Q: Describe your life before the Body-for-LIFE Challenge?
Before taking the Body-for-LIFE Challenge, I was a depressed, obese, unattractive woman with high cholesterol and hypothyroidism. I suffered leg, back, and chest pain on a regular basis and experienced shortness of breath when ascending a flight of stairs. I had no energy and as a result got little or no exercise. I slept often and only left the house to go to work or the grocery store. I had become a prisoner in my home and my body.

Q: What made you finally decide to take that first step and enter the Challenge?
Porter Freeman was the driver behind my Challenge initiation. Although I had thousands of reasons to begin as a result of my family history and my own medical conditions, I did not believe that I had the ability to change these factors. In fact, I used them as excuses for not being able to lose weight or gain energy.

When Porter told me that I could not only lose weight but also minimize my risks and potentially reverse some of my medical conditions, I believed him. The hope that he inspired in me throughout his presentation cultivated into a determination to be successful. I walked out of the Orpheum Theatre on September 13, 2006, and informed the representatives who were handing out the City of Phoenix and the Body-for-LIFE Official Entry Kits that I was not only going to complete the 12-week challenge but that I was going to win.

Q: What were your very first impressions of the program? Did you struggle or was it liberating?
My initial impressions of the Body-for-LIFE program were that it was achievable for 12 weeks and maintainable for a lifetime. As I began the program, this initial assessment was reinforced. It was liberating to complete the workouts on a daily basis; the more I did, the more energy I had. I actually added evening cardio to my plan around week 4-5.

Q: Talk about the moment you first began to see changes in your body and/or outlook?
By week 4, I began to see and feel significant changes in my body and/or outlook. I took progress pictures and saw impressive physical changes. My abs were developing and the fat on my back, hips, and thighs was decreasing rapidly. My mental acuity had improved and my outlook in my professional and personal endeavors was much more positive. Since I had a focus and a goal that I had control over, the things I did not have control over seemed to have less of a negative impact. My stress was therefore decreased and my attitude enhanced.

Q: Did you have to over-come any obstacles during your 12-Week Challenge?
During the 12-Week Challenge, I overcame what I considered to be three obstacles. The first was travel. I took trips to Las Vegas during week 1 and week 4 and a trip to Pennsylvania during week 9. I was able to stay on plan with regards to both exercise and diet. The second obstacle was holidays and special occasions. I did the Challenge from September 13 through December 5, 2006. This period covered Halloween, my daughter’s 18th birthday, my 10th wedding anniversary, and Thanksgiving. As difficult as it was, I completed the entire 12-week challenge without a free meal. The final obstacle was an ankle injury that occurred after my trip to Pennsylvania. During the last 21 days of the challenge, every time I performed my cardio workouts (both my HIIT cardio and my evening cardio) my ankle would swell. I refused to see I doctor until the 12 weeks was complete, as I knew I would not be able to take his advice if he requested that I stay off of it. As it turned out, I had a very bad bruise that took six weeks to heal.

Q: How did you feel on the very last day of your Challenge?
Day 84 was memorable; however, day 85 was even more significant. Upon completing my BFL workout the morning after my Challenge, it dawned on me that I was on the plan for a lifetime. I was excited and proud that I continued my workouts without hesitation. It was at this point that I knew that I had taken on this program for Life.

Q: What was the reaction of your friends and family to the amazing changes you made?
My friends and family have been truly amazed by my results. My family is beginning to focus more on a healthy lifestyle. My children and husband are extremely proud. My daughter has even requested my advice on diet and exercise. My sisters are trying to incorporate the program into their plans as well. Due to my parents’ current medical problems, it has been extremely difficult for my sisters to totally commit to the program as they spend a great deal of time at the hospital or away from their homes; however, I believe they will accept the challenge as soon as this ordeal becomes more manageable. The City began its second challenge in January 2007, and I was thrilled and excited to see a large increase in the number of participants. Body-for-LIFE is the topic of conversation everywhere I go. I receive emails and phone calls from City employees requesting advice or just support. I have been called an inspiration by many and am honored at the thought of changing someone else’s life.

Q: Do you still follow the Body-for-LIFE program?
I still follow the Body-for-LIFE program and expect to do so for a lifetime. I am thrilled by my physical and mental transformation but know that I still have some work to do. I have started my second challenge and hope to complete my transformation during this 12-week period.

