My Breaking Point

I WAS THE CLASSIC STORY OF THE GIRL who had been overweight her entire life. Growing up, I was the fun, jolly, overweight friend that everyone loved! I was in the arts, so performing was my life and took up the majority of my time. Being active and playing sports was never a priority. And my family loves to eat! We’re of Jamaican descent and needless to say, being health-conscious was never of true importance. We just ate great food and ate it well! Traditional foods were a huge part of our culture and lifestyle. 

As I got older, the weight piled on. I went from being the cute chubby Tameika to becoming severely overweight. After my first year of university and gaining yet another 20lbs, I’d reached 220lbs… the point I call my breaking point.

The breaking point is the point where you are utterly fed up. Not the “I kind of want to change, but will do it when I have time” mentality. Rather, it’s the time when you are just sick and tired of always being miserable. Being sad because your clothes don’t fit you the way you want them to. Feeling let down because no matter how much you “try” to lose weight, you continue to pile it on. Ashamed of being the person who can’t play sports, or be active, or even do “simple” tasks like run to the bus stop when you’re late. Always tired because you just want to be the best you and you are sad that you have let it get this far. It's the point where you are sick of feeling sorry for yourself and crying all the time. My breaking point was the point of no return.

It all started with research. I was a great student and loved to learn. This was during a time when Instagram, blogs, and the wealth of information available today just wasn’t easily accessible. 14 years ago I went to the library and took out books on weight loss. I studied the science of weight loss, my recommended caloric intake, macros, fitness, weight training and the psychology of obesity.  I was basically a sponge, absorbing everything I could.

I first decided I was going to make my own food. As a student, that consisted of very basic and affordable meals. But I knew making and preparing my own meals was a first step. Over time it evolved into making my meals really fun, buying healthy cookbooks, and trying new recipes.

At the gym, it started with fitness classes! Through research, I knew how important strength training was. Initially it started off with just cardio, but I quickly learned that if I wanted the body I dreamed of, with minimal loose skin, strength training was important. Fitness classes taught me the basics; what a bicep curl was, how to properly squat, how to target different muscle groups. I couldn’t afford a personal trainer back then, so learning through fitness classes was a perfect alternative. My love for training evolved. It snowballed into the weight room and planning out my workouts. I loved the results my body was experiencing and was committed to seeing where I could take this.

After 9 very dedicated months, I lost nearly 100lbs! For me, it was a slow and steady wins the race kind of game. Free from extremes (I knew those didn’t work), and just focused on consistent movement and nutritious foods. I lost about 2-3lbs per week and would constantly figure out ways I could elevate my training and eating (taking baby steps vs. drastic measures). 14 years later, I am now in the best shape of my life. I’ve devoted all of my time to helping others through personal and online training. I’m committed to this industry and helping my clients achieve the happiness I’ve found - free from extremes - by developing a healthy lifestyle that works for them!

What has helped me maintain my weight loss is focusing on the lifestyle element of this journey! Let’s face it, I will never be the girl eating no carbs, taking tons of supplements, and having salad three times a day. I’m a lover of food, so I’ve learned ways to make all of my favorite foods healthier. Do I have more discipline? Yes. But, I never feel without. This is what I now instill in all of my clients.

What keeps me motivated? First, I never want to go back to the point where I’m sick and tired of being sick and tired. I absolutely refuse. When I finally decided to break up with “diets” and “end dates”, my perspective on motivation switched. I realized I was deserving of a lifestyle that I loved and didn’t want to have to focus on being motivated to get through it. I realized the journey never ends, so it was important to find a way to fall in love with the process. When I did that, motivation (in its traditional sense) was no longer necessary. Instead I focused on finding a way to just love my lifestyle and changing my narrative from “having” to be healthy, to “getting” to be healthy.

All in all, what keeps me going on this journey - I love living a fulfilled life with health at the core of everything I do. I love being the best version of me. I love that I’m treating my body the way it deserves to be treated. I love that I’m doing everything in my power to avoid sickness and disease. I love that I put myself first, no matter what I have going on in life. I love that I continue to beat the odds and challenge myself. As women, we do so much for others, be it work, family, friends, strangers – yet some of us can’t even find a half hour each day to devote to our own well-being. Well not me! Not anymore.

I choose life, I choose good health, and most importantly… I choose ME!  

14 years and still going strong!