Guest blog by Transformation Tuesday success story, mother and inspiration: Jossie Mar Morales
I never had a problem with weight until my mid 20s. I was already married. I started gaining weight rapidly without an explanation. I was diagnosed with pcos (poly cystic ovarian syndrome). That had caused a hormonal inbalance that cause not only rapid weight gain, but inability to conceive. Pcos lead to many, many other problems.
Without me realizing it, I was very heavy. I say without realizing it, cause I never felt fat. I never saw myself fat cause I never stopped doing what I loved to do or what I wanted to do, but mainly cause my husband PJ never made me feel fat.
He says he never saw me fat. I never had a complaint, a look or a word. To some extent that was good cause I didn’t feel bad about myself, but it was bad because if he was ok with it, I had no reason to do anything about it. I was happy, I really was.
Then I moved to Kentucky and found an incredible Dr. who helped me become a mom.
After I had my first daughter I continued to gain weight. I had reached the 200lbs mark.
Now I wanted to make a change. Why now?
Because I found myself struggling to put a carseat in my car, because I could not carry my baby long distances without being exhausted. Luckily PJ and I owned our own business and opened Thursday through Saturday nights. He helped me with everything, even to put my shoes on.
From the weight I developed asthma, sleep apnea, insomnia added to all the things I already had. My only choice at the moment was gastric bypass surgery. I needed the weight off, I needed it quick. I didn’t want to waste any more time with my new baby.
January 2001 at 228lbs I had the gastric bypass surgery.
I did lose 115 pounds in 6 months. Sounds great right??? Not so much. Fortunately I was heavy for about 5 years but that was enough to leave behind excess skin and jiggles for hours. I am a stay at home mom and have been for almost 14 years now. I love it, don’t get me wrong, but I have always been very strong and very independent, and now I am finding myself having another problem. Depression.
It might have started as post partum of my second child, it might be the many hours by myself at home all I know is it got real bad. Crying for no reason, staying in bed, not wanting to do anything or see anyone. Mood swings, anger, short tempered. Everything and everyone bothered me.
I ended up taking medications, up to 6 a day at one point. Doctors recommended exercise and so I signed up at Planet Fitness.
My husband and I went almost every night for a year but I wasn’t seeing results and my depression wasn’t getting any better, so I started looking into Crossfit.
Yup Crossfit, it’s what everybody talks about, so that’s what I was googling and it started to piss me off because every time I googled crossfit, exercise or weight loss this Derek Kuryliw guy and his bootcamp would pop up. I must’ve looked for about 3 months.
Every freaking search his name was right on top. So I clicked on the dang link.
Holy caca, that’s exactly what I was looking for and 2 weeks for a dollar??? What can I lose??
I signed up, showed up on a wednesday morning under a storm, hoping it was canceled. Yup again, even though I had signed up, I was hoping the rain had canceled it. I was scared!!
Scared of not being strong enough to do this, how people are gonna look at me, can I do what the people on the website pictures are doing? Scared I would hurt myself and have to tell my husband how that happened.
Oh yeah, I didn’t tell my husband I had signed up. If it worked out, he’d know, but if at the end of my 2 weeks, I never came back, he’d never know.
That first day Derek had me squatting and running to Little Road, to Star Trail, downhill on Star Trail, turn around, go up the hill and back to our old bootcamp. I was wet, cold, dirty and I cannot say loving it. I could not move or come back to bootcamp until the following Monday.
The following week I only came in Monday and Wednesday morning. I was in pain! It was a grueling 2 weeks, I was sore, couldn’t walk, couldn’t sit, but now I was loving it. Instant addiction.
The problem was my husband still didnt know, so I had to walk straight, and sit down “normal”. Lol.
I signed up, I kept coming back. I was hooked, I told my husband. He was not a bootcamp believer nor a supporter at first, but I kept coming back. I had already decided I was not giving up.
If anyone could help me with my depression, that would be ME! Best decision I have made for myself. I have found my old me, the strong and independent woman no longer consummed by depression.
After really understanding how to combine diet and exercise I started seeing the changes. Not only in my body but also my overall health. I am no longer taking the medications I was taking. It took some time but now I only have them “just in case” I am stronger physically.
As I write this, I am driving back from hiking steep mountains with over 4000 feet elevation. Remember I said I was dying just with a little Florida hill? That’s what bootcamp has done for me, totally change my life into a healthier and stronger person.
My goal is to tone, and continue to strengthen and be fit and healthy.
Like I had mentioned my husband was originally a non believer but, after seeing a little muscle, some toning in certain areas and progress, he tried it too! We now workout together at bootcamp, as our girls sit and watch us set a great example for them. So now my whole support system is complete!!!
Hopefully I inspire anyone who is reading this that might suffer from depression, who is afraid to start because they think they’ll be judged or afraid they’ll fail. Or, afraid they’re doing this by themselves.
I found a great support system, a great new family that supports and celebrates every little achievement. My bootcamp family. They are there for me at bootcamp and always with a ‘like’ on facebook.
Thank you bootcampers for the extra push to make this transformation possible.
Thank you Derek, I am a difficult person and either you pick on me or ignore me for a bit, but that makes me work harder just to prove to you I am listening.
I am committed and this is my new life!
Jossie Mar Morales
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I feel like every week I say the same thing…’this is the best story EVER!’
But, it’s true. The reason why each and every person’s story is so touching is because they’re so personal.
Each week I contact the winner on Monday afternoon, giving them only a few hours to put their words on paper. I do this so that they don’t have time to overthink it, edit it or have second thoughts about what they write.
Each story is raw, real and uncut.
Why?
So that their successes can motivate someone else suffering with the same thoughts, conditions or ailments.
YOU ARE NOT ALONE! (unless you choose to be)
Jossie had every reason not to get started but, she wanted a better life for herself, her children and her entire family.
I hope her story inspires you to want a better future for yourself.
Congratulations on your current progress and your new fit lifestyle!
Committed to your fitness success,
Derek Kuryliw, CSN, CPT
…for questions, comments or suggestions please email me [email protected]
Ready to change your life too? Click on http://newportricheybootcamps.com/ for current specials and start dates!
