Do GLP-1s Really Help with Healthy Weight Loss?

WEBVTT
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All right.
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Hey everyone, it's Laura Williamson.
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This is Bear Speak.
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Thanks for joining me today.
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I have an awesome, awesome guest, Wesley, Etienne, Pierre.
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I'm working on my French people.
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Don't laugh at me.
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Don't judge me.
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I'm trying.
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I'm working on it.
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I am a personal trainer, a Pilates instructor, a Reiki practitioner, as well as a health coach.
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And I do all the things.
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Uh consider me a fitness cheerleader.
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But today's show is going to be a good one.
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We are going to talk about weight loss in this particular year and how it's changed and the benefits and the wins and all the work that it takes to get to where you want to go.
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But here's the difference, ladies and gentlemen.
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We're going to talk about all the current trends and events with regards to weight loss.
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We're going to talk about GLP1.
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We're just going to dig in and get into it.
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So let's welcome our guest, Wesley.
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Welcome.
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Thank you for being here today.
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How are you?
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I'm so good.
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I'm very excited to be here with you today.
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I'm excited to have you.
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Uh just to give you a little backstory.
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So, Wesley and I, we've been working together and and I have been training her and working with her.
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But even before me, she was already on a path.
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And I'm just lucky enough to be a part of her journey and a part of her story right now.
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And so I'm fortunate enough that she is willing to open herself up and share the story with me and with you today in hopes that it actually helps to inspire someone and inform someone.
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We also want to put some rumors to bed while we are here today.
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And um clarity, I think, is also what we're looking for.
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Absolutely.
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So at any rate, we're gonna just get into it.
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So hi, tell us, tell us about yourself.
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What do you do?
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What do I do?
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I do all the things.
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So my name is Wesley Tian Pierre.
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Um I am in my daytime, I'm an educational executive.
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I'm a wife, I'm a mom to a seven-year-old, I'm a big sister, I'm all the things to a lot of people, and for a long time not enough to myself.
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So I'm excited to talk about that today.
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Well, that's honest.
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Well, yes, that's one of the reasons why we're here today.
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Now, let's just start with the obvious.
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Why?
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Why did you decide to lose weight?
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Why, where did it start?
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What what made you how did you get to that point to say, you know what, today I'm going to do something about this?
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Yeah, so I've lost 125 pounds over the past three years doing everything under the sun.
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It's been an incredible journey, so I'm really excited to share it with you today.
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So my desire to lose weight came with the ideas around longevity.
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Okay.
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I had a daughter.
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If I have this kid, I need to be alive for her.
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It wasn't really about me.
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It wasn't about anything more than I need to ensure that my body is in a state that I can live long for her in support of her and ensure that I'm able to care and protect her.
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So that's what it was about for me.
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Um, and that was it.
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Okay.
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Um, I've been overweight my entire life.
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Like since childhood, doctors really never found it to be a concern, even up until I made the decision that I'm like, I'm gonna do something more drastic.
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Losing weight has been kind of a part of my entire life.
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It was always this like lose 50 pounds, gain it back, lose 20 pounds, gain it back, try a trend, lose some weight, maybe not, and just stress.
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Um, COVID was a turning point.
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I was home, I was sad, I started a business, really wasn't taking care of myself, and shot up to almost 300 pounds at 5'3.
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So that was crazy.
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That was that was the time.
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Um, and eventually I was just uncomfortable in my own body.
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I had a short period of time where I was just like, this is beyond like my baseline.
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Like 250 is kind of where my body was at.
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290 was a whole different ball game.
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I was like, this just isn't.
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So I got on a very kind of like toxic eating habit of just like eating very, very low calories for a long time, which eventually like led my body into being a bit in starvation mode.
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So when I would eat, my body would just keep everything.
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So even though I was eating significantly under calories, because what I was always told was it's calories in, calories out.
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Right.
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As long as you're eating less calories than your body needs, then you will be fine, you'll lose weight, you'll be in a teeny weenie polka dot bikini, all those things.
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And that was not the case for me.
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I'm gonna like kind of go back and forth on kind of the journey.
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When I did kind of make the decision around the more drastic thing to lose weight, they had me kind of count how many calories I was eating in a day for like about a week or two.
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And it turns out I was eating like 900 calories a day.
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They're like, your body is starving.
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How long have you been eating this?
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So I'm like, probably like a decade.
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They're like, Well, yeah, that's not healthy.
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It sounds like you've been in a calorie deficit for a long time and your body's your metabolism is pretty much shot.
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Like nothing's working as it should.
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So even if you did quote unquote do the right things, your body would never actually respond because everything is completely out of your whack and your body's just trying to survive.
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It's under constant stress, you're not eating well, you're not sleeping well, so everything is kind of working against you.
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So I started having real conversations.
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So this is a lot.
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As soon as I hear it, what I think about is for someone who is listening to you, you're gonna think, Yeah, exactly.
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So, what do I do?
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There's so much that I have to do.
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It's so much work, it's gonna take so much time because the idea of it is daunting.
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It's like, what do I have to do to get to the body?
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You know what I told myself?
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The time's gonna pass anyways.
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Let's say it takes me five years to lose 50 pounds that slow.
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The five years is gonna go by anyways.
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So I might as well be working towards who I want to be in that five years rather than look back and say, wow, another five years just went by and I didn't do anything that I actually wanted to do.
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So for me, it really wasn't about the weight loss.
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It was definitely the fat loss and living longer and ensuring that I had enough muscle to survive.
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So as soon as I kind of shifted my brain around, it's not about the number on the scale, but it's instead about how much muscle I have on my body, how much independence I'll have when I'm older, how much I'm able to walk up and down steps independently, how much I'm able to move by myself.
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That's what it came about for me.
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So some of those psychological changes made a big difference for me and kind of the journey because I'm like, it's not really about losing the weight, like what is weight, anyways, but it's really about the health of my body, how strong I am, and making sure that there's just less fat on my body.
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And that was transformative for me.
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But wait, as a trainer, one of the things that I work with with people all the time is change, right?
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Change is extremely hard for a lot of people.
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And usually when people hear that they have to make changes, it's it's what do I what do I need to do?
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How do I do it?
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And oh, how hard is it gonna be, right?
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Because no one wants to be uncomfortable, no one wants to be out of sorts, and really because you want to be comfortable, it's difficult to start something new, and usually that can hold people up, aside from I'm just busy, I don't have time, which is another conversation, but change is hard.
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So I'm gonna start with that.
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How were you able to make these changes so very easily?
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I did it one step at a time.
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So I created this philosophy called the one the single habit method.
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I'm an educator.
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When I'm teaching a student a new skill, I don't teach them 10 things at once, I teach them one thing at a time and I use them as building blocks.
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Okay.
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And they compound over time.
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So I developed a method called the single habit method, and I learned, taught myself one new habit at a time.
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So I know that in order for my body to be healthy, I need to be moving it, I need to be drinking water, I need to be eating healthy, I need to make sure I'm sleeping, I need to make sure I'm getting my nutrients in.
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That's a lot.
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And typically, every time I tried in the past, I would try to do all of those 10 things at the same time.
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I would burn out, I'd get overwhelmed.
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If I forgot something for a day, I'd be upset with myself.
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It was a lot.
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And I don't think people think about the mental aspect of the health journey as being like the most important part.
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Because if mentally you're not clicked in, your body and your mind need to work together.
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And if they're not on the same page, you're gonna be on this hamster wheel of starting over.
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I'll start on Monday, I'll start on Monday.
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So I told myself I'm going to learn one new thing.
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So I wrote down all the things.
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The most important thing for me, and the hardest thing for me was drinking enough water.
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I spent two months teaching myself how to drink 80 ounces of water.
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I didn't think about anything else.
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I didn't think about supplements.
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I didn't think about movement.
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I didn't think about protein.
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I was like, I really need to nail down at the very least because I was like, lipolysis.
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The other thing was learning the science of weight loss.
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That's me as an educator.
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I did research.
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I was like, how does the body actually lose weight?
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How does it lose fat?
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Lipolysis requires water.
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And I didn't realize how much not having enough water in my body was counterintuitive to losing fat.
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If you're not drinking, people, if you are not drinking enough water, your body will not lose fat because it physically can't do it.
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So I taught myself how to drink 80 ounces of water for two months.
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That's all I did.
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Once I learned that, and I was like, oh, I'm drinking water all the time.
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I don't have to think about this anymore.
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It's part of who I am.
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I really need to make sure I'm getting enough nutrients.
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Let's take the supplements that my doctor's been telling me that I'm low on iron, low on this, low on that.
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Because again, if you don't have the right nutrients, your body cannot do what it actually needs to do.
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It's just trying to survive.
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So after I taught myself how to drink water for two months, I zoned in on actually taking my supplements.
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That learned that took about two weeks.
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Because at that point, I have this habit that I'm building.
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When I'm drinking water, I'm remembering I'm actually putting my timer.
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That took two weeks.
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After that, two weeks, so now I'm drinking enough water.
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I'm having enough supplements.
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So these are the building blocks.
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Then I knew protein was very important.
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I had to take, I think it's like 150 grams of protein based on kind of the weight.
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Breachra said the weight that you want to weigh is what you should be having in protein.
