I’ve battled being overweight my entire life. But a few years back, I worked really hard to get in shape so I could enlist in the Military. Everything was going great until I injured my knee and was unable to work out with much intensity. Frustrated with the pain and my restricted mobility, I simply stopped caring, ate whatever I wanted, and slept all the time. But after 8 months of this destructive behavior, I packed on the pounds. I couldn’t even run ONE lap in PT without feeling like my heart was going to explode. And while I hated being out of shape, I put up with it until the day I saw a picture of myself in a sleeveless dress and thought, “WHAT DID I DO TO MY BODY?!”

I knew exactly what I had done to my body. NOTHING! That’s why my 5’ 4” frame tipped the scale at 173 pounds. So I dug out the P90X set that I’d been “saving” for the past two years, and convinced myself that if I could get through just ONE workout, then I could do them all. Fearing that I’d quit after just a few weeks (like I always do) I pre-wrote my Success Story to keep me motivated. I kept imagining myself as “That Girl.”

Apparently it worked, because in 6 months I lost 30 lbs., went from a size 14 to an 8, and for the first time in my life, I’m finally comfortable in my own skin. Gone is the bitter and angry Jamie—and here to stay is a happy, healthy, confident woman who loves talking to strangers about health and fitness. Now every time I go to the gym, I make it a point to grab a 30 lb. dumbbell and do squats or shrugs, just so I can remind myself of how much weight I’ve lost. My next goal is to grab a 50 lb. dumbbell, and do the exact same thing.

Sometimes I still can’t believe that in only 6 months, I went from barely being able to stand for five minutes, to doing P90X’s Plyometrics, and kicking and jumping with INSANITY and Turbo Fire. And even though I have to modify the workouts due to my knee, I’m still getting great results. During my second round of P90X, I even incorporated INSANITY into my workouts—a program I thought I’d NEVER be able to do. See, it just shows you that once you start believing in yourself, amazing things can happen.

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I also started using Shakeology at the end of month 2 and immediately saw a reduction in my cravings for carbs and sweets. Now I drink it every night for dinner. I recently did the 3-day Shakeology cleanse and lost 6 lbs. It took away the bloating in my stomach, my whole body felt lighter, and my workouts really began to accelerate.

In these past 6 months, I’ve not only transformed my body, I’ve completely rewired my mind. I’m such a happier, healthier person who’s now incredibly confident and determined to build a strong and healthy future.