7/26/21
With Guest Becca Teele
- Why did we start on this journey?
- At 50 years old I found myself not being able to do the things i had done before. I had always made excuses or said that the weight wasn’t an issue for me as I could do what I wanted to do without issues.
- Now i couldn’t walk upstairs without being very short of breath
- I had pre diabetes
- High blood pressure
- Sleep apnea
- Wounds on my leg that won’t heal
- Driving for long distances hurt,
- Seat Belts don’t fit
- I felt like i was going to die
- The scale at the dr office wouldn’t measure my weight as it only went up to 500 pounds
- At 50 years old I found myself not being able to do the things i had done before. I had always made excuses or said that the weight wasn’t an issue for me as I could do what I wanted to do without issues.
- What were my options?
- I tried diets and they worked short term but I couldn’t figure out how to make them sustainable
- I went on medication to help with weight loss and at the same time started taking antidepressants for mood stabilization
- I was living with other people who ate and did whatever they wanted
- I could try other diets
- I got referred to maine med weight and wellness in october of 2019
- Weight and wellness
- In order to be accepted for weight loss surgery
- I had to actively lose weight
- Meet with a nutritionist monthly for 6 months
- Count all my calories, carbs and protein
- Take group class monthly
- Meet with a social worker monthly for 6 months
- Have my insurance accept the progress i was making
- What did i learn from nutritionist
- Learned to use smaller plates
- Not to drink while i eat
- To sit and eat uninterrupted
- Eat protein first and then carbs
- Every nibble, bite and swallow counts
- What did i learn from social worker
- This isn’t going to be easy
- When you change one addiction you generally gain another, many people after surgery have drinking or drug problems
- I should move from where i was living and seek solitude so that the temptation of others eating around me wound be less and less stressful
- My emotions and coping skills would be challenged
- In order to be accepted for weight loss surgery
- 6 months of weight loss i went from somewhere over 500 to 475
- We heard about Hunter Grindleand his contest he was running
- What was going through my head
- I can’t do that
- I can’t win
- I don’t want to make a video
- I cant let people get that close to me
- I made the video while walking my dog in the cemetery
- I sent it in
- I watched hunter to his challenge of 30 days of pushups
- The night of the contest results came
- I was nervous but for some reason i thought i would win
- Hunter got online
- He announced the winner
- It was Becca Teele
- I felt defeated, during this time my surgery date had been changed several times due to covid. This was now the beginning of june 2020
- And then Hunter said wait there’s more. We have picked 3 others to win this contest as well and then he announced my name.
- June 18 2020
- I met for the first time with my trainer Brandon
- I was so nervous i almost didn’t walkin the door
- But i did
- It was amazing
- Brandon was kind, knowledgeable and great
- I was going to brandon tuesdays and fridays at 11am
- June 30, 2020
- Surgery day arrived
- I was at the hospital in biddeford at 7am
- At 11am i was awake in my hospital room
- At 1130am i was up walking and moving
- July 1st i went home
- That friday i was back in the gym with brandon
- Weight loss happened time went on
- Dizzy spells
- Not eating enough protein
- Car accident
- Stricture surgery
- 12 week program was over
- Now what
- I couldn’t afford to keep going to training
- Hunter asked me to keep going even if i couldn’t pay right now as my job had been terminated due to covid
- I was too proud
- Weight loss continued
- I moved out and lived alone.
- Depression and anxiety kicked in more and more
- I increased my meds
- Good news
- Diabetes disappeared
- Blood pressure issues gone
- Blood work was looking great
- I started working with hunter on projects one of which became elev8 energy
- I loved to work and did a lot of it
- Hitting stalls in weight loss
- Watching scale daily drives you crazy
- Trying to figure out why you did or didn’t lose a pound
- Trying to take compliments -the hardest part
- Seeing pics of yourself
- I didn’t feel any different and it was only thru pics that i could see a change
- I knew i needed to start working out again
- I needed to have skin removal done but i couldn’t until i had lost all the weight i needed to lose
- I needed help
- I became desperate.
- I became needy on the attention of others to ease my anxious mind
- That same neediness was the thing that would eventually drive even my best friend away
- I didn’t know how to get help for these feelings
- Luckily my friends didnt give up and tho i still have bad bad days i am getting better
- The emotional journey by far has been harder that the weight loss journey for me
- 260 pounds down
- 8xl to an XL
- Size 72 pants to a 36
- Working out twice a week with hunter
- Doing a job that i love
- Learning new things
- New business opportunities
- Cooking to help others
- Being transparent about my journey
- Do I have bad days?
- Do I have setbacks?
- Do I still feel defeated?
- The answer is yes to all those questions
- I don’t have all the answers
- I don’t always know what to do
- But I am living this journey one step at a time
- I am clinging to the positive
- Filling my life with positive people
- Striving for my goals
- What was going through my head
- How do we stay motivated? Don’t lose track of our goals
- Being accountable to someone other than myself
- Invite others to join our journey
- Spread your story, encourage other people
- Look past yourself and what you can do to help others
- This is what motivates me to succeed