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Then I taught myself how to eat enough protein.
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So now that I've been building these habits over time, adding on a new habit became a lot easier because I kind of had like the discipline and the desire, and it was less of a mental kind of uh exercise for me.
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And it kind of just became routine.
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Just as brushing my teeth, I'd brush my teeth, I'd have my supplements.
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That's they call that habit stacking.
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Mine was the single habit method, but they call it like the habit stacking, adding one thing on top of another.
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But that was for me, that's what made like the discipline aspect work.
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And after all that, then I started working out because I know my nutrients were intact, I was well hydrated, my supplements, now I actually had the energy to work out to make sure I'm sleeping on time.
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So I just added one habit at a time until I did all the things.
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So some of the things that I encounter as a trainer, again, someone sitting and listening to this is gonna say, yeah, no, there's no way I'm gonna do all of that, you know?
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And and I only say that and not as a negative point because I commend you for the work that you have done, because it takes work.
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And but I feel as though we're in a society where we want immediate gratification, like we want it tomorrow.
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And I'm sure we can say, no, I know intellectually people are aware they know these things take time, which is part of the problem, right?
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And I think sometimes people will get held up because we call call it also mindset, at least I call it mindset as a trainer, right?
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It starts here first.
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What is gonna happen out here in the real world, it always starts here first.
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And is what's the saying, get your mind right?
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That's real.
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Yeah, right?
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So because you can run and do all the things, but the issue is you gotta start here first and make a decision to flip the switch and decide what is it you want and what are you going to do to get it?
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And that's also patience, I'm finding.
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So a lot of people don't have that patience aside from time.
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I think it's easy to say that you don't have enough time to get certain things done.
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However, it's about you.
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It's self-love, it's self-dedication.
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So what do you say to someone who says, Well, it just didn't work for me?
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What did it work for you?
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Well, that's true.
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That's when we start to unpack it.
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But that's just because I get it as a fitness professional, or it didn't work out, or I didn't have time, or I'm just trying to think of some of the what's been told to me.
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You understand?
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And then because I've seen both sides of it where people who just make a decision one day they get up, they say, I don't want to do this anymore.
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I don't want this for myself.
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Right.
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So how does one get to this point?
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Again, you're an educator, you're you're all the things.
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But a lot of people are not.
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Yeah.
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Right?
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So how do how do you because I don't want someone to listen to this and think, well, oh, that's not me, but that's something else also.
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That's that's about that person.
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Right.
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But it you were thinking about someone else, you were thinking about family, you were thinking about your daughter, you were thinking about longevity, you were thinking about aging.
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Yeah.
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Which other people are also.
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Of course.
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But the difference is you found a way to make it work for you.
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Yeah.
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So what was the one thing if you if you had to give one bit of advice or one thing that's doable for someone to start, right?
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Because me, for me, I say small actions.
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That's what I say, small steps.
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Yeah.
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Give yourself one thing to do a day, is what my advice would be.
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And then start moving in that direction.
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And it doesn't have to be glamorous, it could be simple as writing a note to yourself.
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For me, I knew what I hated.
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I was heavy on, I don't like running.
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I don't like when my heart is beating really fast and I feel like it's coming out of my chest.
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I learned that I didn't need to do the things I hated.
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I found ways to make it fun.
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Okay.
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That was for me.
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For me, if it's not fun, I'm not doing it.
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That's right.
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Okay.
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It had to be fun.
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So, what are the things that I enjoy doing?
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I liked going out a lot.
00:15:06.480 --> 00:15:08.879
I went out at night, we drank, we'd have a party.
00:15:09.120 --> 00:15:10.320
Like that's what I would do.
00:15:10.480 --> 00:15:13.279
But the reality is that left me exhausted.
00:15:13.440 --> 00:15:14.480
It left me overwhelmed.
00:15:14.559 --> 00:15:15.759
It left me overstimulated.
00:15:15.840 --> 00:15:17.200
It shot my nervous system.
00:15:17.519 --> 00:15:18.720
It made my body hard.
00:15:18.960 --> 00:15:21.840
It was harder for my body to lose fat if I have alcohol in my system.
00:15:22.080 --> 00:15:26.879
So I started to kind of flip what it is that I was doing and make it healthier.
00:15:27.679 --> 00:15:29.279
So I still go out with my friends.
00:15:29.360 --> 00:15:31.279
We go to wellness events in the daytime.
00:15:31.519 --> 00:15:32.320
That's what we do.
00:15:32.879 --> 00:15:33.759
We still get cute.
00:15:33.919 --> 00:15:34.799
We wear our sets.
00:15:35.039 --> 00:15:35.360
I love it.
00:15:35.519 --> 00:15:36.559
We do all like I do.
00:15:36.960 --> 00:15:37.519
I've seen your sets.
00:15:37.600 --> 00:15:38.080
They're very cute.
00:15:38.159 --> 00:15:38.720
They're really cute.
00:15:38.799 --> 00:15:43.440
And the colors are really cute, but I but I've said that to people like buy clothes you actually like.
00:15:43.679 --> 00:15:44.399
That's what I'm saying.
00:15:44.480 --> 00:15:45.759
I found I just made it fun.
00:15:45.840 --> 00:15:47.679
I'm like, what are the things that I enjoy doing?
00:15:47.840 --> 00:15:49.279
What is the healthier aspect of that?
00:15:49.440 --> 00:15:50.879
The same way that there's food switches.
00:15:50.960 --> 00:15:53.200
It's like, yeah, I love like bread.
00:15:53.279 --> 00:15:58.000
Maybe I do a wrap, or maybe I do a protein bagel instead of a regular bagel.
00:15:58.240 --> 00:16:04.639
So there's, especially now, there are I don't want to say there's no excuse because everybody has something going on.
00:16:04.799 --> 00:16:04.960
Right.
00:16:05.200 --> 00:16:05.759
Financially.
00:16:06.000 --> 00:16:06.320
This is true.
00:16:06.639 --> 00:16:06.960
Mentally.
00:16:07.120 --> 00:16:07.440
This is true.
00:16:07.759 --> 00:16:08.559
Emotionally.
00:16:08.799 --> 00:16:15.120
They might be in a tough situation at home with their family, but there's so many more tools now than there were before.
00:16:15.279 --> 00:16:17.840
And I just feel like people need to talk about those tools more.
00:16:18.000 --> 00:16:19.440
There's so many switches.
00:16:19.600 --> 00:16:21.840
There are so many apps that are free.
00:16:22.000 --> 00:16:23.840
It's research that is out there.
00:16:24.000 --> 00:16:29.440
Talking to your doctors, I don't think enough people actually talk to their medical professionals about how they actually feel.
00:16:29.679 --> 00:16:31.200
And that was the one step for me.
00:16:31.279 --> 00:16:34.639
If I was gonna say one thing, talk to your doctor.
00:16:34.799 --> 00:16:37.759
Find a doctor that you trust that believes you.
00:16:37.919 --> 00:16:41.519
If you're not comfortable talking to your medical professional, find another one.
00:16:41.759 --> 00:16:49.200
Like it's really, really important that you are talking to, you're not getting stuff from Instagram, you're not getting like information from your cousin next door.
00:16:49.360 --> 00:16:53.759
Talk to the medical professionals that you trust about what is best for your health.
00:16:53.840 --> 00:16:57.600
Because it might be just blood work that needs to be done and they're like, you have PCOS.
00:16:57.759 --> 00:16:59.519
That's why nothing you're doing is working.
00:16:59.679 --> 00:17:03.600
Or you have some other hormonal imbalance, that's why nothing's working.
00:17:03.679 --> 00:17:11.359
And there are solutions for those things, but not enough people are actually connecting wellness and longevity to like medical things.
00:17:11.519 --> 00:17:14.960
These are not just you're lazy, these are not just you're not doing the right things.
00:17:15.039 --> 00:17:19.839
But if you're exhausted, overwhelmed, mentally you're not there, that's a medical issue.
00:17:20.079 --> 00:17:28.079
And I this time I took the medical route to addressing the weight loss as opposed to just doing the fads, doing the trends, doing the shakes.
00:17:28.240 --> 00:17:28.960
That wasn't working.
00:17:29.039 --> 00:17:32.480
I was like, hey, doc, my my weight is out of control.
00:17:32.960 --> 00:17:36.720
Doctors never thought my weight was an issue because it didn't adversely affect my health.
00:17:36.799 --> 00:17:38.160
I had no comorbidities.
00:17:38.240 --> 00:17:40.000
I didn't have diabetes.
00:17:40.160 --> 00:17:44.079
I didn't have any of like the negative things that come with like a high amount of weight.
00:17:44.240 --> 00:17:48.559
I didn't have any of those things, but I knew long term, eventually that luck was gonna run out.
00:17:49.039 --> 00:17:50.880
I was like, but but that's not gonna last forever.
00:17:50.960 --> 00:17:54.720
They're like, no, as you get older, it's gonna be harder for your body to rebound.
00:17:54.799 --> 00:17:56.240
I was like, all right, so what do we do?
00:17:56.400 --> 00:17:58.000
They gave me all my options.
00:17:58.160 --> 00:18:04.079
You can try a GLP1, you can have weight loss surgery, you can try fentramine, all the other things.
