My struggle with weight, food, and body issues has been lifelong. Like so many, I lived in the cyclic hamster wheel that was losing weight here and gaining a little back there. I struggled with disordered eating and my relationship with food. When a co-worker introduced me to DDPY in 2013, I was skeptical. I wasn’t familiar with wrestling culture, and I certainly wasn’t “hulking it up” or “show-stopping” in my current workouts. Plus, um, it was “yoga”. I liked boxing, and weights, and push-ups. I didn’t do yoga. Hard pass. After hearing about it for a few months, I gave it a try and things seemed to click for the first time. The program was great. The community was this incredibly supportive network of success stories that were easy to embrace and looked like real people. Above all, there was DDP’s message of motivation, positivity, and ownership that transcended mere weight loss and smaller sizes. It was about making people whole and finding their own worth. That’s the stuff that fixes people.

I continued doing DDPY here and there but not throwing myself into the program. Fitness and health were fine, but my top priority was my career. This all changed when I left a job I loved in pursuit of broader horizons. Unfortunately, those horizons lead to crushing defeat and disappointment. I quickly found myself unemployed, for the first time since I was 14… which added to the weight of defeat and disappointment I was carrying around. Next came a wonderful opportunity with an incredible group of people. I still felt empty, defeated, disappointed, and increasingly alone. My identity had been linked to my occupation and employment for over 20 years. I started to realize that living to work would no longer be my lot in life and, at that time, this was not a good thing. I was forced to face some very difficult and unwanted truths. I was in free fall with no bottom and felt like life was completely out of my control. Exercise dropped off. I withdrew. I ate and drank whatever. The story I began to tell myself grew increasingly darker and less hopeful.

My “enough” moment came mid-2017 when I reached out to the DDPY community in search of the support and love I found several years earlier. That choice turned my life around and rearranged all of my priorities. I lost over 25lbs in 3 months using DDPY and following a diet that still includes gluten-free, plant-based, dairy-free principles. I also began the path to DDPY certification. Certification is where I discovered my true passion lies in helping others realize their potential and “owning their lives”. None of this would be possible without the leadership and inspiration of Diamond Dallas Page, DDP YOGA, and the amazing community. My on-going goal is to lead, inspire, mentor, and heal by sharing my story and being open about my scars and struggles.

The story I tell myself now is one where I am the hero. I save myself. I love myself….and as a result, I look and feel better than I have my whole life. I appreciate the work I put in and no longer take age for granted. I am a better spouse, a better mom, a better co-worker. Every door is open. Every opportunity is there for the taking. Anything is possible because I will NEVER EVER give up again. I am worth it and you are too.

Wishing you all the best luck on your journey, wherever you are and wherever it takes you. It’s never too late or too early to recreate and reinvent yourself and your story.

Lacey is a Level 1 DDPY Certified Instructor who offers DDPY classes through Different Than Fitness, serving the middle Tennessee area. Learn more at http://www.differentthanfitness.com/