Before	After

The day I walked into Thin&Healthy I was a desperate woman. I hated to look in the mirror for fear that I might hate myself a little more. Although I knew it took years, I felt as though I went from a 98- pound high school senior to a 198-pound woman over night. "Poof!" Everywhere my three children and I went I felt out of place. I wasn't me. I would lie in bed at night and ask myself "How could I let me get to this?"

Forget going clothes shopping, I would end up crying every time. Nothing fit right, nothing looked good. And bathing suits? NO WAY! I was on medication for high cholesterol, and I had very low self-esteem and I was unhappy and depressed. I knew I had to do something.

After years of tormented agony, beating myself up, and being disgusted with myself, I knew that cold day in February was the first step on a long road-- The first step to happiness. The first step to high self-esteem. The first step to overcoming my depression. The first step to lowering my cholesterol.

I also knew it was a long road I needed to take, I wanted to take. At first it seemed like a lot. A lot of work, a lot of sacrifice but I embraced with all I had, I embraced it wholeheartedly.

Every pound lost, every inch gone, every exercise routine brought me more confidence. I knew I could do it. I was doing it!

Before I knew it, time had flown by and I had kept to my plan. I was looking excellent and loved myself more and more. Before I knew it, I was happy and my depression was gone. I had my self-esteem back. I didn't need medication for my high cholesterol anymore. I was at my goal weight. I was there! I had done it!

The sacrifices weren't that great after all, not compared to the awesome strides I'd made. My much improved health, both mentally and physically, my ability to walk without effort and shortness of breath, the fact that I can now cross my legs, are all testimonials to why exercise is now my passion! And eating to live not living to eat is now how I manage to maintain my weight. One way I keep from giving into temptation is what I call my" Magic Pocket". I keep a baggie of raw vegetables in my pocket at work so I don't eat all the junk food they always keep around. I find that this really works for me.

Early on in my quest to gain control of my life I met a wonderful man who stuck by me. I am now engaged and will be married in October. He adores me and tells me he doesn't care how big I am, he will always love me. He says he does understand my need to maintain a healthy lifestyle though, and he supports me all the way.

When I hear people say "You are my inspiration!" or "I can't believe you ever weighed that much," it just blows me away. My doctor hadn't seen me for several months, and when he did he was amazed, and couldn't believe the "drastic change." He said it was probably the best money I had ever spent. My six-year old son said one day after being gone for a couple weeks "Mom you are skinny. I didn't know you were fat." Bless his little heart.

Once when I was complaining about how big my work clothes were, my co-worker said "I think it's cute to see a little woman in big clothes," and I couldn't believe she was talking about me. It's hard for me to fathom that people consider me "little," that I'm somebody's inspiration, or that somebody loves me no matter what I look like, and the happy, not depressed woman, with high self-esteem is important.

Once a size women's 22, I can love Patty Stevens, 126 less inches, and my size ten me.

After years of tormented agony, beating myself up, and being disgusted with myself, I knew that cold day in February was the first step on a long road-- the first step to happiness; the first step to high self-esteem; the first step to overcoming my depression; the first step to lowering my cholesterol.