00:18:04.160 --> 00:18:05.599
And I just worked my way down the line.
00:18:05.759 --> 00:18:11.119
So for I started off with like fentramine, metformin wasn't much of a thing.
00:18:11.279 --> 00:18:14.559
Up until recently, so three years ago, I tried a GLP1.
00:18:14.880 --> 00:18:15.680
That was great.
00:18:15.839 --> 00:18:17.839
I didn't know there was such a thing as food noise.
00:18:18.160 --> 00:18:24.960
I had never heard of the topic until I started GLP1, and my brain wasn't always thinking about food.
00:18:25.920 --> 00:18:29.680
A lot of people don't realize that that's I didn't realize that was a thing for me.
00:18:29.920 --> 00:18:33.920
And I would think about the food, but I wouldn't eat the food because I knew that was the thing.
00:18:34.000 --> 00:18:39.920
So it's not that I was thinking about food and binge eating, because remember, 900 calories, that's not someone that I wasn't eating much.
00:18:40.079 --> 00:18:45.279
But the food noise was there, but part of the food noise being there was because I was starving.
00:18:45.759 --> 00:18:47.200
So it was all those things.
00:18:47.279 --> 00:18:49.039
So it wasn't until I took the medical route.
00:18:49.119 --> 00:18:51.279
I'm like, okay, this is a metabolic problem.
00:18:51.440 --> 00:19:09.200
This is not just uh Wes, you're lazy, because you're out moving, you're walking, you're eating quote unquote the healthy things, but there were real like things going on on my inside that food and movement weren't gonna address until I actually got the blood work done that they actually did a workup on me.
00:19:09.279 --> 00:19:11.200
And they're like, your whole body shot.
00:19:11.440 --> 00:19:15.279
There's medication you need to take in order for all the things you do to work.
00:19:15.920 --> 00:19:17.680
And then they didn't start it working.
00:19:18.000 --> 00:19:18.319
Okay.
00:19:18.400 --> 00:19:18.559
Yeah.
00:19:18.720 --> 00:19:20.240
So then you did the GLP one.
00:19:20.400 --> 00:19:21.440
I did the GLP one.
00:19:21.519 --> 00:19:23.119
I was on that for a year.
00:19:23.279 --> 00:19:23.519
Yep.
00:19:23.680 --> 00:19:24.799
I lost 50 pounds.
00:19:24.960 --> 00:19:25.200
Okay.
00:19:25.440 --> 00:19:33.039
During which the doctor was like, you also qualify for weight loss surgery, which was either the gastric gastric sleeve or the bypass.
00:19:33.359 --> 00:19:35.440
I had friends that had had the gastric sleeve.
00:19:35.519 --> 00:19:36.960
It was life-changing for them.
00:19:37.200 --> 00:19:42.880
Because they had it, they were then able to move their bodies, able to actually see progress from what they were doing.
00:19:42.960 --> 00:19:44.160
That was transformative.
00:19:44.240 --> 00:19:58.079
So they they were like, it takes a while in order for you to like get through the process because there's blood work that needs to be done, testing, there is psychological testing that needs to be done to ensure that you'll actually be able, because it's not about just losing the weight, right?
00:19:58.319 --> 00:20:01.519
We need to be able to sustain the lifestyle well beyond surgery.
00:20:01.680 --> 00:20:01.839
Right.
00:20:02.000 --> 00:20:05.759
So what the surgery does is it does, so I ended up going with the gaslic sleeve.
00:20:05.839 --> 00:20:06.880
It's called VSG.
00:20:06.960 --> 00:20:08.079
I don't know the professional name.
00:20:08.319 --> 00:20:09.680
But I did the gaslic sleeve.
00:20:09.759 --> 00:20:12.480
So that's when they take your stomach and they cut it smaller.
00:20:12.559 --> 00:20:15.039
So they take out two thirds and they leave one third behind.
00:20:15.519 --> 00:20:24.960
What that does is completely, I'm not a medical doctor, but from my understanding, it completely resets your metabolism and it teaches your body to actually function the way it should.
00:20:25.200 --> 00:20:25.519
Okay.
00:20:25.759 --> 00:20:30.880
So it one, it you eat less food, but eating less food was never my problem because I wasn't eating much.
00:20:31.039 --> 00:20:35.039
My body was just not metabolizing the food the way it should.
00:20:35.279 --> 00:20:35.599
Okay.
00:20:35.839 --> 00:20:40.559
So as part of that, I also work with a nutritionist who taught me how to eat food in the right order.
00:20:40.720 --> 00:20:40.880
Okay.
00:20:41.119 --> 00:20:48.400
I didn't realize though I have a plate of food in front of me, there is a correct order to eat the food in order for your body to process it correctly.
00:20:48.640 --> 00:20:50.559
Oh, so I don't even, I I'm not familiar with that.
00:20:50.799 --> 00:20:53.440
So in that process, I was taught, yep.
00:20:53.519 --> 00:20:57.119
I was taught to eat protein first because that's like the most important thing on your plate.
00:20:57.519 --> 00:21:03.039
Then you're gonna eat your fiber, which is your vegetable, and whatever's left, then you would eat kind of like your carb.
00:21:03.119 --> 00:21:04.720
So you want like a balanced plate.
00:21:04.960 --> 00:21:12.559
But if you're gonna prioritize it, especially when you have the gastric sleeve, because your stomach is so small, you need to be very effective and efficient in what you're eating.
00:21:12.799 --> 00:21:13.119
Understood.
00:21:13.279 --> 00:21:18.559
So eating the protein first is gonna ensure that my body has all the amino acids it needs to be.
00:21:18.799 --> 00:21:19.039
That's great.
00:21:19.599 --> 00:21:20.880
Your body's made up of protein.
00:21:21.119 --> 00:21:21.440
Exactly.
00:21:21.519 --> 00:21:24.720
So eating the protein first, then going on and eating my fiber.
00:21:24.880 --> 00:21:33.759
And of course, your body needs some amount of carbs, but leave that for last because there's with me losing weight, there's actually enough in my body to sustain without carbs for a certain amount.
00:21:34.400 --> 00:21:38.720
I recently added carbs back in like heavily because I'm trying to like slow down the weight loss.
00:21:38.960 --> 00:21:42.960
But eating in that, just being told in that process, I had never heard that before.
00:21:43.359 --> 00:21:44.160
I had never been told.
00:21:44.480 --> 00:21:46.079
But it makes it makes perfect sense.
00:21:46.319 --> 00:21:46.960
It makes perfect sense.
00:21:47.200 --> 00:21:49.519
But through that process, people might see it as a shortcut.
00:21:49.759 --> 00:21:58.880
But through that process, I learned so many things about how the body works and how to take care of it in a way that I just didn't know before.
00:21:59.119 --> 00:21:59.759
Yeah, but let's be clear.
00:22:00.400 --> 00:22:02.880
I have to say this you are open to learning.
00:22:03.440 --> 00:22:03.680
Of course.
00:22:03.839 --> 00:22:04.000
Yeah.
00:22:04.160 --> 00:22:04.319
Right.
00:22:04.880 --> 00:22:08.640
Again, not everyone is willing to do that.
00:22:08.880 --> 00:22:11.039
And if it sounds like work, is it work?
00:22:11.279 --> 00:22:11.920
It's so much work.
00:22:12.319 --> 00:22:12.960
It is so much work.
00:22:13.119 --> 00:22:13.759
It's so much work.
00:22:13.920 --> 00:22:17.279
But it I know this sounds corny, but it gets easier.
00:22:17.519 --> 00:22:17.680
Okay.
00:22:17.920 --> 00:22:21.119
Because eventually you just learn the routine and it becomes part of who you are.
00:22:21.440 --> 00:22:24.720
Like I had weighed 293 pounds at one point.
00:22:24.960 --> 00:22:26.160
First time saying this out loud.
00:22:26.400 --> 00:22:26.480
Okay.
00:22:26.720 --> 00:22:28.640
That was like my highest weight, 293.
00:22:28.720 --> 00:22:28.880
Yes.
00:22:29.119 --> 00:22:35.920
And now I've lost over 125 pounds at this point over the course of three years, which is fast.
00:22:36.240 --> 00:22:36.559
Okay.
00:22:36.799 --> 00:22:42.240
But I've been able, because I know protein first, I don't have much loose skin.
00:22:42.400 --> 00:22:43.599
That's worked out for me.
00:22:43.759 --> 00:22:44.640
I lift a lot.
00:22:44.720 --> 00:22:46.799
I'm working out multiple times.
00:22:46.960 --> 00:22:48.400
I don't want to say the number.
00:22:48.559 --> 00:22:51.359
Like I work out a lot, but I enjoy that and I love that.
00:22:51.440 --> 00:22:52.799
Was that necessary for my journey?
00:22:53.039 --> 00:22:57.119
I don't think so, working out this much, but I love it and I enjoy it.
00:22:57.359 --> 00:22:58.400
It's part of who I am.
00:22:58.559 --> 00:23:00.960
I work out with my friends, I work out with my daughter.
00:23:01.279 --> 00:23:04.640
But yeah, but let's let's but let's be clear.
00:23:04.720 --> 00:23:07.119
Like you work out because you enjoy working out.
00:23:07.279 --> 00:23:08.000
You want to work out.
