In October of 2010, I set off on a journey which changed my life forever, thanks to an amazing surprise gift from my parents to spend four weeks at The Biggest Loser Resort in Malibu, California. I have struggled with my weight my entire life, losing/gaining, the whole yoyo syndrome. I was morbidly obese and almost 300 pounds, so this gift was really one of my last chances to fight the battle.

I spent four weeks at BLR exercising from 6am till 5pm every day (with few breaks in between). My days would start with stretch class and then off we went hiking…..We would hike the beautiful Malibu Mountains with amazing views every morning. I would usually begin the hikes thinking I was going to die but by some miracle I managed to make it up and down. Thank goodness for the AMAZING hike guides who stayed with me every step of the way at the back of the pack!

I came to BLR not exercising, and over time I began to enjoy it, doing the many classes which were offered, including pool classes, weight training, Mountain, Intervals, Cardio and Kickboxing. The trainers were AMAZING… they had their own stories and were so supportive and while pushing you hard they were there emotionally for you too. I am still in contact with many of the trainers today. I also spent the first week I was there taking classes twice a day learning how to deal with eating/diet.

I loved the time with the other guests and have made friends for life with some of them. We were all there for each other. The Biggest Loser Resort is a very safe environment. Everyone felt safe to share their stories and no one needed to feel ashamed of what they did before coming to BLR. Over four weeks I learned a lot from the trainers, Nutritionists, Hiking guides, and from the other guests. I left BLR 16 pounds lighter and eating healthier but I had a very long journey ahead of me.

Upon returning home I knew I had to continue this weight loss journey I had begun I had to change my life and ways of doing this forever, for myself and all those who loved me. I joined a gym and set up time with a trainer. I continued doing cardio and weight training and remembering some of the classes we were taught at BLR. I quite often find in the spring and summer that instead of sitting watching TV, I go for a nice walk instead.

Since returning home, I have run three 5K races. If someone had said to me 2 ½ years ago that I would be running 5K races and working out 5 days a week (enjoying it!), I would have said you were crazy. This is what BLR has done for me. Many people ask me how I did it and keep it off. I tell them if you put your mind to it and make it part of your daily routine it can happen. I wasn’t ready till I stepped foot on the BLR campus and began my journey in 2010.

I continued on my journey for the next almost 2 years and July of 2012 I hit my original goal. I have since lost another 5-6 pounds and have a total weight loss of 145 pounds. Now the struggle is to not lose any more, maintain, and tell myself that it is ok to eat more again.
BLR changed my life and I also couldn’t have done it without the support of my family and friends.