When I started DDP Yoga, it was at the prompting from somebody I deeply respect and admire- Steve Doyle. He had brought DDP Yoga to our local karate dojo roughly a year and a half before, and I certainly enjoyed it at the time, although it was tough! Fast forward a year and a half and it had always stuck in the back of my mind as something I could really enjoy doing, but hadn’t had the guts to really throw myself into it and get going. Until I started have some pretty severe back pain that was severely hampering my ability to train karate.  After a rant session on Facebook the night the pain was at its peak, Steve said “I’ve got something for you”.  That night and the next day we talked more and I ordered the program as soon as I could. I had seen the effect it had had on Steve, and he had had very similar body aches and pains to mine.  If it wasn’t for Steve, I never would have believed it possible to be rid of those pains! I truly appreciate his support and mento-ship through this entire time. I also had a chronically aching and painful knee to go alone with a bad back.  The knee pain was so sharp and severe that certain stances in karate would leave me either in tears or unable to walk for the rest of the evening.  I survived by popping painkillers and using knee braces and icing whenever possible, the works!  I had to train my dog to help me up and down the stairs, or it simply wasn’t happening safely.  

When I decided to make the change, it was overnight. I went from eating whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted, to the very next day healthy eating. For me, that meant limited dairy, no gluten, absolutely no processed foods, no breads, limited sugars. The hardest part at the beginning of the journey wasn’t the work outs (although, those were challenging!), it was figuring out what to eat! Steve put me in contact with Liz Collins, who gave me a very excellent base to go off of. What to avoid, and suggestions for some meals. Liz has been very supportive and has answered any questions about health and nutrition with no complaints! I really appreciate her direction so much.  The overnight lifestyle change was the best thing for me. I went from eating junk, to “I don’t eat that”. It wasn’t - “I can’t eat that”, it’s that I don’t. It was a much easier mindset to get into for me. And on top of it all, there was this huge group of people online that were there to support me all the way through! Posting about my workout, any questions I had were answered, all those things made it so much easier to stick with this lifestyle. The amount of positive vibes that come with being a member of this community is very intense. We are truly a family here, ready to help each other no matter what. 

Now, when I first started the program it was the last week of November. Yes, I was crazy and started eating right and getting fit during the holidays. I told myself that if I could do it at the hardest time of the year, there were absolutely no excuses ever again. Within a week I had lost 8.5 pounds. 8.5 POUNDS in week one! My back pain was completely gone. In one. Single. Week. Within a month my knee pain was completely manageable. I was able to do anything I wanted at karate with no issues. Stairs, not a problem.  Fast forward two months and I was down 25 pounds, racing my dog up and down the stairs.  Another 2 months and down 35 pounds. I am currently at 45 pounds lost, at 273 days in. Just over 9 months and I have completely transformed my life and my body. I started at almost 198 pounds. Here I sit typing this at 153 pounds, at my lowest weight I can remember since puberty. My goal weight was originally 170 pounds. I simply didn’t think I could weigh less. The strength I have gained doing DDP Yoga is amazing. There are so many things I can do now that amaze me every single day. I can run now, legitimately run without knee pain. I am running on top of doing DDP Yoga and training karate. None of this would be possible without DDP Yoga, at all. It has truly healed my body, strengthened it, and only the sky is the limit for what I can do now! 

With DDP Yoga I have lost 45 pounds, gone from a size large top to an extra small, size 33 jean to 27.  More important than weight and sizes though, is health. I am more energetic and happier, and don’t feel held back by chronic pain. I had trained karate for 3 solid years without losing a pound before I started DDP Yoga and healthy eating. I could not believe how fast it slid off when I started! I thought I was strong then. I am way stronger now! My mother, her fiancé, and my sister have both latched onto DDP Yoga with a vengeance as well after seeing my success. And most importantly, my husband has been so supportive of me and my lifestyle change, he has changed right along with me. He also does his DDP Yoga workouts, and supports and follows all my healthy eating choices.  I would not have been able to keep with this if it wasn’t for him!