00:23:08.480 --> 00:23:11.839
But like you mentioned earlier, this isn't just about the physical for you.
00:23:12.000 --> 00:23:12.160
No.
00:23:12.400 --> 00:23:22.079
This is so much deeper than of course because what's going on internally will actually ref it's reflective on what's what's going on externally and physically in the body.
00:23:22.799 --> 00:23:31.279
So it's my it's my impression that basically you benefit not just from the weight, like you benefit from interacting with your friends.
00:23:31.440 --> 00:23:39.839
You benefit like it all this also brings you more than just I'm working out and working out and throwing weights around or whatever routines you choose to be.
00:23:41.680 --> 00:23:44.160
As an educator, like I share the journey.
00:23:44.240 --> 00:23:46.400
I'm able, the more I do, the more I'm able to share.
00:23:46.559 --> 00:23:46.720
Okay.
00:23:46.880 --> 00:23:48.720
And the more I'm impacting the people around me.
00:23:48.880 --> 00:23:49.119
Okay.
00:23:49.279 --> 00:23:52.559
Especially other black women just like me, other women just like me.
00:23:52.720 --> 00:23:53.039
That's right.
00:23:53.200 --> 00:23:55.599
Who are trying to figure out what do I do with my body?
00:23:55.759 --> 00:23:57.599
I made this small human or not.
00:23:58.160 --> 00:24:02.880
I have this partner that I'm taking care of and responsible for or not, or just myself.
00:24:03.119 --> 00:24:05.119
Like, how do I pour back into me?
00:24:05.599 --> 00:24:07.039
Like, how do I do all these things?
00:24:07.200 --> 00:24:14.400
I have a job, I have children to take care of, a pet to take care of, a partner to take care of, bills to take care of.
00:24:14.559 --> 00:24:16.880
How do I do that and make space for me?
00:24:17.200 --> 00:24:24.160
I currently am a mom to a seven-year-old, I'm a wife, I have parents that are aging that I take care of.
00:24:24.319 --> 00:24:30.720
I have a brother that I'm responsible for, I'm in a PhD program, I run a business, I'm an educational executive.
00:24:30.960 --> 00:24:33.279
I check all those boxes of busy.
00:24:34.240 --> 00:24:35.200
Every single one.
00:24:35.759 --> 00:24:37.039
So let me ask you a question.
00:24:37.119 --> 00:24:43.039
So I'm gonna ask you this, yeah, and then we're gonna take a tiny break and then we're gonna start up again, okay?
00:24:43.440 --> 00:24:48.240
Um, because this is going really well, and I feel like we're gonna have to do a two-part on this situation.
00:24:48.640 --> 00:24:56.720
So before we before we before we take that break, have you found that you've you've gotten enough support throughout this journey?
00:24:57.039 --> 00:24:59.119
But before you answer that, hold on.
00:24:59.359 --> 00:25:01.839
Um, and we're gonna take a quick break.
00:25:02.160 --> 00:25:03.279
Do you work hard?
00:25:03.519 --> 00:25:04.720
Do you play hard?
00:25:04.960 --> 00:25:06.559
And are you living well?
00:25:06.960 --> 00:25:10.000
The truth is we're all figuring it out as we go.
00:25:10.160 --> 00:25:16.640
On BearSpeak, we have honest, relatable, and fun conversations with real people about life, growth, health, and becoming stronger.
00:25:16.960 --> 00:25:18.240
Relational life therapy.
00:25:18.319 --> 00:25:19.759
You and I have talked a little bit about this.
00:25:19.839 --> 00:25:21.039
This is Terrence Real.
00:25:21.279 --> 00:25:26.000
Depending on your makeup, you're either either in fight, flight, or fix.
00:25:26.319 --> 00:25:29.039
Because you can be the hero of your own movie.
00:25:29.279 --> 00:25:35.920
Stay tuned and listen to inspiring people who found the strength to face their biggest fears and live their biggest dreams.
00:25:36.160 --> 00:25:40.240
So so tell me, have you had enough support?
00:25:40.400 --> 00:25:41.279
Do you get support?
00:25:41.440 --> 00:25:44.880
What kind of support have you had during your journey, during this weight loss journey?
00:25:45.039 --> 00:25:46.559
I mean, most people don't have that support.
00:25:46.799 --> 00:25:49.039
Sometimes you know you got to do it on your own.
00:25:49.119 --> 00:25:49.359
Yeah.
00:25:49.519 --> 00:25:54.160
And but but tell me, what has have have you had any support and where has it come from?
00:25:54.240 --> 00:25:55.039
And what does it look like?
00:25:55.279 --> 00:26:08.240
So I'm really blessed because I had medical professionals in my life, whether it's family, my doctors, that trust me, that trust what I say, that believe me when I say something hurts, that believe me when I say like something's not working.
00:26:08.480 --> 00:26:13.359
At home, I have a very, very like close and tight family that supports me.
00:26:13.599 --> 00:26:17.039
My mom and my dad are always around to support like my daughter.
00:26:17.119 --> 00:26:20.559
We literally live in their house in their two families, so they live right upstairs.
00:26:20.799 --> 00:26:22.400
So extremely supportive there.
00:26:22.480 --> 00:26:24.240
My mom retired when I was pregnant.
00:26:24.640 --> 00:26:28.559
So I've had her support at 100%, like ever since my daughter was born.
00:26:28.799 --> 00:26:30.480
My husband is very competent.
00:26:30.720 --> 00:26:39.279
Mary, if you're gonna be with a partner, make sure they are competent and that they can stand on their own two feet and that they can be supportive of you and you're supportive of them.
00:26:39.519 --> 00:26:40.960
So my husband's very supportive.
00:26:41.119 --> 00:26:48.400
I have very supportive friends that believe in me, that trust me, that come along, that are like, if if Wes is doing this, we're all doing it together.
00:26:48.799 --> 00:26:49.920
So that's great.
00:26:50.160 --> 00:27:03.920
Um I've I've created a very big support system online just by sharing the journey and being vulnerable and being just authentic and sharing myself and creating space and room for people to believe like you can be yourself and still succeed.
00:27:04.160 --> 00:27:08.319
You don't have to change who you are, you don't have to match a certain setting.
00:27:08.559 --> 00:27:10.079
White supremacy is real.
00:27:10.240 --> 00:27:13.279
Like you don't have to change who you are and show up as this.
00:27:13.359 --> 00:27:19.599
I don't want to say unprofessional, but the right the white supremacist definition of professional is not the only way to be.
00:27:19.839 --> 00:27:24.799
You can truly be yourself and still win and end up in the spaces you're actually meant to be in.
00:27:25.200 --> 00:27:26.720
So I'm gonna share something with you.
00:27:26.880 --> 00:27:34.960
I had a a client that came in the other day, and I forget how I even got on the topic of you, to be honest.
00:27:35.039 --> 00:27:35.519
I might have been.
00:27:36.319 --> 00:27:37.599
Yes, you you know what it was?
00:27:37.680 --> 00:27:42.400
I was talking about the live stream of Pilates Matt, you doing Matt with us on Saturday.
00:27:43.519 --> 00:27:43.680
Right?
00:27:44.079 --> 00:27:48.160
So I was talking about that and I show her the video and she says, wait a minute, I know who that is.
00:27:48.319 --> 00:27:49.279
I was like, what do you mean?
00:27:49.440 --> 00:27:50.720
She's like, I know who that is.
00:27:50.880 --> 00:27:52.559
She's like, did she lose a lot of weight?
00:27:52.640 --> 00:27:53.440
And I go, Yeah.
00:27:53.599 --> 00:27:55.359
She's like, I've been following her.
00:27:55.519 --> 00:27:57.200
And I'm like, and and I was like, really?
00:27:57.519 --> 00:27:59.519
And she said, Yeah, I've been following her.
00:28:00.480 --> 00:28:00.720
Yes.
00:28:01.440 --> 00:28:02.319
That's this is real.
00:28:02.559 --> 00:28:07.519
I just didn't, I wasn't thinking about it, but it just occurred to me, this is real, this is true.
00:28:07.680 --> 00:28:10.640
And she says, Oh, I know I know where her shop is.
00:28:10.799 --> 00:28:12.960
I've seen her shop, I've driven by it.
00:28:13.039 --> 00:28:15.039
Uh she told me she's driven by it.
00:28:15.200 --> 00:28:16.559
And I said, Yeah, she's moving now.
00:28:16.799 --> 00:28:17.359
You know what I mean?
00:28:17.599 --> 00:28:19.440
I haven't told anyone that oops.
00:28:21.039 --> 00:28:22.319
We can edit that out moving.
00:28:22.400 --> 00:28:24.480
But wait, oh no, it'll be the other.
00:28:24.960 --> 00:28:26.160
Wesley already here first.
00:28:26.319 --> 00:28:27.440
Wesley is moving.
00:28:27.920 --> 00:28:29.359
I need that clip, George.
00:28:29.519 --> 00:28:32.720
West Leaf will be moving by the end of the month of March.
00:28:32.880 --> 00:28:33.279
Oh, yeah.
00:28:33.359 --> 00:28:35.119
This will this won't go up till April and May.
00:28:35.200 --> 00:28:36.319
I just need this little piece right here.
