I was born in Dearborn, Michigan in 1965. As the oldest of 7 I have many fond memories of my childhood. My 4 brothers and 2 sisters and I have been much loved over the years by our parents Charles "Chuck" and Ruth Mann. I love the box of old pictures snapped of our growing years in Ohio, Kentucky, but mostly upstate New York where my parents still live and I make my home with my own family.
My husband Mike and I married in 1986 and have 3 children. We have weathered many storms together and also shared much joy. Mike has been so patient with me all these years that I have struggled with weight and depression and I am so greatful.
My struggle with weight actually began in my late teens when I started seeking comfort from food as a way to deal with depression. Although I did eventually find relief from medication I continued to turn to food to meet my needs. Eventually finding myself 270 pounds with elevated cholesterol, blood sugar, and blood pressure. I felt hopeless.
Knowing I needed to change but feeling incapable of doing so I turned to God. "Perhaps the Lord will just help me to accept myself as I am," I thought. God had something better in mind, He gave me the good scare He knew I needed. On October 23, 2006, a day that changed my life, I went to the emergency room with chest pains. I did not actually have a heart attack but I had a renewed determination to eat to live rather than live to eat.
I had the head knowledge and now I was finally putting it into practice. Those first few weeks adjusting to a new way of eating and thinking were difficult. Books that presented the eat less move more concept in a fresh way were at the top of my reading list. I started walking and when winter set in I began exercising with Leslie Sansone's Walk Away the Pounds DVDs. In the spring my husband treated me to a new bike and I bought my first pair of running shoes. Later that year I competed in a Biggest Loser style contest at a local gym, won a one year membership, and discovered a love for weight training. One of the best things I did was join a weight loss group I now call my TOPS (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) family.
It took me 20 months to reach my goal of 150 pounds in June 2008. Maintaining my goal has proved to be a real challenge and in fact I found that it was too low and raised it to 155. As the woman who lost the most weight to goal in New York State I was crowned the 2008 state queen and had the honor of speaking at several TOPS events. Public speaking, although scary, has been a wonderful way to share encouragement with others; something I discovered I enjoy. The other wonderful thing about helping others is that it keeps me accountable. So although keeping my weight in check is a challenge it is one worth meeting. My hope has been restored through the miracle that God has worked in my life and I look forward to sharing that same hope with others in the future.
