Who is that poor darlin' with very unfortunate hair and a horrible sense of style?
Yep. It's me.
Fifth grade me.
But, judging by the picture, I was obviously trying to be 45.
Who wears a blazer, laden with massive shoulder pads, for her 5th grade yearbook picture? This girl right here, apparently!
And the hair, well, I was still learning how to control the curls that just popped up in 4th grade. My method of choice was to "tease" the mess out of it leading to a minor rat's nest in my bangs. Very unfortunate indeed. Ahh....it's good to be able to look back and laugh at myself.
Aside from the bad hair and terrible fashion sense, there is something else glaringly obvious about 5th grade me, I was very overweight. I learned at a very early age that genetics were not on my side when it came to being "skinny". Eating pizza at midnight and pigging out on cheesy poofs were not in the cards for me.
At the age of seven, I began to put on weight and was "chubby" all through elementary and most of middle school. That was the worst! I spent lots of time in my mom's arms, in tears, because children would taunt and tease me about being fat. People who had claimed to be my friends decided they didn't want to be friends with the fat girl and began putting me down. Being an overweight adolescent was one of THE most painful experiences of my life. Even though I truly knew my worth came from Christ, I felt very lonely and sad.
Praise God for wonderful parents! My parents constantly lavished love and encouragement on me. They never made me feel any less valuable because of my weight. And they continuously reminded me of all the unique qualities God had given me. They also made a decision that would ultimately change my life for the better - they adopted a healthier lifestyle for our whole family. We joined a gym and began making healthier food choices. I eventually lost 35 pounds as a middle schooler.
The journey was not easy. It was hard turning down cake at birthday parties. It was hard not purchasing anything from the concession stand at my middle school football games. It was really hard watching my friends eat pizza and cookie dough at slumber parties while I was munching on an apple. But, in the end, I developed a passion for health and fitness. I became a more disciplined person in other areas of my life as well. I am beyond grateful for that. I am forever thankful I was a "chubby" kid who had to learn to make healthy choices at a young age.
Which brings me to my current journey...
I am a health and fitness coach for Beachbody!
I am not perfect. I do not know everything there is to know about health and fitness. I have a huge weakness for brownie batter. I drink way too much coffee. Some days I am just plain lazy and the last thing I want to do is exercise. I sometimes get discouraged.
BUT....
I am committed to use the abilities God gave me, and to be the best ME I can be. I am committed to do what I can to stay fit and healthy. I am committed to setting and achieving goals. And I am committed to help others reach their goals. I am way better with a team than I could ever be on my own, so I would love for you to come along with me on this journey! Whether you are looking to lose weight, tone up, gain more confidence, or if you think what I do is pretty cool and you have a passion for helping others reach their goals, message me and we can get started right away!!
Love you all!
Amber
