Hello my name is Cheryl Macias and I currently reside in NC. 

Many of my friends remember me when I was a svelte 125 lbs before I gave birth to three amazing children.  Since then I have been struggling with weight loss for over the past 37 years, and like most of you out there, I have TRIED it all! 

To say the least some worked for a short time span and some did not work at all.  I followed my own thought process of "well I am exercising so why is the weight not coming off" because I was still eating incorrectly. However; I did not fully understand that concept during my younger life years; meaning my early twenties into my forty's so to speak. 

So; I began doing the Special K diet and followed that for awhile and it did not offer me any weight loss. I then began the slim fast program and was able to lose some weight with exercise and dancing. At one time I dropped about 50 lbs. Wow you say, but I still did not fully understand that I needed to continue this program or that I needed to gradually add food back into my routine.

I met my current husband while I was doing the Slim Fast  diet, and for awhile the weight did stay off, but then alas love took over and then food began to creep back in slowly and before I knew all my lost weigh piled back on with a few more pounds.  During this time we became sedentary, and this did not help either.  So for the next 12 years; I just grew and grew and kept blaming all my weight gain on my "body" and its inability to lose weight when I would try a different diet regime.  Low and behold I ballooned to a weight that was out of control.

SO through my weight loss struggles, I offered a new position with one of the  local hospitals, and the stress from this position caused me to continue to get bigger and bigger and bigger, until one day at my doctor’s appointment, my doctor mentioned a weight loss program that did not entail "bypass surgery" or anything like that. I thought what is that I have to lose other than my life "right". How many of you are saying the same thing? We are all in the same boat!

SO, while I continuing through my weight loss struggles, and all the life stresses from the position I was currently working, I decided to look for another job. With all my health factors and the weight continued weight again, I needed to decide what was more important life or death! One of my guardian angels pointed me in the right direction for a new position and low and behold; I received a second chance at life with my new job!. How you ask well with this new position was the opportunity to increase my daily exercise regime, which at this time I did have one, (yes you are right)! So this new position actually required me to walk from one end of the hospital to the other. Well let me tell you that was not an easy feat for the first week or so. It took me 25 minutes to walk only a "half mile" yes you are saying “25 minutes” how sad is that fact!  So began the journey of increasing my physical activity in a small way, and then I made the appointment to meet with the “Diet Dr.” and thus began my weight loss journey.  Here is my journey since then beginning in November 2014.

I met with the Dr and did my little self speal about life and eating habits and still blaming being overweight on my body and metabolism "oh yes" I did.  Well I went to the first meeting and only half haphazardly listened. I went home and reviewed the material and said I will begin the following week; I had all this food and did not want it to go to waste. Of course all this dieting began during Thanksgiving and Christmas!  Wow!

 I slowly began following the program and it was time for me to go back to my first appointment and the moment of true of how much weight did I really lose; and it was only lost three pounds.  Yep you are right! I really wasn't following the program as designed.  Well my Dr said we can only move forward so I set my own personal goal to lose (x) number of pounds in the next four weeks.  My four weeks appointment came and when I climbed on the scale, I lost 8 lbs boy that was an awesome feeling!   Needless to say I was committed at this time SO I continued on the same path and this time my husband joined me in the fight against being overweight!

We continued to follow the diet program 100% for the next four weeks and I dropped another 8 lbs. I felt invincible!  So I thought well I am doing good, so I strayed the next few weeks, and when I returned for my next appointment and  I got on the scale it was only 2 lbs, I was heartbroken and of course I did not take blame why should I right!  Wrong, I only had myself to blame for not meeting my goal. SO once more; I again took control and this time I included walking into the mix. Side note it only takes me 10 minutes now to walk from the parking deck to my office OH YEAH!

SO our next month journey included walking 2 miles and the first time it took me over 1 hour to complete the course. I did not let that stop me; I continued following the program and continued to walk every night once I got home. This also includes my 1 mile every day at work rounding out to 3 miles per day.  My 2 mile was a heart pumping walk, we found a great path around our house that includes all up hill and then all downhill increasing our target heart rate to be the fat burning zone. My 2 mile walk became easier and easier until we completed our course in 50 minutes, then 45 minutes,  then 40 minutes; until today I did my walk in 39 minutes! Oh yeah I was excited and very proud of myself. I digress, during this time I went to my Dr. Appointment and got on the scale! I did it I meet the small goal I set for myself of losing 10 pounds in one month! I was elated and excited and so proud of myself.  At this point and time I have lost a total of 32 pounds, and I now fully understand the need to reach my target goal.

Weight loss is not easy and is the most challenging life changing area we will face on a daily basis!  I want you to know that I am here to listen and help to the best of my ability. God Speed to all that are willing to step up and challenge themselves to lose weight and become more active and fit!

Cheryl