DDP has changed my perception of what a healthy body is. He has strengthened my mind with positive thoughts and taught me how to handle stress better with deep breathing. 

As a young girl I was curvy and athletic. I was a gymnast and played softball. I could usually eat what I wanted and if I became a little overweight I would do a quickie ab workout for a few weeks and then stop when I was happy with the results. 

Once I reached my mid 20s, my metabolism began to slow down. I told myself I wear the extra weight well, hiding it in maxi dresses and high waisted  long skirts. But when stretch pants and oversized skirts became the every day norm, I felt this little pang of shame when I got dressed in the morning. 

My mother is very weight conscious and instilled this shame that I kind of rebelled against when I moved out to go to college. I could eat whatever I wanted and I fell in love with food. 

I never stepped on a scale, I drank 100 beers, I ate what I wanted and lived in the world of blissful ignorance. I accepted I was just getting older and this was a natural transition. I made up every excuse to not address my weight gain and muscle loss, but that obviously did not help one bit. 

My husband is an avid lifetime fan of the WWE and had mentioned DDP Yoga to me a few times. After watching Arthur's video, I was sold. I bought the DVD package and my husband and I set forth on our journey. 

At times I get frustrated with my results, feeling they are not dramatic enough to be considered an accomplishment. I still avoid the scale, I get mad that half the clothes in my closet are sizes small to medium and others are extra large. However, I FEEL better. All those clothes, regardless of the size, fit better. I have not felt this strong since I was a teenage athlete. I'm more in tune with my body, I'm more flexible. I need to remind myself often that I am a work in progress and this is a life change. We live in a society of instant gratification, and taking control of your life does not happen overnight. If I feel this good after 13 months, I'm excited to see what the future holds! BANG!