Sometimes an intro isn't required because nothing needs to added to what is said. That's how I would sum up Heidi's experience that she so vulnerably and powerfully shares below. It gave me goose bumps!
Before and Now!
How did you feel before DBC?
Absolutely depressed. Every moment of everyday all I could think about was my weight. I would repeat to myself, “I’m so fat” or “I’m never going to lose weight” or “I’ll just be obese for the rest of my life, who cares?” By repeating that to myself every day, I believed it and it would put me in a horrible mood with my kids and my husband. Many times I would stay in bed and cry. And turn to food to heal the pain I was feeling inside. It was an absolutely vicious cycle.
Before DBC
What was the moment when you actually realized you were transforming?
When I woke up one morning and was excited about getting on the scale. Not because I had reached my goal weight but because I knew that going public with my weight and my struggles was going to get me to my goal weight faster. I reported my weight to my transformational coach and team, and at that moment, I knew that I had broken through all the negative thoughts that kept haunting me and now I was in control of my destiny.
How do you feel now?
I feel so proud of myself. I made a HUGE sacrifice to be a part of Destination Boot Camp, not only financially but also sacrificing the time I would normally give others and focusing on me instead. This sacrifice of spending money on me and being selfish was the best thing that I have ever done. I no longer see it as a sacrifice but as a gift that I finally gave myself for all the hard work I have done for others.
What are you most proud of with your transformation journey?
I am a full time business owner and mother of 6. For the last 14 years, my weight has fluctuated tremendously. I always wanted to lose anywhere between 45 to 90 pounds. I thought the “only way” I was going to be able to do so was to appear on a weight loss show, but that meant I had to gain a massive amount of weight just to qualify.
But what if I gained the weight and never got cast for the show? If I couldn’t lose 45 to 90 pounds, how was I ever going to lose 125 pounds or more on my own? I knew there had to be more people out there just like me who were struggling trying to lose 15, 20, 30, 45 or even 90 pounds.
I am most proud of representing those people. I am proud to say that no matter how stressful or demanding life gets for me, I am proof that it can be done and am still doing it! At home, at work, with kids, no cameras, no celebrity coaches…This is what DBC and State of Slim are all about. Committing to yourself no matter what your day brings! And that commitment to me has made me absolutely head over heels proud of myself. I am mentally a different person. State of Slim and DBC are not a diet and exercise program, they are a lifestyle and one that I want to live for the rest of my life. And for being able to see this as my new life, I am very proud of myself.
What is the biggest lesson/takeaway you've had through DBC?
My biggest lesson has definitely been learning that losing weight is not only about the food and exercise, it is about your mindset. DBC showers us with homework, activities and challenges to get us to dig deeper into the root of our issues, which in-turn gives us the confidence to say 'no' to the wrong foods or have the strength to put on our shoes and walk through the threshold of the door to go workout. I have learned to believe in myself and expect success. And success is what I have received.
Destination Boot Camp on the surface to many is a one-week weight loss camp at Anschutz Health & Wellness Center in Aurora, Colorado. But it’s not. DBC is the journey. I am on a transformation journey seeking a Destination. That destination is 365-days later back at DBC where this chapter will end, and my new life will begin!
