I used to think I had a round face…turns out I was just fat!

I take after my dad’s side of the family. They all share many traits, most of which I have:

• The ‘apple’ body shape
• Tendency to furrow the eyebrows resulting in a perma-crease
• Body that is built for the farm and meant to lift heavy things
• The need to be in charge and running the show
• Round faces

So it only made sense for me to think that my round face was inherited from my dad. Turns out that I have my mom’s face shape; the roundness was a direct result of being fat. I even made it all the way to Obese Class One. I will never forget the shame I felt as the nurse called out loud enough for a whole waiting room filled with people to hear that I was in Obese Class One. After she made her announcement, I had to go back to the waiting room and sit embarrassed and ashamed in a hard plastic chair that was too small for me to see the doctor.

I knew that I didn’t want to be in Obese Class One, but I didn’t know what to do to change it. I left the appointment and purchased some chips and a chocolate bar to make me feel better. And I did feel better after I covered the pain with my favorite comfort foods, but the happy feeling didn’t last for long.

Size 20 dress and 218 pounds. There is no question in my mind that my husband loves me for ME.

That year kick started a journey towards health and fitness that has lasted 9 years.  I played on my college’s basketball team, trained for a 5 km race, ran a 10 km race, completed a triathlon, tried yoga, and many other physical activities.

In November of 2009, I decided to w0rk with a personal trainer and really train for something. By this point, I had dropped 6 dress sizes and lost 60 pounds, but I wanted to and knew I could do more. I decided to do something that was larger than life, a Figure Competition.

Some days it is hard for me to believe that I am competing in a Figure Bodybuilding Competition.

I am still not as lean as I want to be for the competition but after a focussed year of training, losing 37 mm off my fat caliper measurement, an estimated 30 more pounds of fat, and gaining a ton of muscle; I can’t be disappointed with myself.

Time to be proud of myself!

The problem is that some days when I look in the mirror the fat girl shows up and looks back at me. All I know is that she IS NOT invited to the competition!

I have to be proud of myself and my skin around my mid section that just isn’t that tight.  I may not have a 6-pack, but I have more than I ever thought I would.  On October 16th I will wear my bedazzled bikini glued to my arse with pride. And that’s that!