00:28:36.480 --> 00:28:37.200
We're gonna clip this.
00:28:37.279 --> 00:28:38.640
Yeah, so this is an announcement.
00:28:38.799 --> 00:28:40.559
Okay, West Leaf will be moving.
00:28:40.799 --> 00:28:42.480
Do we do we do yeah, you know what?
00:28:42.640 --> 00:28:43.359
Send me, send me.
00:28:43.599 --> 00:28:45.279
I can't absolutely, absolutely.
00:28:48.799 --> 00:28:49.920
This is an announcement.
00:28:50.240 --> 00:28:50.720
You ready?
00:28:51.119 --> 00:28:52.079
You're gonna record it right now.
00:28:52.240 --> 00:28:53.680
Do you want me to record it right now on my phone?
00:28:53.839 --> 00:28:54.960
Yeah, okay, that's real.
00:28:55.119 --> 00:28:58.240
Okay, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, wait.
00:28:58.319 --> 00:28:59.440
I gotta get to video.
00:28:59.680 --> 00:29:01.279
Okay, so you want me to go here and then go to the house.
00:29:02.079 --> 00:29:02.240
Okay.
00:29:02.640 --> 00:29:03.440
This is an announcement.
00:29:03.680 --> 00:29:04.240
Okay, I'm doing it.
00:29:04.400 --> 00:29:08.799
I'm here on Bear Fitness, and it accidentally came out that Westleaf will be moving.
00:29:09.119 --> 00:29:09.839
Get it right there?
00:29:10.000 --> 00:29:11.920
West Leaf will be moving.
00:29:12.079 --> 00:29:12.960
We will be moving.
00:29:13.119 --> 00:29:16.640
I will announce soon, but you heard it here first on Bear Fitness.
00:29:16.799 --> 00:29:18.400
Westleaf will be leaving Needham.
00:29:18.720 --> 00:29:21.599
Our lease was terminated for whatever reason, but we will be moving.
00:29:21.680 --> 00:29:22.960
So more to come.
00:29:23.200 --> 00:29:24.720
All right, awesome.
00:29:24.960 --> 00:29:25.279
All right.
00:29:25.599 --> 00:29:26.160
Exclusive.
00:29:26.240 --> 00:29:27.200
You got the exclusive.
00:29:27.519 --> 00:29:28.000
Right.
00:29:28.240 --> 00:29:29.359
That's hilarious.
00:29:30.160 --> 00:29:30.720
Yeah, it's true.
00:29:30.960 --> 00:29:31.200
Stop.
00:29:31.519 --> 00:29:31.759
It's true.
00:29:31.920 --> 00:29:32.319
Oh my god.
00:29:32.559 --> 00:29:33.759
Yeah, she's like, I know who she is.
00:29:33.839 --> 00:29:34.720
I'd driven by the shop.
00:29:34.880 --> 00:29:35.200
Oh my god.
00:29:35.359 --> 00:29:35.920
And I was like, yep.
00:29:36.079 --> 00:29:37.599
I was like, no, she's like, she's lost the weight.
00:29:37.839 --> 00:29:38.160
All this weight.
00:29:38.960 --> 00:29:44.000
No, so trust me, you are inspiring people more than you realize.
00:29:44.160 --> 00:29:45.200
And that's real.
00:29:45.440 --> 00:29:48.000
And so that's why I say to you, yeah.
00:29:48.160 --> 00:29:49.920
Yeah, keep doing what you're doing.
00:29:50.160 --> 00:29:52.000
Now, you lost the weight.
00:29:52.160 --> 00:29:54.400
I want to know what's a normal day look like for you?
00:29:54.559 --> 00:29:55.119
How do you start?
00:29:55.200 --> 00:29:55.680
What do you start?
00:29:56.799 --> 00:30:01.039
I like to get my workout in early in the morning before people are up.
00:30:01.519 --> 00:30:03.599
So sometimes I do 5 30s.
00:30:03.839 --> 00:30:06.880
Sometimes I get my daughter out the door for 6 30 and I work out after.
00:30:07.039 --> 00:30:07.279
Okay.
00:30:07.440 --> 00:30:14.640
So I usually start my day with some sort of movement because honestly, I'm at this space where it's like if I don't get it out in the morning, I'm thinking about it all day.
00:30:14.799 --> 00:30:17.359
I'm like, oh, I gotta make sure I gotta make time for a workout.
00:30:17.519 --> 00:30:23.119
And that ends up adding not undue stress, but I'm like, then I'm just thinking about it all day because I'm just excited to work out.
00:30:23.200 --> 00:30:29.039
Like it's it's become really a part, and I was not, I don't want y'all to think I was always like this.
00:30:29.119 --> 00:30:32.559
I wasn't, I was never a person who was thinking about working out.
00:30:32.720 --> 00:30:40.799
But once you actually start to see the progress, once you actually start to learn how to move and see the new things your body can do, it gets addicted.
00:30:40.960 --> 00:30:41.839
Yeah, it's really does.
00:30:42.319 --> 00:30:43.119
It gets really fun.
00:30:43.279 --> 00:30:44.240
It gets really fun.
00:30:44.400 --> 00:30:44.720
Yeah.
00:30:44.960 --> 00:30:47.359
Um, so I start off with a workout.
00:30:47.519 --> 00:30:49.200
Well, let's start from the beginning.
00:30:49.359 --> 00:31:00.000
I wake up, I get breakfast done, get my daughter out of bed, get her ready while breakfast is half the bacon's in the air fryer, getting my daughter ready for work for school.
00:31:00.160 --> 00:31:03.759
My husband walks out the door with her at 6 30, then I get some time to myself.
00:31:03.839 --> 00:31:07.200
So if I didn't have if Aura said I didn't have a good night's sleep, I get back in bed.
00:31:07.359 --> 00:31:08.720
Honestly, I get back in bed.
00:31:08.880 --> 00:31:11.119
So I give myself another hour or two of rest.
00:31:11.839 --> 00:31:16.319
Um if I'm feeling good and aura says your readiness is good, I'll work out.
00:31:16.559 --> 00:31:20.319
I'll either, if it's spring, summer, I'll go, I'll just I'll take like an hour walk.
00:31:20.400 --> 00:31:26.799
I'll just walk in the morning, put on some ratchet music, and I'm just walking through the streets of my neighborhood and I'll do that for an hour.
00:31:27.200 --> 00:31:28.960
Um, winter, I go to the gym.
00:31:29.359 --> 00:31:33.440
So I'll either walk out and work out on the treadmill and I'm just walking.
00:31:33.599 --> 00:31:34.160
I don't run.
00:31:34.240 --> 00:31:34.960
It's not my thing.
00:31:35.039 --> 00:31:36.240
I'm not interested in running.
00:31:36.480 --> 00:31:39.119
You do not have to run to lose 125 pounds.
00:31:39.200 --> 00:31:39.920
I thought I did.
00:31:40.160 --> 00:31:41.039
I have not run.
00:31:41.200 --> 00:31:42.160
I will not run.
00:31:42.799 --> 00:31:45.440
But I walk on the treadmill and I lift weights.
00:31:45.599 --> 00:31:58.240
So I typically have some sort of split and I do upper body some days, lower body, other days I do core almost every day because that's really important to me that I have a strong um center to hold me up straight.
00:31:58.319 --> 00:31:59.599
I know that's really important.
00:31:59.920 --> 00:32:05.200
Um I feel like I have to talk about my week and not just my day.
00:32:05.359 --> 00:32:06.559
Some days I have Pilates.
00:32:06.799 --> 00:32:11.359
I'm with Laura four times a week, three to four times a week, one-on-one, as a huge part of my week.
00:32:11.519 --> 00:32:11.759
Yep.
00:32:11.920 --> 00:32:17.359
Um, we typically do that in the afternoons after work hours, just in case HR is watching.
00:32:17.680 --> 00:32:18.799
After work hours.
00:32:19.680 --> 00:32:19.759
Right.
00:32:19.839 --> 00:32:20.880
It's usually later in the day.
00:32:21.039 --> 00:32:21.440
In the evening.
00:32:21.759 --> 00:32:22.480
Much later in the day.
00:32:22.720 --> 00:32:23.200
Much later.
00:32:23.359 --> 00:32:23.759
Much later.
00:32:23.920 --> 00:32:24.240
Much later.
00:32:24.319 --> 00:32:26.319
We talking five o'clock because you know traffic.
00:32:27.759 --> 00:32:30.799
So we have late night um Pilates sessions.
00:32:30.960 --> 00:32:33.519
Um, I do other sorts of workouts here and there.
00:32:33.680 --> 00:32:34.640
I like to have a mix.
00:32:34.799 --> 00:32:36.000
I don't like to get bored.
00:32:36.240 --> 00:32:41.519
So I do a mixture of group classes, I do one-on-ones, I walk outside.
00:32:41.680 --> 00:32:44.880
I really like to keep it fresh, but I do things I enjoy.
00:32:44.960 --> 00:32:46.960
If I don't like it, I'm not, like I said, I don't like running.
00:32:47.039 --> 00:32:47.839
I will not be running.
00:32:47.920 --> 00:32:49.039
I do things I like.
00:32:49.200 --> 00:32:51.440
I've spent a lot of time at the beginning of my journey.
