Pre-occupied with her weight since she was 9 because a family member called her "chunky". In high school she played a bunch of sports but couldn't lose any pounds. When she was 14, she asked for a stair master for Christmas and would do an hour on it almost every day. Still the scale wouldn't change.

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In her twenties, she started going to the gym but didn't know anything about weight training so she'd do hours of cardio plus group aerobic classes plus the stair master in her bedroom. She tried every diet in the book, would lose a few pounds and then gain back more than she started with. In this picture she was uncomfortable in her skin and it showed on her face.

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Fast forward a decade. She found a mentor who believed in her potential and introduced her to resistance training and fitness competing. She got certified as a personal trainer not only to learn the science behind fat loss but to help other people who had struggled the same way and needed someone who understood exactly what they were going through.

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And now here we are. I'm in my 40's which is when the picture on the left was taken. I have more energy than ever in my life, I feel powerful and strong and I can stand with the best of them, male or female, in the weight room! And most importantly, I broke the diet and cardio cycle and I'm finally comfortable in my own skin.

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This is what empowered feels like and don't ever let anyone tell you you can't do it, or it's too late  or you're too old or you don't have the genetics to become the person in your dreams!