FEEDING HER FEEL INGS

For Traci, the list of achievements seems endless. She enjoys a new body, is physically fit, and consistently eats healthy food. She has gone from a size 24 dress to size 12. She has motivated her family to exercise alongside her. And she is now teaching a sevenweek wellness course at Heritage Community Church in Fruitland Park.

Yet, despite her accomplishments, Traci continues battling with the emotional aspect of losing weight and still struggles to see herself in a positive light.

“Even though I looked extremely bad on the outside, my emotions on the inside were much worse,” she says. “I have repeatedly told my daughters that I’m not making a lifestyle change for an image reason; I’m doing it to make my inside as healthy as my outside.”

Without question, it takes more than numbers on a scale to erase and replace years of low self-image and deep-seated insecurity. “I still look in the mirror and see a 300-pound woman,” she says. “And I absolutely hate mirrors. When you take 100 pounds off a 5-foot, 4-inch frame there are still imperfections. My brain has been programmed to view myself a certain way, and I am in the process of reprogramming my brain so I can see myself in a more positive light.”

Today’s culture promotes perfect bodies, and in the eyes of some, how people look often trumps who they are. Traci has found that to be true.

“People who did not have anything to do with me before are now okay with me,” she says. “Even though I accept those people in my life, it angers me because I’m still the same person. I also notice a difference in how I’m treated by strangers. That is so wrong, and I would never judge a person based on his or her weight.”

TRACI: BY THE NUMBERS

STARTING BODY FAT PERCENTAGE: 55.4

CURRENT BODY FAT PERCENTAGE: 42.3

“Traci jumps rope, flips tires, and does pushups and pullups. She no longer lets mental perspective limit her body’s potential of what she thinks she can or cannot achieve. She has worked tirelessly throughout this process and understands there are no shortcuts.”

STARTING BODY FAT: 160 LBS CURRENT BODY FAT: 88 LBS

STARTING BODY MASS INDEX: 50.32

CURRENT BODY MASS INDEX: 35.68

STARTING TRIGLYCERIDE LEVEL: 68 CURRENT TRIGLYCERIDE LEVEL: 58

STARTING BLOOD-SUGAR LEVEL:

104 CURRENT BLOOD-SUGAR LEVEL: 98