How I Reclaimed Control of My Body

In December 2015, I opened my inbox to this email:

“I’m a 41-year-old mother of two wonderful boys. I’ve always struggled with my weight, but the last few years have been exceptionally hard. I don’t believe in diets. The only thing I’ve ever done to lose weight is Weight Watchers. I’ve always believed in moderation—but it’s not working anymore.

I’ve gained over 60 pounds in the last 10 years. I’m depressed, lonely, scared, and afraid for my health. I want to be a healthier mom and a better role model for my children. I haven’t taken a picture with them in about three years because I’m so embarrassed by the way I look. I’m hoping you can help me love myself again.”

If that made your chest tighten a little—you’re not alone.

This Story Wasn’t Just Hers

I understood her pain immediately, because I’d lived it too.

After having my daughter, I spent four years slowly gaining weight. No matter what I did—eating less, exercising more, doing “all the right things”—my body kept moving in the wrong direction. I felt betrayed by my own physiology. Like something was broken. And the harder I pushed, the worse it got.

That’s when I learned an uncomfortable truth:
Effort isn’t the problem when hormones are driving the bus.

On Paper, She Was “Doing Everything Right”

When I first met this client, her lifestyle looked solid.
Low stress. Clean eating. Consistent exercise. No bingeing. No sugar addiction.

And yet—
Daily headaches.
Chronic heartburn requiring acid blockers.
Rosacea.
Visible inflammation and puffiness.
And absolutely no ability to lose weight.

This is the woman who gets told, “Try harder.”
And it’s exactly the wrong advice.

The Missing Piece

When we dug deeper, we uncovered mild hypothyroidism—very often autoimmune in nature. That changed everything.

Instead of blaming her willpower, we focused on calming inflammation, supporting her gut, and removing immune-triggering foods. We used a modified autoimmune-style nutrition approach (not a forever diet), added targeted supplements to help repair gut integrity, and coordinated with her medical doctor to optimize hormone levels.

No extremes.
No punishment.
No starvation.

Just physiology done properly.

What Happened Next Still Gives Me Chills

One month later, she came back and said:

• Her headaches were gone

• She’d lost weight

• She was off acid blockers

• Her digestion had normalized

Shortly after, she emailed me:

“I’m still feeling really great. My skin has never looked better and people keep asking me what I’m doing. I feel like I’ve taken a little bit of my life back… and that little bit is propelling me forward.

I never believed in myself. I never thought I could lose the weight. But you believed in me—and helped me. I’m extremely grateful.”

That sentence—“I’ve taken a little bit of my life back”—never gets old.

The Part That Matters Most

We continued working together, and the progress kept coming. But the most powerful moment came later, when she sent me this:

“When I look in the mirror, I can see the old me. Not all of me—but lots of me. I feel more like myself again. I still have work to do, but I finally believe I can get there.”

That’s what this work is really about.

Not a number on the scale.
Not chasing perfection.
But helping women recognize themselves again.

Why I Do This Work

Her story reminded me why I had to go through my own struggle first. Why the frustration, the self-doubt, the feeling of being dismissed—it all mattered.

Because women don’t need more discipline.
They need answers.
They need support.
They need someone who understands that midlife weight gain isn’t a moral failure—it’s a biological shift.

And most of all, they need to know they’re not alone.

If this story sounds like you, I want you to know this:
Your body isn’t broken.
And you don’t have to figure this out by yourself.