“Once I discovered that my body is mostly the result of my nutrition, eating well became easy.”
I grew up in a typical family that ate for cost effectiveness. We were active but never really athletic. I was an overweight teenager and didn’t really bloom until after I had left high school. Once away from home and on my own, I became the athlete I always knew I was inside.
While in university I became an aerobics instructor, discovered road biking and triathlons and never really looked back. In my 20s I became a registered nurse in an emergency department at a hospital, and was always considered the healthy one with the big appetite. Over the course of the next 10 to 12 years I taught aerobics at a local gym, instructed fitness programs, ran over 10 marathons and other distance races, too many triathlons to count, an Ironman, a handful of mountain bike races and five 36-hour adventure races. I lived to work out but my eating was a workout too!
I ate whatever I wanted, I drank whatever I felt like, and I regularly binged on whatever happened to be the craving of the moment. In my mid 30’s, I met and married my husband and went on to have two beautiful children. I gained 55 lbs with my first child, a girl, and was successful at losing only 40. I ran a marathon before I got pregnant again. After my second child, a boy, I could not seem to lose the weight. I had tried every diet book on the shelf – some had worked short term, others just collected dust. My husband would tease me about how many protein shakes, tablets, fasts, and gimmicks I had ordered and never finished.
After a year, I met a personal trainer who encouraged me to train for a figure competition. I set a goal and started training. I was about 25 lbs from my goal and life got in the way. Stress at home and a too-busy work schedule ended in a move and a new job. Derailed, I sat at 180 lbs. After we settled in I hooked up with another personal trainer and set a goal again of a spring figure competition. I started training and lost about 15 lbs, but stress at home and at work over took and I lost track again.
By December 31st, 2007, I was tired all the time, had no energy and no motivation. I decided to join Tosca’s [forum – link to forum)] and started following The Eat-Clean Diet. Over the course of the next few weeks I met many wonderful people there. I used the forum to help me keep on track, even when the stress in my life seemed unbearable. Each month I took pictures and posted my changes. The friends I met on the forum did the same and together we shared the experience of healthy living, clean eating and renewed energy.
By April, I had given up the goal to compete because my husband and I were going through some rough water. It looked like the train was getting derailed again. One night I decided there was never going to be a good time and that I should just do it. I was finally committed to my goal of competing. I hooked up with a pro fitness competitor to get advice from. My husband was not exactly pleased with my decision but he was supportive. I posted weekly pictures and thrived on the support from Tosca’s forum. I still had about 15 lbs to lose, but I was determined.
On May 31st, 2008 I stepped onstage in the Masters Category at 138 lbs. I felt and looked awesome. I had done it - 40 lbs were gone. I did my poses with confidence and pride. My mom, dad, hubby and kids watched and shouted for me.
I learned that what goes in my mouth could make or break my whole outlook on myself and my life. Once I discovered that my body is mostly the result of my nutrition, eating well became easy. My fridge and cupboards now are full of wonderful healthy foods that my whole family enjoys.
Thank you Tosca Reno for giving me back my life!
Tammy Datars