My name is Christina and I began my weight loss journey when I realized that I was 310lbs, and not happy with who I saw in the mirror. I wanted to be able to run around with my son without getting out of breath. I started eating better and cutting out sweets and chips and being more active. After I lost 86lbs I got pregnant with my youngest son and shortly after he was born my mother passed away. I started getting depressed and gained the weight back and went back to my old unhealthy ways.

My older sister came home to visit and helped me realize I needed to start getting healthy again not only for me, but also for my boys and my husband. I started with various Beach Body workouts and started dropping weight. As I continued my sister suggested I try DDP YOGA. I tried it and I fell in love! It helps my body feel great after I have done some hardcore workouts, it has helped my flexibility so much.

This journey has been so hard mentally and physically and I have overcome so many obstacles to get to where I am now. I am currently training myself to become a wildlife firefighter and after every workout, I do DDP YOGA. I attended training to get on a hand crew for the Forest Service but I didn't make it this year. I have lost over 130lbs in a year and a half but I didn't feel I was physically able to keep up. So, I decided I needed to wait, but I am working hard to get to where I need to be. I am not at my goal weight yet I have 25lbs to go. I am excited to continue my journey and use DDPY to stretch and strengthen my body.

Update - May 2018

At the end of last year, I thought I hurt my foot, so I went to the doctor and got some X-rays done and he told me that I had retrolisthesis of the L5 S1 (a disc in the vertebrae that has slipped to a specific degree). It's something I was born with. So I started seeing a chiropractor and got it corrected. I was told to strengthen my pelvic muscles to help. I didn't say anything because I was working so hard on trying to become a wildland firefighter and I didn't want to ruin my chances.

I attended the training and I didn't get the outcome I wanted. So, instead of resting my body after putting it through hell, I started working out hardcore. This was in the beginning of April. My left trap swelled to about the size of a softball so I went back to see my doctor. While I was there he told me that I had pinched a nerve in my shoulder and I needed to rest and take it easy for awhile. I also asked about the X-rays I had. My primary doctor told me that I also have spinal stenosis and my retrolisthesis is in a spot it's not commonly seen. It was in the lower back but more so the neck area.

This was a couple of weeks before I received my referral for physical therapy, and I was starting to get depressed. I started eating more sweets and just thinking negatively about everything and just really putting myself down for not being stronger. I started physical therapy the last week of April, my shoulder was feeling better and the swelling was just about gone. They said I could start working out again doing anything that was low impact and they recommend yoga. The very next day my neighbor (my best friend) came over and we started DDPY! A couple of days after that DDP called me and that really got me motivated, and I was slowly getting out of the funk I had been in since I hurt myself.

It has been a rough couple of weeks getting my body used to moving around again and I finally completed double black diamond this morning! I am so beyond proud of myself and that I didn't quit halfway through like I had done just days prior. I haven't weighed myself yet (my monthly makes me gain some serious water weight since I got my tubes tied) so I'm giving myself a week before I get back on the scale. Oh and a major change that I have noticed since starting back up my lower back doesn't hurt, and the tingling I usually feel in my hips, legs and feet hasn't been bothering me.

Update - July 2018

So I made it to my goal weight! My goal was to drop 150lbs, so 310lbs to 160lbs. I just found a recent Facebook post and I did make it to my ultimate goal of losing 150lbs!!!!! I AM 160 POUNDS!