00:32:51.519 --> 00:32:52.400
I used class pass.
00:32:52.640 --> 00:32:53.759
I tried everything.
00:32:53.839 --> 00:32:56.880
And if I if I hated it, honestly, I just didn't go back.
00:32:57.039 --> 00:33:02.640
I found the stuff I love, and I've kind of been rotating the same five or six exercises the whole journey, truly.
00:33:02.880 --> 00:33:03.200
Yeah.
00:33:03.440 --> 00:33:09.359
And I know that you've also been doing some, I mean, just be clear, this is considered self-care to me.
00:33:09.519 --> 00:33:09.920
Oh, deep.
00:33:10.240 --> 00:33:11.279
But what else are you doing?
00:33:11.440 --> 00:33:12.559
Have you been doing some self-care?
00:33:12.960 --> 00:33:13.440
Oh my gosh.
00:33:13.519 --> 00:33:18.000
So I do a whole series on my Instagram called Wes's Wellness Weekly.
00:33:18.240 --> 00:33:20.799
So I talk about one thing every week that I do.
00:33:20.960 --> 00:33:23.519
Well, I do multiple times a week, but what are the different things?
00:33:23.599 --> 00:33:24.720
So I do acupuncture.
00:33:24.799 --> 00:33:25.039
Okay.
00:33:25.200 --> 00:33:26.160
I do acupuncture.
00:33:26.240 --> 00:33:27.359
It used to be every week.
00:33:27.519 --> 00:33:30.799
Now I'm down to every two weeks, and then it'll eventually go to every month.
00:33:30.960 --> 00:33:31.200
Okay.
00:33:31.359 --> 00:33:39.039
But I do acupuncture specifically to address stress, anxiety, um, sleep, hormones.
00:33:39.200 --> 00:33:40.720
I had heavy periods at one point.
00:33:40.880 --> 00:33:41.119
Okay.
00:33:41.359 --> 00:33:48.400
Um, I had some knee issues, I had some hip issues, some muscular stuff, some hair loss issues.
00:33:48.640 --> 00:33:50.480
Acupuncture addresses all those things.
00:33:50.559 --> 00:33:54.319
So that's a huge part now of my recovery, wellness, and self-care.
00:33:54.480 --> 00:33:54.640
Okay.
00:33:54.960 --> 00:33:55.519
That's a big part.
00:33:55.680 --> 00:33:56.880
I do red light therapy.
00:33:56.960 --> 00:34:04.720
So I have a red light panel at home as well as a red light belt that helps with, and I'm not a medical professional, but according to the internet and Dr.
00:34:04.880 --> 00:34:07.119
Chat, um Dr.
00:34:07.279 --> 00:34:07.440
Google.
00:34:07.759 --> 00:34:08.000
Dr.
00:34:08.079 --> 00:34:08.400
Google.
00:34:08.480 --> 00:34:08.639
Okay.
00:34:08.880 --> 00:34:16.000
Um, red light helps with sleep, with collagen, with skin, with just general like relief of stress.
00:34:16.159 --> 00:34:19.360
You guys can Google what red light does for you, but that's what it does for me.
00:34:19.599 --> 00:34:23.599
I also have a vibration plate that helps with lymphatic drainage, according to Dr.
00:34:23.679 --> 00:34:24.559
Wes here.
00:34:24.639 --> 00:34:27.039
Um, and I will be a doctor soon in like three weeks.
00:34:27.280 --> 00:34:27.440
Yeah.
00:34:27.679 --> 00:34:28.000
I will.
00:34:28.239 --> 00:34:29.199
Yes, yes, yes.
00:34:29.440 --> 00:34:30.719
So now what else do I do?
00:34:30.800 --> 00:34:31.760
What am I missing?
00:34:32.000 --> 00:34:32.960
Um, I don't know.
00:34:33.519 --> 00:34:34.400
Those are like my three main things.
00:34:34.639 --> 00:34:35.199
Those are the big things.
00:34:35.360 --> 00:34:36.239
Those are my big things, yeah.
00:34:36.480 --> 00:34:39.519
Um I mean, let's let's just call it.
00:34:39.599 --> 00:34:43.280
How has has this process changed your life and how has it changed your life?
00:34:43.519 --> 00:34:54.239
I mean, I'm gonna say this to you, and this is not about trying to second guess all the work and effort you've done, but this is life altering, life-changing.
00:34:54.400 --> 00:34:55.760
How has it changed your life?
00:34:56.000 --> 00:35:01.360
And like you said, you were back and forth before, like I you'd lose some weight and pick the weight back up again.
00:35:01.519 --> 00:35:04.239
You lose some weight, pick some, pick the weight back up again.
00:35:04.480 --> 00:35:07.039
How do you know that this time this is it?
00:35:07.440 --> 00:35:08.559
I wasn't- You know what I mean?
00:35:08.880 --> 00:35:10.960
During those times, I wasn't healed.
00:35:11.280 --> 00:35:12.239
Oh I wasn't healed.
00:35:12.559 --> 00:35:13.199
You weren't realized.
00:35:13.519 --> 00:35:14.079
What do you mean by it?
00:35:14.159 --> 00:35:14.639
You weren't healed.
00:35:15.039 --> 00:35:17.760
Mentally, I I didn't put my body first.
00:35:18.079 --> 00:35:18.239
Okay.
00:35:18.639 --> 00:35:19.679
Physical body and my own.
00:35:19.840 --> 00:35:24.960
So we're going back to mindset, we're going back to mind-body connection is where we're going with it.
00:35:25.280 --> 00:35:25.360
Okay.
00:35:25.760 --> 00:35:32.639
I found that in those times where I would like start paying attention to myself and then I would stop paying attention to myself.
00:35:32.719 --> 00:35:36.079
So it really wasn't about the weight, it was about care for myself.
00:35:36.320 --> 00:35:36.639
Okay.
00:35:36.800 --> 00:35:37.039
Okay.
00:35:37.280 --> 00:35:40.079
I went from periods where I was really taking care of myself to not.
00:35:40.400 --> 00:35:40.719
Okay.
00:35:40.960 --> 00:35:46.239
So the weight really became a reflection of how much I was taking care of myself, really.
00:35:47.199 --> 00:35:51.760
So the more fat I gained was when I wasn't really taking care of myself.
00:35:51.920 --> 00:35:52.960
I just wasn't paying attention.
00:35:53.119 --> 00:35:54.880
I was kind of eating whatever was there.
00:35:54.960 --> 00:35:56.239
I wasn't really moving.
00:35:56.480 --> 00:35:58.559
I just was not taking care of myself.
00:35:58.880 --> 00:36:01.119
But do you know why you were not taking care of myself?
00:36:01.360 --> 00:36:04.559
I wasn't taking care of myself because mentally I either wasn't okay.
00:36:04.719 --> 00:36:04.800
Okay.
00:36:05.199 --> 00:36:08.559
There were other competing priorities that I felt were more important.
00:36:08.719 --> 00:36:12.880
I didn't think I needed to take care of myself that much.
00:36:13.199 --> 00:36:14.719
I was like, I'm alive, I'm fine.
00:36:14.800 --> 00:36:16.639
I gotta take care of this child that was sick.
00:36:16.800 --> 00:36:19.679
My daughter was super sick for the first three years of her life.
00:36:19.840 --> 00:36:25.599
We spent four consecutive months a week in the ICU, not just the hospital, the ICU with her.
00:36:25.679 --> 00:36:27.920
Like we had children passing away in our left and right.
00:36:28.400 --> 00:36:30.960
So I had a very hard time keeping my daughter alive.
00:36:31.360 --> 00:36:34.480
So you can imagine in that time, I wasn't thinking about me.
00:36:34.800 --> 00:36:39.760
I had this six-month-old all the way to three that I could not keep out of the hospital.
00:36:40.239 --> 00:36:40.800
I couldn't.
00:36:41.280 --> 00:36:44.960
So where was I really taking care of myself if I really wanted to keep her alive?
00:36:45.119 --> 00:36:45.440
Right.
00:36:45.760 --> 00:36:47.199
It just wasn't a thing for me then.
00:36:47.360 --> 00:36:50.559
So there was the the mental, I'm sure I was super depressed at that time.
00:36:50.639 --> 00:36:53.920
And there's just I wasn't paying, I was not in tune with my body.
00:36:54.079 --> 00:36:55.760
And I know I've talked to you about this a lot.
00:36:56.000 --> 00:37:00.559
Like you would think someone who's doing all this is into very disconnected from my body.
00:37:00.639 --> 00:37:02.880
And there's a multitude of reasons how I got here.
00:37:03.039 --> 00:37:08.480
But being able to learn my body and be more in tune has been huge for me in this journey.
00:37:08.800 --> 00:37:16.320
So yeah, well, how I know this will stick now is because when I understand it, I understand what it takes.
00:37:16.480 --> 00:37:24.559
I understand now how the body works and how my body, because not everybody's the same, I understand now what my body needs in order to thrive.
00:37:25.280 --> 00:37:26.639
I didn't know those things before.
00:37:26.800 --> 00:37:28.960
I didn't know that I should eat protein first.
00:37:29.199 --> 00:37:31.599
I didn't know the amount of water I needed to drink.
