NOTE: Jean is a client of Debra Mazda’s who has agreed to share her journey in reaching her goal weight.

I have always had this crazy confidence. I was never picked on or teased growing up. It never bothered me that I was overweight or fat or full-figured or whatever you want to call these days. It took my dad dying Nov. 13, 2009, just six days after my 29th birthday at the young age or 59 to realize this cycle must be broken. Afterall, his father died from health-related issues and so did his uncle. My dad, he was a diabetic in his 30s, had bypass surgery in is 40s, and was a dialysis patient in his 50s. He was dying a slow death. It was hard watching him die, especially in the last hours. That image will forever be engrained in my mind…watching him try to fight death…it was painful to see. A daughter is more likely than a son to carry the trait of those diseases…that would just be ignorance on my part if I didn’t try to break that trait.

At age 11 I was diagnosed with hypertension. Through the years I have been on and off medication and have been your chronic yo-yo dieter. I’ve done The Best Life Diet, Weight Watchers, South Beach, and so on. Just this year I was considering bariatric surgery. Those who’ve never struggled with their weight don’t  understand that losing weight is a constant battle. It’s an even bigger struggle for me because I’ve always been very comfortable in my skin. I love the way I look and I love who I am no matter what size I am. However, losing a parent to the “black diseases” forces you to see things in a different light.

For the last year or two, for the first time, I became an emotional eater. Dealing with a failed marriage, major debt, and a laundry list of other things…I found comfort in food, but didn’t even realize it. It’s not until I got over those downfalls in my life that I realized what I’ve become and where I found my comfort. This was surely a recipe for disaster.

In February of this year, in an online search for weight-loss support groups, I stumbled upon a group that gathered in South Philly. Still not really serious about lossing weight, I got to participate in a group that would change my life forever. Led by a woman named Debra…I thought to myself this lady is a walking billboard of what hard work, consistency, and dedication can do for you. She lived the way all of us in the group lived… she had the same story…only difference is she did something about. She lost well over 100lbs and have kept it off for 25 years….no surgery, no crazy diets, no gimmics. I was inspired.

As time went on, I did a little here and a little there to watch my weight, still not super serious. But, one day I realized I had to stop playing and get my ass moving…and so I did. I stopped going to the group simply because of my schedule, but I did something even better…I decided to ask Debra to be my personal trainer. This has been the best experience of my life. She is so motivating. She make you want to lose weight. She gives you this confidence that anything is possible. She help you set your weight-loss goals and she tell you that its going to get done. I see her faithfully once a week and for the rest of the week, schedule permitting, I work out on my own. Every week isn’t perfect and some weeks are a bit of struggle to want to work out, espcially when I’m super tired. But, I’ve never been so proud of myself. Down 33 pounds…just 17 pounds shy of my first goal of 50 pounds. I’ve never felt better and I’m loving me even more…not that I needed a reason; but it gives me a new-found confidence. My goal every week is to lose…no matter how much it is, I gotta keep losing. My clothes and my bras are fitting differently…and my shoes. I’m down a shoe size and a dress size. How’s that for a reward? Again…the results are making me even more proud of myself. The greater reward is that I’m doing this for me and for my future and if I ever have any… for my children, and for the future love of my life. I would never want my loved ones to go through what me and my family went through last year. I would never want to leave them with that pain.

So, with all of that said. I hope you will follow me on my path to great health. I welcome the support because afterall a great support system is always needed when trying to reach the goal that I’m trying to reach.

Keeping you posted. Thanks for reading!

Jean

Trigger: Blogs

When I was in my teens and early 20s, I hated myself. Although I was much smaller than I am today, I always felt fat and not worthy. I would have done anything short of cutting off a limb to be a certain weight. 

Today, and this has been the case for a couple of years, I like myself and dare I say, love myself. I am 1 inch shy of being back into 16s (down from a tight 20) and I’m good with my body. I would like to see a 14 again, then just maintain for a few years before trying to hit a 10/12. And even then most days I don’t want anything smaller than a 14. I am not able to be as active as I want currently so this is the need along with wanting a healthy family, to get a little smaller. 



