My Wellness Journey: From Surviving to Thriving

I’ve been a yo-yo dieter for most of my life. I started dieting in high school—counting points, calories, macros, drinking shakes, and eating more frozen “lean” meals than anyone should legally be allowed. I had some successes along the way, but every “diet of the moment” eventually ended the same: I’d gain back the weight... and then some.

When I hit menopause in my 40s, it felt like everything I once knew about weight loss stopped working. The pounds kept piling on, and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t make the scale budge. What I didn’t realize was—I wasn’t failing. I was simply doing it wrong.
 

The Wake-Up Call

In 2021, Covid hit my family hard. I’ve never been so sick in my life. I was hospitalized for five days with Covid pneumonia—pumped full of drugs and hooked up to oxygen. When I was discharged, I came home with a suitcase-sized oxygen concentrator to drag around the house. It was humbling. And terrifying. 
 

I’ve always considered myself relatively healthy. I had no major medical conditions. But there was one undeniable factor that put me at serious risk: my weight. I was one of the 78% of Covid hospitalizations who were overweight or obese. On the day I was admitted, I weighed 205 pounds, and my BMI was 35.5.
 

That was the turning point. I lost 10 pounds while I was sick—mostly because I couldn’t eat—but when I recovered, I knew I had to make a permanent change.
 

The Shift That Changed Everything

I’d been watching a friend from school, Mary Welch, share her own transformation—she had lost 80 pounds and looked vibrant, healthy, and strong. I reached out, and thankfully, Mary—an oncology nurse practitioner and wellness coach—took the time to walk me through something I’d never done before: she helped me uncover the real reasons why I wanted to lose weight this time.
 

That conversation became the foundation for the lifestyle I live today.

With Mary’s guidance, I began shifting to a way of eating that focused on whole, nutrient-dense foods that taste amazing and nourish my body. She introduced me to intermittent fasting, low-carb eating, and—most importantly—the truth about the harmful role of sugar in our health. To date, I’ve lost 56 pounds. My BMI has dropped from 35.5 to 26.5. And I’m not finished yet—my goal is to release another 10–15 pounds and bring my BMI below 25.
 

A Lifestyle, Not a Diet

What I love most about this journey is that I feel in control—not restricted. We’re not locked into a rigid food plan. My husband and I stay low-carb and sugar-free most of the time, but we also love exploring Mediterranean flavors and spices to keep our meals exciting and gut-friendly.
 

This isn’t a fad or a short-term fix. It’s a sustainable, balanced lifestyle built on real food, flexible fasting, and joyful living. We’re proof that it’s possible to lose weight, feel amazing, and love what you eat—without counting, starving, or sacrificing your life to diet culture.