Q: If someone were to ask your advice about starting—and finishing—the Challenge, what would you tell them?
If someone were to ask my advice about starting and finishing the Challenge, I would tell them to identify their reason, set their goals high, journal everything, arm themselves with a support system, and never forget their dreams. Beginning the challenge is the first step to a new life. A life that is realistically achievable if the challenge is completed.

Q: How has your life changed since doing the Challenge?
Since doing the Challenge, I have become a healthier, happier person. My life has meaning and I each day has direction. I have become a mentor and inspiration and consider those roles to be highly coveted and in need of careful handling. I aspire to be worthy of such distinguished titles.

Q: Where do you think you’d be if you had never done the Challenge?
Had I not completed the Challenge, I would probably be well on my way to serious medical issues and possibly hospitalization.

Q: After going through the 12 Weeks, how was your mindset different than it was before? Where you able to face challenges in your life with more confidence?
At the beginning of the challenge, I was depressed. Although I knew inside that I had the knowledge and experience to be successful in my professional and personal life, I do not believe that I portrayed this self-assuredness to those around me. After 12 weeks, I am certain that people see me in a different light. I am happier and face challenges with excitement and enthusiasm. I have the strength and confidence in my decisions and as a result I am able to reach a little higher, push a little harder, and be successful in all that I attempt.

Q: What is your favorite free day meal?
During the challenge I did not take free day meals. At this point, I have begun to take more liberties with my free day diet. I enjoy any type of dessert and an occasional diet coke and Malibu rum.

Q: How have you spread the word of Body-for-LIFE to other folks?
During week 8, I traveled to PA to visit my family. I took three sets of BFL books for my sisters who reside there. I taught them to shop, eat, and exercise properly. I requested they join me in the next challenge to improve their health and lives. In addition to these three sisters, I provided a set of books to my sister and sister-in-law in Arizona. I have also given a set to a friend. When people ask me (and sometimes when they don’t ask) about my transformation, I tell them about Body-for-LIFE. I encourage co-workers to take the challenge. I know of at least seven IT co-workers who began the program in January 2007 as a result of my success. Other departments are also following suit. I respond to telephone calls and emails from individuals within and outside the City soliciting advice and support. I tell everyone and anyone about the program and how I followed it. Everyone with whom I come into contact has noticed the physical and psychological changes I have experienced. I talk about the plan every chance I get because I am so thrilled with the results.

Q: What are your current goals?
I have decided that the new year and my second official challenge will be used to complete my physical transformation. I want to reduce the body fat while increasing the lean muscle mass. I also want to become a mentor and inspiration for others. I believe that I have been blessed with a wonderful opportunity to make a difference in the lives of others now that I have taken control of my own life.

Q: Quotes that inspire?
“Consult not your fears but your hopes and your dreams. Think not about your frustrations, but about your unfulfilled potential. Concern yourself not with what you tried and failed in, but with what it is still possible for you to do." --Pope John XXIII

“Only as high as I reach can I grow, only as far as I seek can I go, only as deep as I look can I see, only as much as I dream can I be.” --Karen Ravn

Q: Define Success?
I could not define success any better than Ralph Waldo Emerson does in his poem What Is Success? My favorite statement is within the last line: “To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived.” That, to me, is the true definition of success. I have been fortunate in that Body-for-LIFE has brought this statement home to me. I have been called someone’s inspiration and someone’s hero. I truly believe that I have now achieved the success I have sought all my life. I can only aspire to achieve it over and over again as I become a positive influence to those around me who are considering and/or performing their own personal challenges.

What Is Success?
by Ralph Waldo Emerson

To laugh often and much;
To win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children;
To earn the approbation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends;
To appreciate beauty;
To find the best in others;
To give of one's self;
To leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition;
To have played and laughed with enthusiasm and sung with exultation;
To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived - This is to have succeeded.

Q: Any final thoughts?
I am truly grateful for the opportunity that EAS, and Body-for-LIFE have afforded me. You have not only given me a life worth living, you have made me a success. In the past, when I witnessed death around me, I often wondered how my last moments would play out. Would there be lots of mourners at my funeral? Would I grow old alone? I now realize that it is not how I die but how I live that matters. By touching one person deep enough to make them take control and change their destiny, I have left a legacy. I can go to my grave knowing now that I made a difference!

Q: What are your favorite EAS products?
Myoplex Lite, Myoplex Carb Sense, Thermo DynamX