I look in the mirror and see success. I see happiness and I feel love in my life. I have for so long put life on hold because I wasn’t a size this or that. I’m my daily life I couldn’t ask for much more. I’ve had a couple of knee surgeries so it’s pretty much getting me back to where I was before the 1st one in late 2009, again a 14 and very active! 



When I look in the mirror compared to pictures I see great things. When I look at pictures I think to myself “this is so not reality”. I don’t see the extra weight in the mirror, full length or otherwise. I don’t see it when I’m at the gym standing next to a skinny minnie or a buffed babe. I see me and I like that. In this day and age in the world in which we live, I am not supposed to be happy with myself and my size. I am not supposed to say that I am healthy, even though I am. I am not supposed to have self confidence, but rather self disgust because I am not a single digit size and my butt doesn’t come close to the BMI standard. In a world of people who would no sooner pull the rug out from underneath me because of my happiness and love for the total package, I can stand up and say, “I don’t have to be what you want, only all that I can, all that I want”. 



The value of life is more than a number on the scale. Many get caught up thinking, swearing up and down that you can only be healthy if you fit inside this little box. If you don’t then you couldn’t possibly be healthy, happy, pain free, and live past 60. It’s as if they try to scare and bully you into hating yourself and your body to get you to change and fit into their definition of what is ideal, healthy, and perfect.



I’ve had some pretty nasty things said to me in life because until my Dr says otherwise, several Doctors have all agreed, that I do not need to lose much more if anything to be healthy. And once I make a full 180 degree recovery (meaning, regaining full strength and range of motion post-op), then I am good to go! I find it to be quite sad that naysayers who know nothing except personal bias can try to beat you down for being in the “norm” with regards to weight and size. 



Why does being a double digit size illicit such rage and fear? Why is it the business of strangers to care what you do or don’t do? Why must one be constantly at war with themselves in order to accepted by society? Life spent hating your fat as much as everyone else makes it OK, but having a positive sense of self means you’re a failure and therefore will be ridiculed, hated, badgered, and lectured? 



The truth is happiness and beauty comes from within. When you put in a good faith effort to move a little more and eat a little better, you are making positive strides to be the best you can be. But on the same token, not everyone will be able to maintain a single digit size and it is NO ONE’s right or business to question that. We live in a society that thinks they can judge and manipulate others with fear and shame into becoming what the current standard of beauty and health is. 



Just because someone accepts and loves themselves doesn’t mean they are quitters or deserve any less self respect. In fact, I think we deserve more. It’s easy to get caught up in the latest fad, diet, and body image craze. Some of us decide for ourselves what’s best instead of having it decided for us. That takes courage and strength! 



The long and the short…be kind to yourself and others. If you have nothing nice to say or to contribute, just move along and say nothing. What is right for you isn’t for the next person. There will always be someone who is smaller and larger than you. Fitter, faster, weaker, and slower than you. And unless you get the wonderful title of “creator” next to your name, mind your manners and your business when it comes to someone else’s weight, size, and their self love and acceptance. Just be happy for them or with them, don’t try to knock them down.

Trigger: Blogs

I began teaching Pilates to larger women 2 years ago. For those of you who are unfamiliar with Pilates and what kind of work out it is, the focus is a combination of exercises for the mind and soul, as well as the body. It is typically known as the “ultimate core workout.” The focus is training the powerhouse, better known as the abdominals.

Pilates is not what I consider a cardio workout. It is more of a toning and strengthening workout because the workout focuses on elongating and toning. However, the heart can be challenged depending on what exercise is done. While Pilates is not a traditional workout like low impact or weight training, the workout is surely beneficial. With proper training, doing Pilates 2-3 times a week with a certified and qualified trainer, I truly believe a good Pilate’s workout can tone, strengthen, and define the human body as well as alleviate stress and pain. Pilate’s classes can be taken by women of any age, shape or size, and the results are really incredible! The members at my ShapelyGirl Fitness Center are living proof it can be done. They work hard and are committed.

I began teaching Pilates about two years ago after I became certified in mat Pilates. Although, I have been teaching fitness classes for over 20 years and am an Exercise Physiologist I still needed to train with a master Pilates instructor. I trained for about six months with my good friend and masters Pilates instructor Bernadette Giorgi, who taught me many different techniques and alignments. With my experience as an exercise physiologist and Bernadette’s 30 yrs experience with Pilates training, I created the ShapelyGirl Pilates Class using the Magic Circle, which is a toning and strength training piece of equipment that helps sculpt and shape the body.

