46 Year Old Personal Trainer Need More Help Than The Gym - Jacksonville, FL

After the birth of my only child in 1992, I lost my pregnancy weight quickly (within 6 weeks). My delivery was via C-section. I remember being so proud of my boobs when my milk came in (I never had very much in the breast department...I'm all butt and hips). For the first time in my life, my boobs were 40DD's!!!! WHAT?!?! Sadly, after 4 months of breast feeding, they shrunk, shriveled, and I was left with only stretch marks to remind me what nice, big boobies look like on my 5'3" frame.

Soon after delivery, I had an implanted birth control device placed in my arm...this is when my weight problems began. By the time my daughter had her 1st birthday, I weighed more than I did when I delivered her. I also began have a myriad of health issues related to the implanted birth control device. It had to be taken out...but even after removal, my weight continued to go up. At my heaviest, I weighed 211 pounds...on a 5'3" frame...I wore a size 18/20.

Battling depression, I began seeing a therapist, who recommended 30 minutes of exercise a day...I HATED EVERY SECOND OF IT! I kept having exercise related injuries (because I didn't know how to properly exercise), so in 2006 I hired a Personal Trainer to teach me how to exercise in a way that wouldn't result in injury...and that would allow me to loose weight.

Fast forward about 15 months...I lost 80 pounds!!!! I felt amazing...I felt sexy for the first time in a long time! Despite the weight loss, I was left with a "C-section pouch" and loose skin...especially in my boobs, arms, and tummy, that just wouldn't go away no matter how much I exercised.

In 2013 I became a certified Personal Trainer, certified Health Coach, certified Weight Loss Specialist, and certified Women's Fitness Specialist. I have been actively training women only for the last 3 years. Despite my healthy lifestyle, I still don't have the body that I want...and the most frustrating thing for me, is when I tell people what I do for a living, and they do the "full body scan", I just want to crawl under a rock and hide! No, I don't look like the typical Personal Trainer...I have curves...dangerous ones : ) Hey, nobody ever wrote a song about girls with small butts!

So...I have scheduled a Mommy Makeover for 5/2/16. I'm excited...I'm scared to death...and some days I think I must be slightly crazy! At 46, I'm finally going to have the body that I have always wanted...and one reflective of the hours of exercise that I put in...and the clean eating that I enjoy.

I'm so glad that I found realself! I have had so many questions answered, and I have confidence in what I want...and what I don't want because so many of you have shared your journey on here. Thank you for sharing!

I'll be posting pic in a day or two.

So, I just realized that my stairs could potentially be an issue after my MM. (I'm still scheduled for 5/2/16.). Has anyone else had experience with stairs after a MM? I live in a townhouse, and just to get to my main living area I have 23 steps to go up (on the ground level is a garage). I plan on renting a recliner so I can sleep on my main floor (the bedrooms are on the 3rd floor). I'm just afraid the I could potentially pull my TT stitches going up the stairs. Any advice/experience would be appreciated.

With my surgery 2 months away, I thought I'd finally post the dreaded "before" pics, and a couple "wish" pics. As are most of you, I'm on a roller coaster of emotions: scared, excited, worried, impatient...it changes from day-to-day and hour-by-hour.