This all started with an invitation from my dear friend, Mary Elizabeth. In early 2007, I received an email from her inviting me to join a healthy living website I had never heard of-which was, of course, SparkPeople. I took a look, saw that it was free, and figured, what could I lose-besides all the extra weight I had gained over the years.

Actually, this all really started years ago. With my birth, exactly. And no, we will not go into how many years ago that was, but it�s ...

This all started with an invitation from my dear friend, Mary Elizabeth. In early 2007, I received an email from her inviting me to join a healthy living website I had never heard of-which was, of course, SparkPeople. I took a look, saw that it was free, and figured, what could I lose-besides all the extra weight I had gained over the years.

Actually, this all really started years ago. With my birth, exactly. And no, we will not go into how many years ago that was, but it�s now more than a few! I was born a chubby baby, became a chubby little kid, then a chubby bigger kid, chubby teenager (seeing a pattern here?), and, finally, a chubby adult. I�ve tried so many of the tricks and crazy ideas people think will help them lose weight. I tried the cabbage soup diet, and lasted all of a few hours on it (not liking cabbage may have played a part in sabotaging that one). I�ve attempted to wake up at 5 am and go for runs (not being a morning person most definitely played a part in sabotaging that plan!). Poached eggs, liquid diets, Atkins, Sugar Busters-you name it, I�ve probably given it a try. Sometimes they worked, sometimes they didn�t, but even if they worked, I always managed to gain the weight back.

And then, I had one of those moments that just sticks in your mind and becomes the turning point. I was changing out of my street clothes into a costume, while standing in front of a mirror. I took off my sweater, looked in the mirror�and realized that I no longer had a waist. I mean, how do you lose a waist? I knew then that I had to do something. I joined the Y and started working out on a fairly regular basis, and that helped. I began walking regularly, both while at work and on my own time. I watched what I ate (somewhat), and I began to see results. Then, I joined SP, started tracking my food, and continued seeing the weight come off. It was slow, but it was happening, and people were noticing.

Then, everything kind of fell apart, at least for a little while. I moved from Knoxville to Atlanta to pursue my acting career, and went from making a pretty decent wage to not enough to even pay the rent. I was working a retail job, and finally had to find another job (as a hostess at a restaurant) to make ends meet-and they just barely met, at that. Life became pretty stressful, to say the least. And what went out the door first? The healthy living and SP, of course. I didn�t have regular internet access, so getting to SP became difficult. I had very little free time, and was pretty exhausted, so exercise became less of a priority. I went to the food court at the mall way too much, and ate far too much of the food at the restaurant where I worked. I didn�t own a scale (which was probably a good thing, since it would have only depressed me more), but I know I probably gained most of the weight back. It was not a good time.

Eventually, though, things improved. I got a job at a university, which improved my finances tremendously. It was close to home, which allowed me to walk to work, which relieved the stress of driving on the interstate (and yes, traffic in Atlanta is as bad as people say it is). And then, another of those moments that sticks in my mind. It was April of �08, and I was sitting at my desk, thinking about where I really wanted to be. Even though I was so grateful to have my job, it wasn�t, deep down, where I wanted to be. I wanted to be a working actress. I wanted to be making commercials, films, anything in front of a camera, or at least anything that would allow me to be an actress full-time. For so many years, acting was a hobby, something I did at nights and on the weekends. I knew that had to end, but I also knew that I lacked the confidence to make the pursuit of an acting career a priority. At the root of that lack of confidence was my unhappiness with how I looked. I was very uncomfortable with my weight, and felt that I wasn�t putting my best self forward when I went to auditions. Time was a�wastin�, and I had to do something. I decided to dedicate myself to improving my health and losing weight. I began visiting SP on a regular, daily basis. I tracked my food faithfully, something I don�t particularly enjoy, but I have to admit that it really does help. It�s probably the primary reason the weight has come off, and has stayed off. I began exercising on a daily basis. I bought DVD�s and moved beyond just walking around my neighborhood, although I still do that regularly. I began to strength train again, and have seen muscles develop that I never thought I had. Almost miraculously, the weight came off and I began to see a real change. It was slow, but steady. And, so far, it has stayed off!

People ask me how much I�ve lost, and I honestly don�t know the exact number. I know that, several years ago, I stepped on a scale and was horrified to see that I weighed in the 160�s (!), the highest I�ve ever been sure I weighed. As of early 2009, I�m down to 125, so I�ve probably lost anywhere from 35 to 40 pounds over the last couple of years. I feel much more confident, and I know that has translated into my acting. I know that I�m putting my best self forward when I go into auditions, and I don�t feel nearly as self-conscious in front of others. I just recently shot my first commercial, and didn�t cringe nearly as much as I thought I would when I saw it. I think I look pretty good, if I must say so myself. It hasn�t come without a lot of work, and a lot of support. I know that SP played a big role in this success.

What advice would I give to a person just starting this journey? Use all the tools on this website, especially the nutrition and exercise trackers. Be very honest about what�s going into your body, and how much effort you�re putting out. Quite often, that�s what is keeping us from making lasting changes-we�re underestimating what we put in and overestimating what we put out (and when I say we I really mean me). Make lifestyle changes, don�t go on a diet. Make exercise a part of your daily life. I have to do something active each day, even if it�s just a walk around my neighborhood. I�ve even started running, and now I�m training for a half-marathon! Make an effort to eat more fruits and vegetables, and eat less prepared and restaurant food. Most of all, learn to enjoy life and learning new things. Every day, I manage to learn something new, and I am continually amazed at all the things I didn�t know. Make this an adventure, not a chore. Find something to enjoy about the process, and you will see success. It might not be fast, and sometimes you will go backwards, but keep trying and don�t give up.

****Update 2/4/09****
Well, I went up 3 pounds in the last month, so at least I'm out of that plateau! That wasn't quite the movement I was looking for, but it's only 3 pounds, so I'm not going to stress about it. I haven't been tracking my food as faithfully as I had been (it does become somewhat of a chore, even if it does work), and I've been under a fair amount of stress, which probably has contributed to the gain. I'm also running more, so I may have put on some muscle, which could also account for part of the gain. Anyway, I'm making a much better effort at food tracking, and I'm continuing the exercise, so hopefully I won't go up much more. Really, though, I'm more concerned about inches. I think I lost about an inch off my hips (if I held the tape measure in the right place), so I really could have lost a bit. Well, it's not enough to make a big deal about. I still look and feel much better than I did a year ago, so that's a huge victory.

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