Hi. My name is Carolyn. I’m 63 years old. I’m a caregiver. My family is my life.   

One day while I was working out right here in this gym Reggie invited me to talk to you about weight loss and fitness. I said sure! I am always happy to share my successes. But would anyone want to hear my weight-loss story without before- and after-pictures since, like me, most people can only understand and appreciate results that they can see and compare? Would you believe this conversation took place while I was lying on a mat holding a Pilates’ stance called “Plank Pose.” It’s basically what we used to call push-up position. I held the plank for one whole minute. You see, that was a milestone for me because at my first session with Reggie I could barely do a sit-up much less a push-up. Running was not for me either and I didn’t do jumping jacks or squats. My excuse was that I had a bad knee. Anyway, I really started to think and realized that the real story, MY story, is about letting go of outdated junk up here (Pointing to my head) and relearning how to care for myself.

But wait, I’m getting ahead of myself.

Like many women I’ve gained weight as I’ve gotten older. I love potato chips and I mix M&M peanuts into a tub of popcorn while at the movies and although I have walked in a few 5K and 10K races with my older daughter Robin, I’ve never been a real exerciser. And about eight years ago I moved back into the family home—my brother was a paraplegic, my mother has a bad heart, and my youngest brother is mentally challenged. Everybody told me that it was my duty to take on this responsibility. Why? Because I was the only one without a good excuse! I mean I was long ago divorced and the man I’d lived with for many years had recently died. My daughters were doing very well in their own homes. And so, in 2000, because I wasn’t ready to be on my own, I got stuck with taking care of everybody else.

By Christmas 2006 I was going through my closet trying on clothes looking for something to wear to church when I happened to look in my floor-to-ceiling mirror and saw…a stranger! She was round and dumpy and definitely NOT me. It was a moment of truth. I decided right then that I was going to change that image. The first Saturday after New Year I joined Weight Watchers. I remember the date. It was January 6, 2007.

I should insert here that I had joined Weight Watchers before—in 2001—along with several other family members. I lost weight that time too but slowly gained it all back within 2 years. Then in 2003 I joined LA Weight Loss Centers and got the worse case of hemorrhoids you can imagine. Those hemorrhoids lasted longer than my weight loss!   

This second time around at Weight Watchers has been completely different. Would you believe that after two previous weight-loss memberships I didn’t know what a carbohydrate was? Well to paraphrase Maya Angelou When you KNOW better you DO better. By May 2007 I had lost 25 pounds. I had learned the principles of how to eat correctly to lose weight and how to maintain and keep that weight off. Oh, and by the way, did you know that onions and cottage cheese are considered carbohydrates?

But Weight Watchers was not enough. Although I had reached my goal weight, they wanted me to lose another 10 lbs. I thought that was going to be next to impossible and besides I was still not completely satisfied with how I looked.

Then my youngest daughter Leslie who lives in Russia gave me the gift of 16 sessions with Reggie for a combined Mother’s Day and 63^rd birthday present. I used to tell her that I had had cellulite on my thighs since I was a teenager. You couldn’t change your genes by exercising and I didn’t see how these personal trainer sessions were going to change anything. But Leslie thought differently, found Mind B4 Body Fitness (MB4B) on the internet, paid by telephone from Moscow and insisted that I check him out.

My cousin Ann and I checked out MB4B together in early May. On Tuesday, May 29, I began working out with weights—heavy weights—twice a week. I’ve done squats and jumping jacks and pushups and hundreds of crunches. I’ve been with MB4B now going on 8 months and I have lost a total of 41 pounds. I lost 4 inches from both my bust and waist and 6 inches from my hips. Overall, I’ve gone from an extra large shirt to a medium and lost 2 dress sizes. But those are just numbers.

For about a year I was on blood pressure medicine and a diuretic. No more. I take a multivitamin but that’s it—no more prescription medicines. My doctor is so impressed by my progress. And I can actually see the fat on my thighs melting away. I’m so much stronger and sturdier on my feet plus I have more stamina. I used to cook diet food for me and regular food for the family. No more. Everyone eats what I eat. I want to be healthy so I make it a priority. I’ve even started to enjoy cooking again because it’s for me (and not just to feed the people in the house). Most importantly I’ve gained confidence and a surprising new sense of myself—I mean, I press 320 lbs. with my legs on the incline leg press machine. I am one strong woman! Now I consciously carve out time for myself. Those 3 hours a week in the morning when I used to lie in bed reading, I now can’t wait to get out of the house and exercise. I look forward to my sessions with Reggie because it’s just for me. I do the work. I reap the rewards. And that’s the best medicine in the world.

Ultimately, I still take care of others every day and night. But now, I take care of myself first. I enjoy working out with Reggie two days a week and I wear my pedometer and do some type of cardio other days but the most important thing that I’ve learned is if I don’t take care of myself and make time for ME I wouldn’t be here much longer to take care of anyone else.