Body Transformation

I always urge people to take before and after pictures because they make you realise how dramatic your body can change! I still feel the same as I did in my before pictures, you don’t lose weight and then change into a new person! I’m the same Mimi just so much happier and healthier 💕 when I look down at myself or look in the mirror it’s hard to see the changes because I see myself every day but these before and after pictures are crazy 😳 the internet loves to make people believe the only way you can get your dream body is by unhealthy teas or diet pills or surgery but that’s not the case. I’ve done everything naturally without depriving myself of normal life! I still eat pizza and chocolate but it’s all about moderation and along side a good diet and weightlifting ❤️ it can be done!!

Same place completely different person! A lot of people say they are still the “same girl” post weightloss but they are just happier.. well I can 100% tell you I am not the “same girl” I used to be and I am totally ok with that. I was not happy then but I am happy now and my weightloss is 100% the reason! Different chapters of our lives will require different versions of ourselves that may or may not have anything to do with our previous selves. If I was still that “same girl” I wouldn’t be doing what I do today! If I was still that “same girl” I would probably be even heavier than I was at my highest weight (331lbs) because at that time in my life guess what I did? I ate 🤷🏻‍♀️ I was lazy 🤦🏻‍♀️ I was unmotivated 🙎🏻‍♀️ that girl is gone.. for now.

But want to know something else? She might return in the future who knows 🙍🏻‍♀️ I don’t know what my life will be like a year from now or even a month from now I have to focus on who I am in this second not who I was or who I might be. I’m all about positivity but I’m also more so here for REALITY. Weightloss has got to be taken 1 day at a time, you can not rush it, you will not wake up a different person after 1 week of trying (I say that because I literally used to pray I’d wake up a different person) This is not magic it’s a lot of hard work I never in a million years thought this would be my life but here I am & I’m forever grateful of the girl I was but she isn’t who I am today and that’s my truth.

Have you ever felt like your life is absolutely unmanageable? Like you absolutely CANNOT make a change? Have you felt like giving up on your life and saying I CANNOT do this anymore? I did. And honestly, sometimes I still do, but the truth is, I COULD change, and I still can. The incredible thing about life, is that no matter what, within one second, we can always start over. Do not wait until tomorrow to begin your journey, whether that be emotional, mental, physical, addiction, or even self- appreciation.

Why are we afraid of change? What is stoping us?

We are fearful… we lack faith. Some people are reluctant to trust God completely with their lives, fearing that He may want to make a change in their plans. Yes, He will change our plans. His plans are infinitely better than the very best we could ever conceive.

Believe. Trust. Have obedience. Stand up, and MAKE a change, for YOU.

Don’t think about what can happen in a month. Don’t think about what can happen in a year. Just focus on the 24 hours in front of you and do what you can to get closer to where you want to be. Left was summer 2010, right is summer 2018. I set goals every month and crushed them! Low calorie and getting off my ass, no better way to say it. I always used to say to myself on those late nights as I laid in bed crying because I was so unhappy with my weight, “maybe I’m just meant to be big…” It wasn’t all about what I looked like, I felt beauty even at my biggest, but I was tired of being tired. Friends would invite me out to concerts, Six Flags, camping, etc…and I dreaded the though because I hated physical activity and in all honesty, it hurt to walk and stand up for long periods of time. It was time for a change, so I did. No one can tell you what you’re capable of. Do it for no one but yourself, you’re the only one that can stop you! BE STRONG, LIVE LONG💟

My favorite pic is the middle…because I remember how I felt when I took it: I WANTED TO GIVE UP.

It was taking too long. I felt like it wasn’t worth it some days. I felt like I would neeeeever reach my goal weight. I’m sure glad I didn’t quit.

I’m not 100% sure on my weight in the middle (it’s been a few years), but I believe it’s:

Starting: 297
Middle: 205
Ending: 120

Ten things this journey has taught me:
1. You have more strength than you ever imagined.
2. You can do anything you put your mind to.
3. Some people won’t understand your vision, and that’s okay.
4. Your faith will be tested.
5. Quitting lasts forever…your journey will not.
6. Discipline is learned, not earned.
7. The road is long, but is worth it.
8. Beauty comes in all sizes-all the way from start to finish.
9. You are not the number on the scale. And…
10. You have to love yourself completely-and not allow the fear of change to stop you from anything.

It’s crazy to think that almost 2 years ago, I was getting surgery to hopefully remove the ovarian cancer that had taken over my little body at only 23 years old.

Ovarian cancer is know as the SILENT KILLER and that’s because symptoms don’t usually appear until the later stages, like myself. I was diagnosed at Stage 3 and unfortunately it ended up in my spleen and lymph nodes making the new diagnoses Stage 4B…the last stage.
Looking back, I HAD EVERY SINGLE SYMPTOM of ovarian cancer and I had no idea!😭 –

I am extremely blessed and thankful that God placed me in the hands of my doctors and we were able to catch it when we did because in November I will be celebrating 1 year of no evidence of disease! 🙌🏻 There is a TON of miss-information about ovarian cancer and testing!

THERE IS NO TESTING FOR OVARIAN CANCER! A yearly pap CAN NOT detect ovarian cancer! A vaginal ultra sound CAN NOT detect ovarian cancer but can show signs of a mass. A CT/MRI scan can show signs of cancer but CAN NOT determine if it is OVCA! The only way to 100% determine if it is ovarian cancer is by a BIOPSY and that’s it! The CA125 tumor marker level is the way the doctors monitor ovarian cancer once it has already been confirmed that it is OVCA and even then, it’s not always correct!🤯

The most common signs and symptoms of OVCA are:
Bloating
Frequent urination or the need to go, a lot!
Feeling full quickly
Abdominal pain or lower back pain

Tag at least 2 ladies down below and spread awareness for the cancer know as the SILENT KILLER, you could possibly be saving a life!

Ps. I seriously can’t believe how far I’ve come😭