Name:
Casey
Age:
20s
Hometown:
Aiken, S.C.
Weight Lost:
60 pounds
Major Motivation:
If you stay dedicated, you will see results. That's the key to motivation! I've maintained my new lifestyle for over a year.
Her Lifelong Struggle
I’ve always been overweight. As a child, I was involved in softball, dance, and marching band, but I always ate whatever and whenever I wanted, and I was lazy at home. When was 16, I joined a gym and started the no–carb diet and was able to lose weight, but then gained it all back a few months later. After that, I was always off and on diets but never saw any real success. When I was in high school, I had very low self–esteem and confidence. I dated someone who treated me poorly and I became very depressed. It was during this time that I gained around 30 pounds and was the heaviest I had ever been.
August of 2009 is when I decided I had had enough. I was tired of going to the beach wearing full-body bathing suits and cover-ups. I was tired of being jealous of women with better-looking bodies than me. Family health issues were also a big motivator for me. My mom has osteoporosis and gallbladder issues, and many people in my family have back pain issues (including me). We also have a history of diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and cancer in our genes.
A Change for the Better
One day, I was in a bookstore browsing the fitness and health section and discovered Denise's Pilates book, Pilates for Every Body. I have always been someone who disliked exercise with a passion! But I saw that the moves in that book didn’t look very hard. Also, Denise made reading about healthy eating interesting. The way she explains eating well and exercise is relatable and easy to understand. After buying a few of her books, I tried her Total Body Makeover DVD. I started doing the workouts once a day after cardio on the treadmill. In only two weeks, I lost 10 pounds! After that, the weight kept falling off, and my body started to look more toned.
Denise has really changed my life and my outlook on health and fitness. Her program is a lifestyle change — I don’t even like to say the word “diet” anymore! My family was and still is very supportive; in fact, my fiancé, Kevin and future stepdaughters enjoy eating the same way I do. People say I look like a totally different person these days. I've never been in such great shape, nor have I ever received compliments about my body. These days, I love to exercise, I pay attention to what goes into my body, and I take better care of myself. I have more energy and willpower than ever before, and my skin even looks healthier. This process also helped me quit smoking! I have so much self–esteem and confidence now that I know I can accomplish anything.
