradually, my fast-paced lifestyle began to catch up with me.”

Gradually, my fast-paced lifestyle began to catch up with me.  I started to gain weight, I developed horrible cystic acne and cellulite, I started losing my hair, and I was completely drained emotionally.  I suffered from excruciating headaches, anxiety, depression, sleepless nights, and I had no energy.  I was exhausted from the time I woke up each morning until the time I went to bed each night.

As you can probably imagine, my career – which was once soaring – took a huge nose dive.  Because of my skin issues and weight gain, I was no longer able to book jobs.  Audition after audition ended with “thanks for coming in” instead of the usual “here’s when you start”.  The jobs I did end up getting always resulted in my body and face being retouched so much that sometimes I didn’t even recognize myself.  I felt like a complete fraud!
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“I was humiliated.”

I remember a photo shoot that I was hired for without having to audition.  I had a wonderful portfolio so the company booked me without even meeting me in person.  The shoot was for a multi-million dollar company that would have given me national exposure.  I showed up much heavier than what they were expecting and of course, with less than stellar skin and hair.  Throughout the entire shoot, the wardrobe lady kept having to alter the clothes and I overheard the photographer and director openly talking about how they would need to Photoshop this or that part of my body.  I was humiliated.
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“Why didn’t you just try to get healthy and lose weight?”

Now you’re probably thinking, “Why didn’t you just try to get healthy and lose weight?”.  See, that’s the interesting thing, I DID! I tried every diet, pill, supplement, and workout under the sun.  I should also mention that I was previously a fitness competitor so I was certainly no stranger to eating healthy and working out.  I knew all the secrets to losing weight fast.  The only difference was, this time it wasn’t working.  My years of experience, healthy menus, and exercise techniques did nothing but drain the last little bit of my energy and financial resources.
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“The day I woke up and found a lump in my breast was the rock bottom I needed”

The day I woke up and found a lump in my breast was the rock bottom I needed to realize I needed to make a change, no matter what the cost or how much time or effort it took.  I started reading everything I could get my hands on and started to change the way I was thinking.  I met with a holistic nutritionist who suggested I try a detox program.  “Great”, I thought, “strange juice mixing and starving myself, sounds wonderful” (yes, that was sarcasm you detected).  Only, this wasn’t what the nutritionist had in mind at all.

Instead, she recommended a series of healthy foods, nutritional supplements, education, and lifestyle changes,  and I actually started to see gradual changes taking place in my body.  I also learned how to detoxify my mind.  I began to stop thinking toxic thoughts about how much I hated my body and how I had tried everything and nothing was going to work.  Instead, I began to love myself – really love myself.  Perhaps for the very first time.
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“I started to focus on the positive things”

I started to focus on the positive things in my life and began to enjoy the little things.  Meditating and positive thinking became a daily routine.  I was starting to just enjoy and be thankful for being alive.  This made all the difference.

Within 3 weeks, I had lost 15 pounds and had more energy than I had had in years.  My skin was clearing up, the cellulite was vanishing, and I felt truly alive.  I was no longer foggy-headed.  I saw things clearly and I realized I had gone through this struggle for a bigger reason.

Returning to the life I had lead before was simply not an option.  I had realized that there was so much more to truly living and I was determined to share that with others.
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“I discovered Weight Loss Resistance Disorder^™”

I realized that when people say, “I’ve tried everything to lose the weight and nothing has worked”, that they were telling the truth!  I called this phenomenon “Weight Loss Resistance Disorder^™” and threw myself into finding a solution for it. I spent years creating a program that focuses on the powerful mind/body connection and its importance on our health.  It’s imperative that we not only cleanse our bodies of harmful substances but also detoxify our minds of negative thoughts and feelings.  We must be mindful and conscious and learn to truly live our lives and love ourselves.
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“Flash forward to today”

Flash forward to today.  I wake up after a restful sleep (usually with at least 1 kitty lying either on or next to me) and greet the day with optimism and hope.  I enjoy a cleansing cup of hot water and fresh, organic lemons picked from my own backyard.  I prepare myself and am open for anything to happen and I’m excited about what each day will bring.  Perhaps I will be working on a studio lot with a client, consulting with a client in London or Washington, D.C. via the phone, speaking to groups (large and small) about the importance of being mindful and choosing the life you want to live, or just taking a break with a nice cup of tea and a good mystery novel (something I would never have done before!).

I live every single day to its fullest, never missing the chance to experience everything life has to offer.  I’ve randomly stopped by the side of the road to climb a huge sand dune, swam in the ocean completely nude at sunrise (don’t worry, no one was around except me!), and tried all sorts of new experiences on a whim.  Who knows, I may never have the chance to experience them again!

And, I work every day to help educate and help others who are where I was to realize that there’s more to life than what they’re living now.  It may not always be an easy journey but it is certainly worth it.  To quote Robert Frost, “Two roads diverged in a wood, and I— I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.”

Are you ready to FINALLY make the difference in YOUR life?

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