My name is Marnie. Married with two children, I have been a Registered Nurse for more than 30 years. I worked on pediatrics at a hospital before moving to a clinic setting.

I have struggled with weight all my life and have tried just about every diet out there to get it under control. I consistently lost weight, but always regained it back, plus more. I have invested thousands of dollars over the years trying to find a magic formula that would melt away the pounds forever.

As I got older, I found it harder to lose the weight and when I did lose some, it became impossible to maintain it.

I believe that most people who struggle with weight have some sort of addiction to food. Like any addiction, the battle to overcome it is incredibly difficult. People always ask me – “How did you do it?” The answer seems deceptively simple, but I basically reached a point where my weight was creating barriers and preventing me from living the life I wanted to live. At that point, at a peak weight of 275 pounds on my 5’3” frame, I made the decision to start making the necessary changes a priority, knowing it wouldn’t happen quickly and that it would definitely not be easy.

So I started.

First, I set realistic goals in all four of the main pillars that I had learned were essential to successful weight loss. I started making small changes to my diet and made getting adequate hydration a priority. I made a commitment to add movement to my daily routine in a way that fuelled my success rather than leaving me feeling exhausted and defeated. I also slowly adjusted my sleep routine so that I was consistently getting at least 8 hours of rest most nights. Paying attention to my emotional health formed the fourth pillar upon which I built my success. The key for me was making ME a priority and setting small, achievable goals that would serve as markers of my success. I focused on what changes I could make in the next few weeks not on the number I wanted to see on the scale at the end.

My first goal was simple – eat three meals a day. No more starvation diets that left me hungry, tired, and tempted to make unhealthy food choices. I stopped eating after 7 p.m. and I drank more water. My exercise goal was 10 minutes a day. Not surprising that just making these small changes improved both the quality of my sleep and my feelings of emotional health. It took time to figure out what worked for me but eventually I found a combination of diet, exercise, sleep and self-care that seemed to be helping me achieve my goals.

I threw out the idea of determining my success solely by numbers on the scale and I was patient with myself when I faltered (and I did falter at times). I tossed out the idea that this was all going to happen fast. I made small changes and celebrated every time I noticed the quality of my life improving. I was able to go for a long bike ride with my son or hike a coulee trail with my husband or play soccer in the backyard with my daughter. Each accomplishment felt like I won a gold medal!

Perfecting the combination of things that worked for me took a long time. I am now 130 pounds lighter and have maintained this weight loss for 8 years. Has it been easy? Nope. There are still times when I lose focus and my weight begins to creep up. That just means I need to revisit my commitment, remind myself of how much the quality of my life has improved, start setting small goals in those four key lifestyle areas and steer myself back on track.

It’s flattering when people tell me I look amazing, especially those who knew me back when I was morbidly obese, but the best reward is the feeling of having accomplished something so difficult that has so significantly changed my life. No more threat of developing Type 2 diabetes or experiencing heart health issues hanging over my head because of my weight. No more wearing an uncomfortable face mask every night so that a CPAP machine could manage my severe sleep apnea. Carrying all that weight all those years was a burden that affected me physically, emotionally, and socially. My self-esteem grew, not only because I looked better, but because I felt better, and I was darn proud of myself for all that I had accomplished.

The biggest lesson I have learned through this journey is to forgive myself when I struggle. The journey to a healthier body weight is full of twists and turns. As the saying goes, there is no elevator to success, you have to take the stairs! Sometimes things happen beyond our control, life gets messy, and we veer off the path we want to be on for awhile. That’s okay. If you can consistently course correct when that happens and persevere with making those small changes, my own experience is evidence that you can succeed. You’re worth the investment and the returns are priceless.