F-Style Chicago Magazine Issue 7 7 | Page 116

“ YOU JUST HAVE TO TAKE THE TIME AND TALK TO PEOPLE TO TELL THEM YOUR STORY AND YOUR STUGGLE.” HERE LOVE TORSHANDA: YOU. YOU JUST HAVE TO TAKE THE TIME AND TALK TO PEOPLE TO TELL THEM YOUR STORY AND YOUR STRUGGLE. BECAUSE THAT’S GONNA HELP YOU GET TO YOUR HAPPINESS. SO I WRITE SONGS ABOUT DAILY TRUE LIFE. THINGS THAT NOT ONLY I GO THROUGH BUT THINGS THAT PEOPLE GO THROUGH EVERYDAY. SOMEBODY LOVES YOU, YES THEY DO. DISCOGODDESS: BEAUTIFUL. SO WHEN DID YOU START DOING THIS? TORSHANDA: I WAS 14 YEARS OLD, BUT I STARTED OFF DOING IT LIKE A HOBBY THEN I SAID OH MY GOD, I CAN REALLY RAP. I START TO MAKE IT INTO A DREAM. I THANK GOD FOR THAT. . TORSHANDA: I WILL BE 30 IN NOVEMBER. DISCOGODDESS: YOU BARELY LOOK 22 TORSHANDA: AAAAHH! THANK YOU. THAT’S A COMPLIMENT DISCOGODDESS: THAT’S BECAUSE YOURE NOT PUTTING 116/F-STYLE CHICAGO GARBAGE IN YOUR BODY. NO DRUGS, NOT TOO MUCH LIQUOR. TORSHANDA: YEP. YEP. I HAVE A PERSONAL TRAINER. I WORK OUT 3 TIMES A WEEK. MY GUILTY PLEASURE IS CHOCOLATE BUT I HAVE TO KEEP THAT TONED DOWN AND YOU KNOW WHEN YOURE OUT HERE IN THIS INDUSTRY YOU HAVE TO KEEP A CERTAIN IMAGE. I TRY TO EAT IT JUST ONE TIME A WEEK THAT’S ABOUT IT. DISCOGODDESS: WHAT I REALLY WANT TO KNOW IS WHAT CHANGED YOUR MIND ABOUT YOUR PHYSICAL APPEARANCE. A LOT OF US STRUGGLE WITH WEIGHT. WHAT TRIGGERED YOU TO LOSE SO MUCH WEIGHT. TORSHANDA: I USED TO WORK AT STARBUCKS IN CHICAGO. AND I WAS THERE FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS AND EVERYDAY DURING BREAK, ME AND MY COWORKERS WOULD EAT DONUTS AND COFFEE. WHEN I STARTED I WAS ABOUT 210LBS AFTER 5 YEARS WORKING THERE, I GOT UP TO 320LBS. ONE DAY I WOKE UP OUT OF MY SLEEP AND I COULDN’T BREATHE, I’M LIKE THIS HAS TO STOP. YEA THESE COOKIES AND COFFEE TASTE GOOD TO ME BUT I SAID, TORSHANDA DO YOU WANNA KEEP DOING THAT OR DO YOU WANNA DO WHATS RIGHT. SO I HAD TO TAKE CONTROL OF MY LIFE AND MY HEALTH AND GOT A PERSONAL TRAINER. STARTED WORKING OUT 3 DAYS A WEEK AND YEA I WANTED TO GIVE UP SOMETIMES BECAUSE I’M LIKE HELL, WHO WANTS TO KEEP GETTING UP EARLY EVERY MORNING AND WORK OUT. (LAUGHING) DISCOGODDESS: WHAT TIME DO YOU HAVE TO GET UP? TORSHANDA: MY TRAINER CALLS ME AT 7 OCLOCK AND SAY, HEYGET UP NOW, ITS TIME TO GO RUN. AND I DID IT THOUGH. IF ITS DEALING WITH YOUR HEALTH YOU HAVE TO LOVE YOURSELF. YOU HAVE TO GET UP. A LOT OF PEOPLE THINK LOVING YOURSELF MEANS BUYING A PAIR OF SHOES OR GETTING YOUR HAIR DONE. NO! LOVING YOURSELF MEANS TAKING CARE OF YOUR HEALTH.