The hardest part, I knew why this was happening. It wasn’t a mystery. I knew that at night I was binge eating in secret. During the light of day, when others were looking, I would eat healthy and talk about fitness and healthy habits. At night, everything changed as sadness took over. Thousands of calories were consumed, I would stuff myself into a food coma.
The mornings never felt good. I would wake up lethargic and bloated. The cycle continued for over a year. One day I stepped on the scale and saw it go up over 175 pounds. I jumped off quickly. It was the last time I stepped on a scale for months. How could I have let this happen? How could I make it stop?
I was fascinated by the world of fitness competitions. I thought the women gracing the covers of fitness magazines were strong, beautiful and amazing. I longed to be like them, not just to look like them, but I wanted to BE like them. To be strong and confident and to believe in myself. On July 5, 2005, my world changed. Transformation starts in the mind, and one of the most powerful catalysts for change is an “aha” moment. A friend came up to me that day and said “Diana, I hear that you’re interested in doing fitness competitions. What are you waiting for?” That’s all it took. I couldn’t answer that question. What WAS I waiting for? I realized in that moment that if I wanted a different life from the one I was living, things had to change. If I didn’t want to wake up 10 years down the road and wonder “what if”, then something had to start today that took me on a different life trajectory.
I signed up for my first show that day, I began my education on how to train my body and, most importantly, how to fuel my body in order to visually achieve my goals. I didn’t want to just compete in fitness, I wanted to win. I wanted to be one of those girls in the magazines. But I knew that it was going to take discipline and diligence and focus. And I finally wasn’t afraid of those things. On that day, I was more afraid of what I would miss out on if I didn’t make a change. That shift in fears is what got me going, and kept me on track.
Fast forward 18 weeks later. I lost 40 pounds, won my first fitness competition and have never looked back. Through the process of competing, I gained strength physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. I was no longer out of control. What a great relief it was to take power and responsibility for my choices. And with that discipline came freedom. My faith in God grew as I realized that this body was His gift to me, and though it is just a temporary home, it is my responsibility to care for it to my best ability. He also showed me that I had a much greater purpose. I had to go through my own transformation to be able to relate to others and guide them through their own transformations. Most would not have the same aspirations as me, but the process of changing the mind first, then the body and soul, is the same no matter what the goals.
It’s been 10 years. I don’t look back and wonder “what if”. God has been gracious. 6 first place wins, 2 World Champion titles, and I even got in those fitness magazines that were my initial inspiration. He led me to the man of my dreams, my husband and business partner Micah. Together, we have built our business Hitch Fit over the last 6 years. I’m so grateful for this journey and the opportunity to pay it forward. Being a part of someone’s pathway to transformation success is one of the greatest feelings in the world.
For more on my transformation story and pix: http://hitchfit.com/before-afters/before-and-after-diana-chaloux-lacerte/