Pam's 101 Pound Healthy Weight Loss - her "How" and her "Why"

This is Pam.
Pam has lost 101 pounds in eight months.
Pam is not some anonymous stranger on some novelty reality show.
Pam is a real person in my life.
Pam and I have worked together for about two years, and in those two years, Pam has become one of my dearest friends, my inspiration, and one of the most amazing women I know.

Pam started this leg of her journey to health and wellness, in July 2015, but that's not where her story begins.

In 2001, Pam hit her first "rock bottom", and her absolute heaviest. In 2001, Pam weighed in at 375 pounds - 39 pounds heavier than the photo above, on the left. At 375 pounds, Pam was lost. She had no idea which way to turn. She just knew something had to change. So like many people who are morbidly obese and believe they've run out of options, Pam went through gastric bypass surgery. And it worked. It worked great. She lost almost 200 pounds between 2001 and 2003. But that dramatic weight loss didn't last. Like many quick fixes, it was only a matter of time before the weight came back on. And Pam's not the only one to regain the weight after bariatric surgery.

Approximately 30% of people who undergo bariatric surgery, regain all the weight. And approximately 50% regain at least part of it. People who undergo weight loss surgery, are dramatically limited in the calories their bodies can absorb, BUT over time, the reduced stomach, can stretch back out to some degree. And because Pam hadn't created any healthy habits, like better nutrition, or exercise, over time, as her stomach was able to accommodate more volume, and Pam's choices of what to eat hadn't changed, the pounds began to creep back on. Pam hadn't learned to stay away from the drive through, or say no to seconds. Fried foods, refined white carbs, and fatty cuts of low quality meat were staples on her diet. Veggies, not so much. Exercise? Definitely not.

And by 2015, fourteen years after her surgery, twelve years after getting down to about 180 pounds; after divorce and marriage (yes, I said that in the correct order); after child births and child loss; after heartbreaks, emotional lows, and a few highs, Pam had gained back almost 160 pounds - more than the average medically healthy weight of a woman her height and age.

Let that sink in for a second.

So what happened? A couple things collided, and not being Pam, I don't know which came first - chicken/egg kinda thing.

In 2014, we went through a nutrition program, and a group fitness program at work. Pretty sure both of those things set the wheels in motion. Pam participated in both, lost some weight (which she did put back on later that year and into the early part of 2015), and started to at least understand what healthy habits are. She and I also became much closer during the group fitness program, as we participated in almost every session together, And she found a strong connection with the trainer who ran the program (shout out to Carolyn at The Fitness Cube in Hampton Falls, NH).

In the early summer of 2015, I had a very angry day - - a co-worker had me frustrated beyond belief, and as one who rarely takes a lunch break (only for hair appointments, and coffee runs), I didn't have a "regular" step away, clear my head, mid-day routine. But that day, I needed one. And it just happened to be beautiful out - early summer, blue sky, office on the marsh side of the beach. So I asked Pam to walk with me. I needed to vent, and get away from the desk, and clear my head. Thankfully she said yes. And that yes, snowballed. We started walking daily - not too far, only about a mile, but it was something. It got Pam moving; it helped me clear my head; and through our walks, and our talks, we began to develop a deeper friendship - one that I'm so grateful for every day.

But it wasn't just an afternoon walk with a fitness junkie, that lit Pam on fire. She needed a "why" - - a deep, gut churning, explosive "why" to find the dedication and commitment she needed, to begin her true journey. Until the other day, when I finally thought to ask, I had no idea what that "why" was. Here's what she told me:

For me there was an “ah ha” moment. I realized that my youngest child who will be three years old, in two weeks, loved to try and escape my grasp when we walked with him. He is developmentally delayed in speech and comprehension and so if he were to “escape” he doesn’t understand the word NO don’t go out into the street, or watch out or anything like that. And I realized that if got away from me at 334 pounds, I would not be able to catch him before something bad could happen. In 2012 I lost one son and the mere thought of possibly losing another son due to the fact that I was too fat to catch him before he ran into the street, honestly terrified me. So I used that for my WHY.

Powerful, right?

With a why like that, in her face every waking moment that she spent with her children, Pam found her motivation - and kept it. When the mid-day temps got too hot, Pam started walking in the early mornings at home. She progressed to a half walk/half jog, going farther and faster each day. In the fall of 2015, she even did her first 5k! Imagine, a woman who was still around the 300 pound mark, accomplishing a 5k?!? Whatever your excuse is, you can throw it away right now. Pam had every excuse in the world at her fingertips (still does), and she hits it out of the park over and over. In fact, did I mention she also has Fibromyalgia? What was your excuse? Because I can't even hear you mumbling over there when I think about Pam and what she has, and continues to, overcome.

Pam started doing youtube workouts at home, adding resistance bands to her routine. She bought a few workout DVD's - and some light weights - and fell in love with kickboxing. She's even started taking group exercise classes at a gym near her home, where she deadlifts and squats and burpees her way to a good hard drenching sweat.

Pam's first big goal is still a ways away, but I know she'll get there with her determination and dedication to herself and her family. She's setting an amazing example for her beautiful children, and she inspires others daily, including me, and her amazing husband Steve, who is also working towards his own healthy goals, reinforcing that incredible example for their children.

I asked my friend, the other day, where she goes from here. This is what she told me:

My original goal was to get down to 185lbs. I am not sure where I will finally stop but I leave that up in the air for now. But I would like to share my story with others, help them to achieve better health. I have thought about becoming a personal trainer and I would also like to start to train (which I have already) to start weight lifting more.

Pam's story is unique. Not everyone can do it on their own - and even though Pam has cheerleaders in her court, she really has created her own fitness program, and her own nutrition program. I'm awed every day by what she's done so far, and what she continues to do every day. But I also understand we don't all have that drive, that discipline, that ability to just do it on our own. Most of us need some help. And many of us that do, don't know where or how to ask for it. Or we're afraid.

If you've thought about starting on your own path to better fitness, healthy weight loss, improved nutrition - and you don't know where to begin, please email me, or find me on Facebook. I work with an incredible team of coaches, and would love to help you create your story.