WEIGHT LOSS STORY

Tasha Sanders

April 15, 2003 - October 31, 2003
170.5 lbs - 129.5 lbs

HOW TASHA GOT HER FIGURE BACK

This story may be a little grotesque but it is the truth and I hope it will be a lasting story for everyone who reads it. I am proud of myself to be able to put it into words so that I may never forget.

January 2003, I weighed 170lbs and wore a size 14.  That was the heaviest I had ever been in my entire life.  According to the body mass index chart I was not overweight but obese for my height.  I mean, my god I was obese at 23 and I hadn’t even had children. An ideal weight for a 5’ 4” woman is like 130lbs. Now, understand that I did it to myself. I neglected my body by not exercising and having a poor diet.  I didn’t realize how big I was until one day I was looking in the mirror and I didn’t recognize my own body. 

I gained 40 lbs over a 3 year period.  Most of the weight I had gained within the last year. I ate whatever I wanted whenever I wanted. I remember one day I ate a total of three Big & Tasty’s from McDonald’s. I had one for lunch, one for dinner & one as a midnight snack. I ate at least 2 meals a day that were either fast food or take out.  I would eat to comfort my depression of being overweight. I sat at my desk for 8 hours a day and I never exercised.  It was the first time in my life when I was not active.

Being overweight took a heavy toll on me, socially.  I went from being carefree and comfortable to being embarrassed of my body and afraid to express myself.  I know it is difficult to imagine that I couldn’t express myself (LOL!)  I didn’t want to go out with friends or to family functions because I was so big.  I didn’t even want to come to the Dojo the first time because I was scared of looking awkward while working out. All I wanted to do was stay home and eat. I was used to going out parting every weekend and having fun.  As I got bigger I lost my self-confidence.  I figured the way I saw myself was the way everyone must see me.  It made me sick inside.  The really sad part was, I saw myself going down hill but I could not stop mistreating my body. I was in denial. I knew what I was doing but wouldn’t make the decision to stop.

Daily routines were becoming more difficult.  Some examples of things that used to be easy that became more difficult were that I couldn’t get comfortable in my chair at work, none of my clothes fit, getting dressed for work was so depressing.  All my clothes were restrictive; nothing fit or looked right.  I wore my jacket around my waist most days just so I would feel secure.  The picture may not seem like I was terribly big but I felt enormous every moment of every day.  I was not happy with myself and something had to change.

I drove by the Dojo for three months before I finally got the courage to call.  bP told me to come in for a free class. I thought I was going to die from lack of breath or have a heart attack.  The next day I couldn’t even walk.  I wanted to die before coming back.  But I made the mistake of giving my cell phone number and email address on my application.  He called and emailed me every day harassing me to come back.  I have been here ever since.

The more time I have spent at the Dojo the more it has paid off for me.  bP constantly encourages me to try new things and keeps me focused.  I would rather spend my time getting in shape and learning martial arts than being overweight and have no skill. 

Just remember this, if Meg can do it, then I can do it.  If I can do it, then anyone can do it!  There were times when I wanted to give up, throw up, cry, kick bP’s ass or just die.  Somehow I muddled through it.  I made it and I hope I can maintain it.

I want to thank the following people for encouraging me and helping me stay focused.  I would like to thank Sensei, Jennifer, Lacie, Wendi, Aunt Vicki, Gramie, Rebecca, Aunt Jenny, Meg, Allie & the Dojo family.