00:37:31.760 --> 00:37:34.480
I didn't realize how iron deficient I was.
00:37:34.800 --> 00:37:42.159
So in learning my body and understanding what my body needs and how I take care of this body, I know those things now.
00:37:42.239 --> 00:37:43.199
I didn't know them before.
00:37:44.159 --> 00:37:44.480
Okay.
00:37:45.199 --> 00:37:51.599
So when I hear you say all this, this resonates with me for do uh on a few different levels, right?
00:37:52.239 --> 00:38:00.159
The professional side of me as a trainer says, Well, yes, I already know that there's needs to be a mind-body connection and when there's a disconnect.
00:38:00.320 --> 00:38:06.079
But now if I take it one step further, it sounds to me like you are more centered.
00:38:06.239 --> 00:38:07.679
You are more in your body.
00:38:08.079 --> 00:38:11.280
Um, you are more present, I guess is what I'm trying to say.
00:38:11.679 --> 00:38:14.960
Not to say that you weren't present before, but I find that I wasn't present before.
00:38:15.280 --> 00:38:21.519
But what I'll say to you is what can happen is when we're in fight or flight or survival survival mode.
00:38:21.760 --> 00:38:22.880
Right, and a lot of us are, right.
00:38:24.079 --> 00:38:25.679
We're not fully present.
00:38:25.920 --> 00:38:27.039
We're not here.
00:38:27.360 --> 00:38:27.519
No.
00:38:28.000 --> 00:38:32.719
We're everywhere else, which really doesn't really bring us here.
00:38:33.039 --> 00:38:33.519
Yeah.
00:38:33.840 --> 00:38:38.800
And that's I find that's where trouble will actually and can will 100%.
00:38:39.360 --> 00:38:39.840
Can show up.
00:38:40.000 --> 00:38:40.639
Yep, a hundred percent.
00:38:40.880 --> 00:38:44.480
So I didn't expect a conversation to go in this direction necessarily.
00:38:44.559 --> 00:38:45.760
It's not a bad thing.
00:38:46.000 --> 00:38:54.559
But I feel like it's a bit of truth that people are slowly becoming aware of not being fully present.
00:38:54.719 --> 00:38:54.800
Yeah.
00:38:55.039 --> 00:39:02.800
Because if we're walking around in survival mode all the time, basically if you're always looking over your shoulder, and that's just a visual I'm giving, right?
00:39:02.960 --> 00:39:07.599
Because you're really not looking over your shoulder, but it's like you're always waiting for the other shoe to drop.
00:39:08.159 --> 00:39:08.320
Right?
00:39:08.639 --> 00:39:10.559
When you say that, you know what's something that comes to my mind?
00:39:10.719 --> 00:39:14.400
I realize that I used to bump into things a lot.
00:39:15.199 --> 00:39:15.920
Just walking around.
00:39:16.239 --> 00:39:17.920
When you're out of alignment, you bump into things a lot.
00:39:18.159 --> 00:39:22.079
When I'm telling you, and I realized recently, and I used and I bruise very easily.
00:39:22.159 --> 00:39:24.159
I think there's some sort of bleeding thing in my family.
00:39:24.239 --> 00:39:28.639
Uh, my dad had open heart surgery a couple months ago, and they're not a couple months ago, a couple years ago.
00:39:28.800 --> 00:39:30.480
They're like, is there a bleeding disorder in your family?
00:39:30.559 --> 00:39:31.760
I was like, no, how would I know that?
00:39:31.840 --> 00:39:33.519
They're like, Do you breeze bruise easily?
00:39:33.679 --> 00:39:37.519
It's like, yeah, they're like, okay, we need to go back in because like there's something going on.
00:39:38.000 --> 00:39:43.119
But I used to be covered in bruises just from bumping into things multiple times a day.
00:39:43.360 --> 00:39:45.599
And I don't have a single bruise on my body.
00:39:45.840 --> 00:39:48.800
I haven't bumped into a corner in ages.
00:39:49.440 --> 00:39:50.400
And it's things like that.
00:39:50.480 --> 00:39:54.239
I'm just more aware physically of just where my body is in space.
00:39:55.119 --> 00:40:00.239
Just because of just alignment, being able to walk straighter, being stronger.
00:40:00.320 --> 00:40:04.239
Like I'm just more in control of my body, and I'm like just things like that.
00:40:04.400 --> 00:40:11.039
Like you just wouldn't realize how much you were just out of alignment with your body, just like just moving around and not thinking about it.
00:40:11.679 --> 00:40:14.719
So what have you learned about yourself through this process?
00:40:15.519 --> 00:40:18.639
I learned that I'm really strong mentally.
00:40:19.679 --> 00:40:26.480
That once I make a decision, I stick to it and I'm honest with myself.
00:40:26.559 --> 00:40:29.519
I'm a lot more honest with myself now than when I was before.
00:40:29.679 --> 00:40:31.840
Like, are you actually eating healthy?
00:40:32.079 --> 00:40:33.679
Are you actually drinking water?
00:40:33.920 --> 00:40:36.480
Are you actually doing things or just talking about it?
00:40:36.559 --> 00:40:37.519
Are you just wanting it?
00:40:37.599 --> 00:40:38.880
Because wanting it is not enough.
00:40:39.119 --> 00:40:40.559
Wanting it is the first step.
00:40:41.039 --> 00:40:48.480
But how you show up every single day shows you to yourself like how much you can do all the vision boards in the world, you can write down all the goals.
00:40:48.639 --> 00:40:53.760
But if you haven't decided in here, I deserve to be a healthy person.
00:40:54.000 --> 00:41:02.079
I deserve to eat healthy foods, I deserve to drink this much water, I deserve to wear this cute outfit.
00:41:02.239 --> 00:41:04.639
I deserve to go out to that event and feel good.
00:41:04.800 --> 00:41:06.159
I deserve to be in this space.
00:41:06.320 --> 00:41:10.559
If you don't decide that you deserve, you are deserving, nothing will shake.
00:41:10.960 --> 00:41:11.760
Nothing will shake.
00:41:11.920 --> 00:41:21.519
But you have to love yourself enough, know yourself enough, be kind to yourself enough to make that decision and decide, like, yes, I'm deserving of everything I experience, good or bad.
00:41:21.679 --> 00:41:22.559
Because there are bad things.
00:41:22.639 --> 00:41:23.760
That doesn't mean it's just good things.
00:41:23.840 --> 00:41:24.480
There will be bad things.
00:41:24.800 --> 00:41:25.679
Sometimes there are things to learn.
00:41:25.840 --> 00:41:26.880
Yes, there are things to learn.
00:41:26.960 --> 00:41:30.000
And you you decide that this is this is just this is just learning.
00:41:30.159 --> 00:41:30.880
What did I learn?
00:41:31.119 --> 00:41:32.159
Why did that happen?
00:41:32.320 --> 00:41:33.519
Could I have done something?
00:41:33.679 --> 00:41:37.440
Yes, no, and how do I ensure And what did I take from it?
00:41:37.599 --> 00:41:41.679
Yeah, and how do I ensure that bad thing maybe doesn't happen again, or at least doesn't happen like that?
00:41:41.920 --> 00:41:42.239
Okay.
00:41:42.400 --> 00:41:43.039
Yeah.
00:41:43.679 --> 00:41:45.280
Would you go through this process again?
00:41:45.440 --> 00:41:46.800
Yeah, ten times over.
00:41:47.760 --> 00:41:48.559
Ten times over.
00:41:48.800 --> 00:41:55.199
So what advice would you give for someone who's contemplating, who hasn't made up their mind, or doesn't know what direction to go in?
00:41:55.280 --> 00:41:59.920
They know they need to lose the weight, they want to lose the weight, they've tried to lose the weight, they've been unsuccessful.
00:42:00.079 --> 00:42:19.840
Whatever, whoever's at the the the beginning, facing the the journey, the path, they're there, they haven't quite stepped on it yet, but they're looking at the road and they're thinking I I I I I see the end, or I want to get to the end, but uh it looks like a long way to go.
00:42:20.719 --> 00:42:21.760
What is your why?
00:42:21.920 --> 00:42:22.960
Why do you want to do it?
00:42:23.840 --> 00:42:24.639
What is your why?
00:42:24.880 --> 00:42:25.760
What is your why?
00:42:27.360 --> 00:42:32.000
Because you talked about the what, maybe about the how, maybe about the when.
00:42:33.039 --> 00:42:33.679
Why?
00:42:34.000 --> 00:42:37.280
Because what always brings me back is why I wanted to do it.
00:42:37.519 --> 00:42:39.280
Because you're gonna run out of motivation.
00:42:39.920 --> 00:42:43.360
Some days you're not gonna wanna do it, but I remember why I want to do it.
00:42:43.440 --> 00:42:44.719
I'm like, I'm gonna get my butt up.
00:42:44.960 --> 00:42:46.719
I gotta live longer for this little girl.
00:42:47.119 --> 00:42:48.960
Like, this little girl's gonna need me.
00:42:49.119 --> 00:42:55.599
I made her, she didn't ask to be here, but for me, I need to live longer for me because I want to take care of her.
00:42:55.840 --> 00:42:58.159
So, in taking care of her, I need to take care of me.
00:42:58.320 --> 00:42:59.519
I need to be okay.
