The Journey of a Thousand Miles

Between the ages of 40-45, I put my body through a lot. My husband and I embarked on a journey to parenthood through IVF. After multiple attempts, anguish, and disappointment, we decided it wasn’t in the cards, so we created a family by adopting two dogs. But by then my body had gone through the wringer, and I had so many syringe scars on my stomach that I looked like a drug addict. I could not bring myself to see another doctor! I was tired of being poked and prodded. Not only did the treatments fail, but I had put on 30 pounds in the process, and I had never felt worse about my body and my life in general. Being tall, I had always enjoyed a slender figure, and it was easy for me to keep the weight off, but after years of hormone injections, it was impossible. I sunk deeper into depression. I felt old. I was the saddest version of myself I had ever witnessed. It was time to act.

Then came a pivotal moment. One day, I visited my life coach Lisa, and as we sat in her backyard I signed and told her, “I feel as though I have no pulse.” Without hesitation, she told me to get up and do 15 jumping jacks right there on the spot! Surprised, I asked, “Right here, right now?” She insisted, “YES!”

After I finished, I sat back down, breathless and with my heart pounding out of my chest. Lisa asked, “How do you feel?” With a flushed smiled I said, “like I have a pulse!”

Lisa encouraged me to start small, with just five minutes of cardio each day. She didn’t care if it was jumping jacks or dancing to my favorite song—what mattered was that I moved. Gradually, I increased the time, and within weeks, I was doing 10 minutes. After a month, I felt more energized and happier. But exercise alone wasn’t enough to shed the weight. That’s when I turned to Noom. Although this isn’t a promotional blog, I managed to lose 30 pounds in just under a year living in a calorie deficit (warning: please consult with your doctor or nutritionist before starting any dietary regimen!)

Thus, with a sense of renewed vigor, I rediscovered my love for barre classes, yoga and pilates, which I had enjoyed years ago. Barre workouts helped shape my body from the inside out, but I wanted to build muscle as well. I joined the Training Lab and started working with coach Nicole, who became a true godsend. At the beginning, I struggled with 5-pound dumbbells, but over two years, I progressed to lifting 15-25 pound dumbbells and performing 110-pound trap bar deadlifts. Many women fear lifting heavy weights due to the misconception that they’ll bulk up, but that is simple not true.

This journey of transformation wasn’t just physical; it was deeply empowering. As I grew stronger, I felt more confident and capable. This newfound empowerment inspired me to pursue my dreams with renewed determination. I realized this journey was about reclaiming my confidence and energy, and stepping into vulnerability. In fact, I really struggled with posting the above featured image to my social platform, as we live in a society so deeply focused on appearances, and the ‘never let them see your weak’ mind set. Even my agent said, ‘you are your brand…keep that at the back of your head always!’ But part of my journey is exactly to step out of what’s the norm and get comfortable being uncomfortable. Nevertheless, it’s scary, I know.

The ancient Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu said, “The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.” He was absolutely right. You won’t get anywhere unless you start. So, start today. Make that change. Take that first step toward becoming the best version of yourself. The road ahead may hard, but it’s worth every step.