I have spent the majority of my life taking care of others. I am the strong one, the one everyone always goes to when they need help. In May 2018, I was diagnosed with a benign brain tumor that shook my family to its core. I underwent brain surgery and spent the summer recovering. I was not able to move around a lot, so I spent a lot of time thinking. Having a brain tumor had nothing to do with my weight, but it was definitely a wake-up call. I knew I needed to make a change in my life so that I could grow old with my husband and be around to watch my boys grow up. I knew that I needed to make little changes, so in August 2018, two days before I went back to work, I decided to give up Pepsi. I’ve been drinking about four cans a day for many years…and that’s all I drank. That went surprisingly well and I haven’t had one since!

I drive about 40 minutes each way for work every day, so I spend a lot of time in the car. I’ve heard about NuYou on the radio for a long time. Out of curiosity, I started following the Facebook page and people I know started popping up there losing 10, 20, 30, etc. pounds. I thought, wow people I actually know are doing this and having great success, maybe this is the place for me. I’ve tried everything else, maybe I should give this a shot.

Let’s face it, one of the hardest things to do is ask for help, but in October, I finally worked up the courage to make the call. I didn’t tell a soul what my plan was because I was scared that it wouldn’t work. If I didn’t tell anyone, then there wouldn’t be anyone to disappoint. I’ve spoken with doctors and nutritionists in the past and it’s always been a stick-thin person who whips out the food pyramid and says that I need to eat more fruits and vegetables. I even had a doctor tell me once that I should just eat a can of green beans for lunch. I’ve tried Slim-Fast, Atkins, and counted so many calories in my life, but the problem ultimately was that I really didn’t know how to eat properly.

The day I walked into NuYou, I was greeted by Ashley. My first thought was, oh thank goodness, it’s a normal sized person! I think she spent over two hours with me that first day just talking about why I was there and what they could do to help me. Once she started going over the playbook and what to eat and when to eat it, it seemed so simple. I decided to give it a shot. We set some goals…the first goal was that I could be down 50 pounds by February 9, which is when I was going to a concert that I was really excited about. The second goal was that I could be down 100 pounds within a year. I thought, this lady is out of her mind, there is no possible way that I can do that.

I can be determined when I want to be and I really started putting my health before everything else. Thankfully, I have a really awesome support team to help me every step of the way. There has definitely been ups and downs and plenty of tears. I’m a pretty emotional person and cry when I’m happy, when I’m sad, but most of all, when I’m frustrated. As we all know, sometimes you may eat perfectly all week and then gain weight. I stop into NuYou about twice a week. It’s a funny thing, because I actually enjoy it. All the coaches are so helpful and uplifting. Not once have I ever felt like a “fat person” or that anyone is looking down on me if I mess up. If you just need to get something off your chest (because sometimes it’s literally weighing you down) they are always there to lend an ear.

Fast forward to February 8, 2019, one day before the concert. I went in to get weighed and I was down 50.5 pounds! Oh my gosh, she was right, this is really working! I’ve kept plugging along since then and here we are now, August 2019, and I’m down over 100 pounds and 91 inches! I feel amazing! It’s one of those things, where you don’t even realize how bad you really feel until it’s not there anymore. Breathing is easier and I have a ton more energy, there’s color in my closet (it was a running joke that my wardrobe consisted of black, light black, and dark black). I have done things that a year ago I wouldn’t have, like the Polar Plunge and the Grandad 5k! I’m much happier and more positive. NuYou is THE most supportive environment and they have given me the tools I needed to take my life back. I’m so glad that I got the courage to call and ask for help. I went into this just trying to lose weight and found that it was so much more than that. I really, truly feel like a Nu-Me!!