TYLER (KYTX) - Keeping the weight off after you lose it can sometimes be the biggest challenge of all. A Tyler woman has found a way to do that for 7 years now.
Ellen Parish's advice for others is to drop the words "diet and exercise" from your vocabulary. That helped her put an end to yo-yo dieting and marked a beginning to a weight loss journey that has changed her life.
"At a time in my life when I should have been so exited and happy, I was sad and depressed," says Ellen Parish.
If a picture is worth a thousand words, a picture Ellen took 7 years ago in Salt Lake City, Utah was worth 60 pounds for Ellen Parish. "We were out at the Olympic Village and I took a picture standing next to a very beautiful young woman and at that point, I realized how heavy I was."
Taking a good look at the photos of herself started a change. "I joined the gym back then. I went straight to group exercise, a lot of ladies and it wasn't quite as intimidating. I loved it. I loved it from day one," says Ellen.
7 years later Ellen still loves it. She hits the weights, strength training twice a week, and spends the other 3 days cardio-kickboxing. "I'll be 50 years old this year and when I started this journey, it was oh honey, 'you're older now, you're menopausal, you've had children. You will never be able to get the weight off' and that's just not right, we can," says Ellen.
Once Ellen is done with her work out, she returns to the gym nightly to counsel others on their battle to lose weight. "I know hoe much difference it made in my life and I want to pass that on. That's hugely important to me. We weigh and measure, motivate, look at food loss, talk about the challenge difficulties," says Ellen.
Ellen helps people in XTC Fitness's weight loss challenge overcome the mental stressors keeping them from losing weight. "I have a couple of ladies, one especially. She came in and lost 50 pounds. She came in crying. She had a beautiful necklace on and she said that she had been given that necklace 10 years ago and she had never been able to wear it," says Ellen. But with Ellen's help, she can. Now Ellen hopes her Fit City Success will continue to inspire others to better health and a confidence they've never known.
One more tip from Ellen, if you can, she says starting your morning with a workout is a great energy booster that helps keep you focused throughout the day.