00:43:00.239 --> 00:43:04.239
My mom has dedicated her entire life to taking care of me.
00:43:04.480 --> 00:43:06.079
I need to be able to take care of her.
00:43:06.159 --> 00:43:08.719
And by doing that, I'm taking care of me.
00:43:09.039 --> 00:43:10.480
So it's it's the why for me.
00:43:10.719 --> 00:43:11.280
What's your why?
00:43:11.440 --> 00:43:11.920
What's your why?
00:43:12.000 --> 00:43:13.280
You have to decide what that why is.
00:43:13.360 --> 00:43:18.079
If you are not solidified on that why, you will continue to be on the hamster wheel.
00:43:18.239 --> 00:43:20.079
Because I didn't have a clear why before.
00:43:20.239 --> 00:43:24.880
I did it because I don't know, the Kardashians were out.
00:43:25.039 --> 00:43:26.000
They were all small.
00:43:26.239 --> 00:43:27.440
That's not a real why.
00:43:27.519 --> 00:43:28.559
That's not a motivator.
00:43:28.719 --> 00:43:28.960
Right.
00:43:29.119 --> 00:43:31.760
Like the clothes are cute, but that's not real real why.
00:43:31.920 --> 00:43:34.000
That's not a that's not deep enough for me.
00:43:34.559 --> 00:43:48.320
But when I looked at this little girl who has a very strong body, a muscular body, whose body is not as small as her peers because she has a lot more muscle genetically, I need to be able to show her yes, you have these muscles.
00:43:48.400 --> 00:43:49.679
This is what you do with them.
00:43:50.000 --> 00:43:51.519
And be proud of your muscles.
00:43:51.679 --> 00:43:53.599
And that's why you can tumble so well.
00:43:53.679 --> 00:43:58.239
And that's why you can bar so well because your muscles are larger than your peers.
00:43:58.320 --> 00:43:59.760
But this is what you do with those muscles.
00:44:00.639 --> 00:44:02.400
And mommy has big muscles too.
00:44:02.639 --> 00:44:04.159
And this is what we do with these muscles.
00:44:04.239 --> 00:44:06.000
And that's why these muscles are important.
00:44:06.239 --> 00:44:09.440
So, in teaching her to love her body, I had to love mine.
00:44:09.920 --> 00:44:13.440
And I had to make sure my body was healthy and I loved my body.
00:44:13.519 --> 00:44:16.559
And the other thing is, I like I want to be clear, I did not dislike my body.
00:44:16.800 --> 00:44:20.239
And even when I was almost 300 pounds, your girl was rocking crop tops.
00:44:20.400 --> 00:44:21.119
I loved my body.
00:44:21.199 --> 00:44:22.880
I never had an issue with my body.
00:44:23.119 --> 00:44:25.599
But I understand I didn't feel good in my body.
00:44:26.400 --> 00:44:27.360
There's a difference, right?
00:44:27.440 --> 00:44:28.239
I never hated my body.
00:44:28.400 --> 00:44:29.119
I loved my body.
00:44:29.199 --> 00:44:31.440
And like my body's not feeling really healthy.
00:44:31.519 --> 00:44:32.960
Like I'm bumping into things.
00:44:33.039 --> 00:44:33.840
I'm bruised.
00:44:34.000 --> 00:44:35.519
I'm like hungry.
00:44:35.599 --> 00:44:38.480
I'm thinking about food, but I shouldn't eat the food.
00:44:38.559 --> 00:44:40.320
Like it, so I wasn't a binger.
00:44:40.480 --> 00:44:44.480
I had an unhealthy like aversion to food because I'm like, if I eat food, I'll just get bigger.
00:44:44.559 --> 00:44:45.599
So I'm just not gonna eat it.
00:44:45.760 --> 00:44:47.519
I would go days without eating sometimes.
00:44:47.679 --> 00:44:48.719
Like five days.
00:44:48.960 --> 00:44:50.320
Like, oh, I haven't eaten.
00:44:50.480 --> 00:44:53.119
Just drinking water, starving my body.
00:44:53.360 --> 00:44:54.000
For what?
00:44:54.880 --> 00:44:57.920
So yeah, being clear on my why, like, I love this body.
00:44:58.079 --> 00:45:00.559
To take care of this body, I need to nourish this body.
00:45:00.800 --> 00:45:02.239
I need to hydrate this body.
00:45:02.320 --> 00:45:03.599
I need to move this body.
00:45:03.760 --> 00:45:04.880
I need to love this body.
00:45:04.960 --> 00:45:06.800
I need to dress this body.
00:45:06.960 --> 00:45:08.960
So, like, this is all I have.
00:45:09.119 --> 00:45:10.800
Like, I was put on earth with just this.
00:45:10.880 --> 00:45:13.360
This is the only thing I have full control over.
00:45:13.760 --> 00:45:15.920
So you gotta take care of the thing.
00:45:16.320 --> 00:45:20.480
So um, we've come to the end of our interview.
00:45:20.880 --> 00:45:21.599
Part one.
00:45:22.239 --> 00:45:23.760
And yes, part one.
00:45:24.079 --> 00:45:25.280
You're always welcome.
00:45:25.519 --> 00:45:29.760
We'll we'll do this again because we have to we'll have to continue.
00:45:30.079 --> 00:45:36.000
What I'd like to know is, you know, how can people reach you?
00:45:36.159 --> 00:45:46.079
And and not necessarily for this unless you want, I mean, because this is gonna be on Insta and some other platforms, but um, you know, you're a business person too.
00:45:46.239 --> 00:45:46.639
Yeah.
00:45:46.880 --> 00:45:48.800
So what's your Instagram handle?
00:45:49.119 --> 00:45:51.599
We'll start with that so people can follow your journey.
00:45:51.920 --> 00:45:52.880
Let's start with that.
00:45:53.280 --> 00:46:04.320
And then also, you know, if people want to know more about what you do and what you offer, and and you know, if you want to give your business information, we're happy to hear that too.
00:46:04.400 --> 00:46:11.280
So, you know, because you are an inspiration and there are so many people who just don't know where or how to start.
00:46:11.519 --> 00:46:13.360
And so I'm grateful for you to be here today.
00:46:13.679 --> 00:46:13.840
Thank you.
00:46:14.000 --> 00:46:17.039
So I'll do that by reintroducing myself because I don't think I added all the details.
00:46:17.280 --> 00:46:17.440
Nope.
00:46:17.599 --> 00:46:17.840
You did not.
00:46:18.159 --> 00:46:18.559
What I asked.
00:46:20.559 --> 00:46:23.840
I am an educational executive as a career.
00:46:23.920 --> 00:46:25.599
I'm a mom to a seven-year-old.
00:46:25.679 --> 00:46:33.920
I'm a wife, I am the owner and founder of Westleaf Designs and Decor, which is an interior plant design company based somewhere in Massachusetts.
00:46:34.719 --> 00:46:36.559
So I do interior plant design.
00:46:36.639 --> 00:46:40.159
I run my business full-time with an incredible staff to support me.
00:46:40.400 --> 00:46:42.719
Um, I live in Greater Boston.
00:46:42.880 --> 00:46:45.360
So if you want to find me, I'm actually pretty easy to find.
00:46:45.440 --> 00:46:46.079
I'm on Instagram.
00:46:46.239 --> 00:46:49.280
Boston Plant Stylist is my Instagram.
00:46:49.360 --> 00:46:52.079
Um, that's because I style plants in Boston.
00:46:52.239 --> 00:46:55.280
Um, I've shared kind of my whole life's journey on that.
00:46:55.440 --> 00:46:57.840
It's all about wellness and just centering yourself.
00:46:58.000 --> 00:47:04.159
I realized now that the plants for me were always about wellness because I went back and forth with changing my handle.
00:47:04.400 --> 00:47:06.159
But I'm like, I'm still Boston Plant Stylist.
00:47:06.239 --> 00:47:08.239
It was always about the plants, it was always about wellness.
00:47:08.320 --> 00:47:11.519
This is just me sharing a larger piece of my journey there.
00:47:11.679 --> 00:47:15.199
So if you want to find me, you can find me on Instagram, Boston Plant Stylist.
00:47:15.280 --> 00:47:18.480
Um, and from there, I'll probably tell you where you can find me.
00:47:18.559 --> 00:47:20.559
I'm at all the events, I always share where I'm at.
00:47:20.639 --> 00:47:22.159
So honestly, you could stalk me.
00:47:22.400 --> 00:47:23.519
We can find, yeah, we can find you.
00:47:23.679 --> 00:47:24.159
I'm very easy.
00:47:24.559 --> 00:47:25.519
We can find you.
00:47:26.000 --> 00:47:27.519
All right, everyone.
00:47:27.920 --> 00:47:30.239
This is this is it for us today.
00:47:30.480 --> 00:47:38.480
Um, we will be back again with more awesome information for you and other awesome guests sharing their stories with you.
00:47:38.719 --> 00:47:41.039
Thank you so much for spending your time with me.
00:47:41.199 --> 00:47:42.400
I'm Laura Williamson.
00:47:42.480 --> 00:47:46.400
This is Bear Speak, and we will see you next time.
00:47:47.119 --> 00:47:47.599
Bye.