A Fat-Thin Person
By Pamela Blackburn
Just over a year ago, I found myself increasingly tired and barely able to fit in my clothes. I became more depressed with each passing day. I refused to buy bigger clothes, yet wearing the clothes I had was literally painful. Even though I left work each day at 3 p.m., I went home and fell asleep. I had no energy.
Although the weight I gained was not excessive, I had obviously gained a considerable amount of fat. I just kept making excuses for my fat gain. (It’s just bloating from what I ate, I’ll eat less tomorrow, I’m just getting older, it must be a thyroid problem or hormones... Any of these sound familiar?)
When I decided to really face reality, I made a commitment to do something productive for myself and my situation. I joined a brand new health club that is known for seriousness and not being a singles, pick-up scene. I made an appointment for an assessment with a personal trainer and that was the beginning of my fitness journey.
My initial fitness assessment showed that I was approximately 31% body fat! While my weight was only 150lbs. on a 5’8” frame, I was still teetering on being OBESE! (Yes, a fat-thin person). I was appalled and disgusted and decided to do whatever was necessary to change my body once and for all. I signed up for sessions 
with a personal trainer to work with me three times a week and told him that my goal was to be the poster child for the health club some day.
I also increased my cardio workouts to four times a week. Please note that when people saw me they might have thought that I could afford to lose a few pounds, but would never have guessed that my body composition was just shy of obesity. That is why I highly recommend that people have their body composition tested and forget using the scale.
Next, I did a lot of reading on my own and searching out nutritional information. I knew I could spend a lot of time in the gym but would still be spinning my wheels if I did not eat correctly. In very simple terms, I made a commitment to eat very clean and switch to five smaller meals a day. Skipping a meal became cheating. My favorite foods are oats, fish and vegetables with flax oil and plenty of water.
By the end of the first month I had seen dramatic results! Comfortably fitting in my clothes was no longer an issue and my body fat had decreased significantly. My energy level greatly increased and I felt like a different person. I was hooked!
Ten months later, I was more committed than ever! Since starting my entire program of working with a personal trainer and eating correctly and consistently, I had lost about 16% body fat or the equivalent of approximately 27 pounds of fat. My lean body mass had also increased about 33 pounds. I made a lifestyle change (not a diet) which keeps me eating correct portion sizes 5 times a day consisting of lean proteins, carbohydrates and plenty of vegetables. I am committed to keeping myself fit for the rest of my life; improving as much as I can.
My energy level has skyrocketed since the beginning of my program and my self-esteem has improved. Becoming physically fit was the best thing I ever could have done for myself and my family. Now, I am an enthusiastic advocate for eating correctly and exercising consistently. I would love to be able to motivate and encourage others to do the same. That is why I have now become an ACE-certified Personal Trainer and hope to coach others to be the best they are capable of!