“Losing weight will always be a motivating factor. But what happens when you find yourself at a plateau and you’re not losing any weight? How do you continue? Motivation is a feeling, an emotion. You can’t let yourself be guided by your emotions because they are deceitful. Instead you must commit and dedicate yourself to your personal journey. That is what truly keeps you going, even when motivation fails.” ~Tye Jacobs
In February of 2011, I started a journey that would change my life forever. I was 232 lbs. and taking 7 different medications for blood pressure, depression, chronic headaches, PCOS and insulin resistance for pre-diabetes. My physical condition was deteriorating, but my mental condition was even worse. My self-image, what I thought of myself, was so low that some days it was hard for me to get out of bed. That, accompanied with my physical ailments was a recipe for disaster. I didn’t want to do anything but sit and comfort all my pain with food. I couldn’t play with my children because I was too tired. I didn’t want to be intimate because I felt unattractive, fat and ashamed. Going out with friends was an absolute NO-NO because that meant I had to go shopping for something to wear, and God knows that never came out right. I found myself in dressing rooms or in my closet crying because nothing fit anymore. Depression had almost consumed me.
Then during Valentine’s Day while I was at my highest weight of 232 lbs., the most I had ever weighed in my entire life, I went to a restaurant and Winery called Coopers Hawk. I enjoyed a wonderful dinner with friends and family. We took pictures, talked and laughed all night. No one knew it at the time, but one particular picture that had been taken triggered something inside me when I saw it. I had had enough.
I made the decision that I would change the direction of my life forever. I was ready to gain back everything I had lost. I wanted my life back. I wanted to dance and not have ankle and foot pain for days after, play with my children and not be winded, wear stiletto heels again, be intimate with my significant other without feeling self-conscious, shop for clothing in ANY store, cross my legs, gain my health back and be on ZERO medication. I needed to lose, to gain.
I had contemplated weight loss surgery for some time but didn’t want to be one of those statistics that gained all of their weight back after 2-5 years. However, after exhausting all other options, I believed that this was the tool I needed and decided that I WOULD NOT BE ANOTHER STATISTIC! Never in a million years, as I was sitting at my desk doing some accounting work, did I believe that this ONE decision would not only impact my life, but 1000’s of others!
One hundred pounds down and 5 years later I, TYE COHEN am not a statistic. My weight loss journey pushed me to become a certified nutrition counselor, certified personal trainer, Zumba instructor and obtain countless other certification and licenses. Not because I thought I’d have a fitness business (let’s face it, who leaves a very comfortable job to start a fitness business right?), but because I refused to let my weight conquer me. Here is the biggest AH-HA moment. After approximately 2 years post opp, my appetite came back with a vengeance and of course my stomach was able to take in normal amounts of food. Food had always been my weakness but I had come so far. I prayed and prayed for direction from God and this is where Losing To Gain became real. It was 70% nutrition, it was 30% exercise but this journey was 100% mental! I was the common denominator of all my failures and success. What was the formula for my success?
+Consistency
+ Determination
+ Commitment
+ Support/Education
x Relentlessness
– Nay Sayers (aka) HATERS
= SUCCESS
I now had the formula to create programs for my future clients who never thought it even possible to lose weight without surgery. I am beyond proud of where LTG is today. Making the decision to share my weightloss journey wasn’t easy, but I am happy that because of it, other peoples lives are being changed.
This is your journey. Embrace it. Make it personal. I will give you the tools along the way to ensure your success, but you have to commit yourself to your own weight loss journey. I encourage you to set high expectations and goals for yourself and push hard to reach them.
WELCOME to LTG Fitness….What Will You Lose To Gain?
Your Coach, ~Tye
