I found DDPYoga through a family member, Kam Machado. Her husband, Sean Machado, actually has a story on the website already! Kam was telling me at a family get together about DDP and the wonders it was doing for her and her husband. I hadn’t given it much thought before, but Kam sent me a few videos on DDPYoga and I watched them. I thought to myself that it seemed like a cool program and something different that I hadn’t done before but I wasn’t quite ready to commit to anything yet. I had tried Weight Watchers in the past and I did drop about 20 pounds doing that program but it immediately came back plus more when I stopped. None of the methods that I was trying to teach myself stuck so I was a little resistant to trying a new program. All I could assume is that I would fail and then put back on even more weight. It took me about 3 weeks from the date of watching those videos to decide that I wanted to make a change. I had gone to the doctor for some health issues I was having that made me open my eyes to some things that I could change with diet and exercise. I decided to give DDPYoga a go!
 
I purchased the DDPYoga program with all of the DVDs, program guide, wall chart and I received access to the App for 3 free months. I immediately went on to check out the App and thought it was so awesome that it provided nutrition ideas, recipes, live workout videos, motivational videos and a tracking system. I thought to myself, “Wow, this is a lot of information!” and I put it down, haha. I waited for the DVD’s to come in and as soon as it arrived I put on the first Diamond Dozen workout and read through the manual. I immediately fell IN LOVE with the program.
 
DDP has a way of making me feel like I can do anything! I had told DDP once through Twitter that I never had a hero until 2 months ago when I started this journey. It’s true! His motivational Mondays are THE BEST and they really help pep me up at the start of my week. The weight that I have lost is due to DDP and myself for putting the work in. Now, I don’t follow the nutrition guidelines of the program completely. I don’t do Gluten Free for the most part, but I am lactose intolerant so this program works very well to accommodate that and gives me new ideas for what to use instead of dairy. I love this program because it’s not just a diet, it’s a lifestyle change. I tell myself that I am not doing this to get “Skinny” I am doing this to get “Healthy”. Any weight that comes off as a result is just a bonus!
 
Because of DDPYoga, I have GREATLY reduced my sugar intake and calories. I grew up in a southern family that had fried chicken, mashed potatoes, homemade biscuits and a dessert after every dinner. This way of living made me feel like I had to have dessert after every meal. I had conditioned myself to feel that way. If I wasn’t having dessert, I literally felt depressed and like something was missing. Chocolate in particular is my biggest hang up. I had actually checked My Fitness Pal when I first started this journey to see exactly how much sugar I was consuming in a day by putting in a typical day’s worth of food for myself. I had a sugar intake of nearly 300 grams PER DAY along with a 2000-3000+ calorie diet. That’s not just junk food, but also all of the processed foods with preservatives that all contains sugar as well. I have a desk job, so I know I wasn’t burning enough calories to warrant consuming so much. I was horrified when I saw those numbers so I knew I was making a great change for myself.
 
Over the years, I have had a real problem with yo-yo dieting, I generally allow my surroundings and environment to control my life and my diet. A perfect example of this is roughly 4 years ago, I had lost my husband at the time to cancer. We were only married for a few months before he passed. I had really let myself go during that time of caring for him because of all of the mental and emotional stress. When he passed, I went on a diet and exercise spree to take my mind off of the pain and distract myself. Everything was going great, I was healing, I lost a significant 40 pounds of weight in just 4 months. Then I met someone, I fell in love again and it was beautiful! And then came back comfort. 3 ½ years later, I am married again and very happy, but I put back on all the weight and more because comfort typically does that. This time though, I am not going to let it come back. As I stated before, this is a lifestyle change and I am DONE with letting my surroundings control my life. It’s time for me to take control and be accountable for all of my decisions and actions. We only have one life and we are not getting any younger. Now is the time for action and change.
 
When I first started this journey January 1st, 2017, I weighed in at 277 pounds (the heaviest I have ever been), wearing a size 20/22 pants. I’ve always been told that I carry my weight well and because of that I am fortunate. It’s always made me feel like, “yeah, the scale says I’m fat, but everyone else says I’m not and I feel beautiful on most days so what does it matter?”. I’m just now realizing that it does matter though, my health matters. The outside is just appearance, it has nothing to do with your health on the inside. The inside is what I’m working on now. 1 month into the program, I took my measurements, my weight, and my pictures to find an incredible change in such a short time. I had lost 10 pounds, 3 inches in my waist, 2 inches in each thigh, and an inch in my upper arms! I looked at the pictures and I could SEE the changes happening. I couldn’t see it in the mirror in the mornings, but looking at those pictures, it was unmistakable the weight I had lost and the tone that was developing. I’m now entering my 3rd month and I have lost 18 pounds, 5 inches in the waist, 3 inches in each thigh and 2 inches in my upper arms, now wearing a size 16/18 pants! 2 MONTHS. Some other great things that have happened as a result of DDPYoga are my skin has cleared up to the point that I glow on some days, my flexibility has greatly improved, my digestive issues are subsiding, more energy, less fatigue, less headaches, reduced hunger, and added confidence! This progress is amazing and I can only thank DDPYoga for it. I have reduced my sugar intake to 50 grams or less per day and reduced my calories to 1500. My first goal is to be 230 pounds, this was the lowest weight that I had been when I lost the 40 previous pounds and I was a comfortable size 14. My ultimate goal weight will be 180 pounds and then I’ll see how I feel about losing more once I’m there. My non scale goals are to fit in a bikini by June (I've already bought one as motivation!) and reduce my blood pressure and cholesterol to a normal level. I am incorporating the workouts into my life at least 4 days a week and I track everything. It works and I would encourage ANYONE to try it. What do you have to lose except weight?