If you are new to adding any fitness regime to your life I would suggest to take it easy. Going too fast too soon is not suggested. Ease into any workout…Pilates is no different. This workout may not look challenging but believe me it is. I was actually sore for the first couple of days as I was using muscles that I hadn’t used in a long time. As far as complications are concerned, any neck, back or shoulders problems should be addressed with the instructor and the exercises can be modified.

While training to teach Pilates, I noticed that the overall consensus was that the average participant was a small-framed woman, and that plus-sized women were left in the dust. However, my goal was to change that attitude because I’ve always believed that “fitness comes in many sizes”. You don’t need to be a size 2 to be fit or healthy! With my class, women of all sizes can enjoy the benefits that Pilates brings, which includes flexibility and movement. Because the Magic Circle technique is used on the floor, women can focus on toning without worrying about what others think or how advanced they need to be.

Even though I teach many different kinds of classes weekly, I have seen more toning and muscle definition from teaching Pilates the past 2 months. My members are always telling me how much better they feel and look from Pilates. Not only that, I have added meditation at the end of all of my classes as a way for the girls to unwind and get positive energy into all aspects of their lives.

Trigger: Blogs

This statement hit me hard today. I got the chills and my eyes teared!

Personally,
I AM NOT a size 2 with long slinky hair nor does my bank account have 6 digits in it.
I AM a beautiful and sexy woman who is a size 12, to be exact!
I AM a business owner helping women just like myself to change their lives to feel and look better everyday!

I AM doing my own thing, thank you!
I AM what they thought I wouldn’t be!

Magazine articles, TV and movies have put so much emphasis on being skinny, beautiful and wealthy as well as a host of other things. If you’re not thin enough you are doomed to be a nobody, if you’re not beautiful enough you will not make it far or if you’re not wealthy enough you will get stepped on and laughed at.

Take a minute and say the statement “Everything I’m Not Made Me Everything I Am” to yourself and then really think about it. We have so much to be thankful for and we don’t even realize it. I’m not asking you to share your thoughts with me, but if you’d like send me an e-mail and tell me everything YOU are. It’s time to focus on YOUR potential and who YOU are!

Hugs,

Debra Mazda

I posed this question to women: “What is the difference between not allowing yourself to eat any ice cream and eating a ½ gallon of ice cream?” I received a lot of great answers that were related to calories, portion control and healthy eating.  But I wanted you to look deeper and find the emotional issue pertaining to this question.  The answer might surprise you:  There is really no difference at all between the two choices!

  Both choices reflect someone who does not feel in control of their eating.  Completely depriving yourself of ice cream says “Ice cream is a dangerous food that could cause me to utterly lose control. I have no power over ice cream.”  Can you see how this is not too far off from  “Ice cream is a dangerous food that could cause me to utterly lose control. Since ice cream is bad – then I am bad for eating it.  If I’m going to be bad I might as well go all the way and eat the whole thing.  I have no power over ice cream”?

  For some women, even a scoop of ice cream cannot be enjoyed.  It is a food that we are not supposed to eat, let alone enjoy, right? You are afraid to eat for the fear that binging might be around the corner.  I see this as just another DIETING mentality that says that I am afraid of myself.  I cannot trust myself to make positive and healthy decisions for my life that revolve around food. Whether you eat a scoop or the 1/2 gallon the thought process is the same, “I did something wrong.  Losing control is to be expected with bad foods.  Eat it all.  I will start over again tomorrow.” This can make some women go into a full blown binge.

  Most of us don’t believe that we are more powerful than food.  Until you claim that power and make decisions based on that belief, then you will continue the cycle of allowing food to have power to harm you.  Personal power is the best answer to the fear of food.  Once you stop the negative thoughts towards food you will allow yourself the freedom to relax. It is only then you can truly say to yourself that I can have ice cream as a treat when I want to and maybe then you will find you don’t have to have it.  Food is here for our nourishment and, yes, enjoyment.  You have the power.  Not a cookie or an ice cream cone.  Once you gain the attitude that I am in charge, you truly will be.