Brenda has lost 100lbs and has been able to keep it off for three years now with the help of Group23 and the Weight and Lifestyle Program.

Brenda and I started working together in 2011. She was and still is in a stressful job that demands a lot of her time and energy. When we first met each other, she was frustrated with her weight and most importantly, how her weight was keeping her from doing the things she loved. Much like the people we work with, her weight gain story is complex and unique. One of these reasons was a torn meniscus and fully ruptured ACL. Nobody plans to be injured but injury can create a different pathway in our lives. Brenda wanted to see if she could change this trajectory. We knew that weight loss and weight management would be key to the lifespan of her knee. That was our challenge: How do we lose weight and keep it off for a lifetime, particularly with injury and the dynamism of life? Here’s her #RiseAbove interview.

You’ve been able to keep the weight off for 3 years now, what would you attribute to your ability to maintain your weight loss? For me, it was finding new activities that my heart, body, and mind loved, and accepting that I had to adjust my food intake to reflect who I am today (and all along my journey). I fell in love with cycling along my journey and have come to realize that activity is key to maintaining my weight.

Do you think you could shed a little light on how you were able to lose the weight? I have lost more than 50% of my weight over the last 12 years. I have learned what types of food my body accepts along this journey, how I had to adjust my food intake, and for me the importance of daily activity. Once I learned what was best for my body and desires, I focused on what I will eat versus what I shouldn’t eat. This process made me feel free versus restricted.

Part of your weight management story has been your love for cycling. Why do you love to cycle and where along your health journey did that start to become a highlight? I started outdoor cycling in 2014 based on advice from my physio relating to my significant knee damage. Outdoor riding is just so scenic and so calming and there are just so many lovely riders who are motivators. So, it became my biggest source of encouragement along my weight loss journey.

What advice would you give to anyone that is starting their lifestyle change? My advice is to accept that the journey can be long, but along that journey discovering new things that motivate the heart, body, and mind creates a brand new trajectory. As we all age in life, we know that change will always happen. So accepting and adapting to change helps us along our new path forward.

What do you think will always be a struggle in your health journey? I would say my biggest struggle is seeing others struggle. Life is dynamic, and the struggles appear sometimes when we least expect it. I can’t predict all the things that may come my way such as injury as an example, so I think what will always be a struggle is managing new barriers that may want my weight to creep up.

Brenda now has new goals and weight management will always be in the background, but she wants to climb new mountains. She challenges herself in her exercise. Her focus on pounds and body fat percentage has changed to power in watts, time in training, and being the queen of the mountain in some of her rides. She lived her way into right thinking, she didn’t think her way into right living. She never planned to be a cyclist at the beginning of her journey, but through the process of losing weight she learned more about herself and realized new passions!

To learn more about how to start your #RiseAbove weight management journey, click learn more below.