As sad as it is to say, I used to be so ashamed of my weight loss journey. In fact, it took me years to start talking about it with people because I was afraid that people would judge me.

Over the years I have come to realize the more I share my journey, the more it brings HOPE to those looking to start their own journey. Hope that they can do it too!

I hope if you leave here today with anything, it’s knowing that you CAN do whatever your heart desires! No, it’s not easy, it’s not always fun, it’s life changing in SO MANY WAYS, but man…it’s SO WORTH IT IN THE END!

I have struggled with my weight for as long as I can remember. In high school I was always the “bigger girl” in the group. Boys were always interested in all my friends but never me. I remember being ashamed to change clothes in the locker room before practices or games because I feared that one of my teammates would make fun of me. All I can say was high school was a trying time…as I’m sure it was for most people!

After high school I moved to Hutchinson to attend HCC on a track and field scholarship. I hated it. It sounded like a great idea at the time, at least until I realized that college track was year round. Yet, one good thing that came out of my first year of college was the fact that I met my first real boyfriend Josh. Side note - Josh and I are going on 13 years of marriage now!

During my first year of college I packed on 25-30 pounds due to fast food being at my fingertips. Fast food was something we had to drive 30 miles to get back home. With it so easily accessible, I would eat fast food 2-3 times a day!

The summer after my first year of college, Josh and I found out we were pregnant. While it was quiet the shock for both us and our parents, looking back it was the biggest blessing of our lives. If it wasn’t for that 8 pound little girl, her dad and I both agree that we likely would not still be together. She gave us a reason to fight for our relationship and when she was 15 months old; we became husband and wife.

Six months after we got married, I found out I was pregnant with our second child; this time a boy! Between the two kids, my weight loss was stagnant. I remember wanting to lose weight but not being willing to work too hard for it; which is why it didn’t happen...DUH!

About a year or two after our son was born was when my weight loss journey started. I remember signing up for Weight Watchers, working hard for a few months, only to lose about 1-2 pounds. I, like I’m sure most of you, thought “why the hell am I working so hard if I’m not losing weight!? I might as well eat what I want because I’m getting the same results!”. And so, I gave up…

Another six months or so went by and one day I decided I was sick of feeling this way. Sick of being so self-conscious. Sick of not wanting to leave the house. Sick of not wanting to meet new people. And sick for not wanting to go out in public with my husband, all for fear of people judging me.

I started going to a gym down the street from where we lived. I only did 10 minutes on an elliptical when I started. And I only went a few days a week, which then turned into more days and longer time as the months went.

After I started seeing some progress and weight loss, I knew I could make it go faster if I changed the way I was eating. Now, I love food and I love to cook, but I had NO IDEA how to make food healthy or even what was considered “healthy”. This is when I started looking for recipes online. I became passionate about finding ways to make my favorite comfort foods healthier.

As the weight kept coming off and I was learning more about nutrition, I decided to make another big life change. I decided to go back to school to get my Bachelor of Science in Nutrition and Health through K-State’s online programs.

If there was one thing I was sure of, it was my new passion in life. I knew from that point on I wanted to teach people how to eat better. How to feed their families healthier meals. And how to lose weight and gain confidence!

For the last 4.5 years, I have worked in a gym setting teaching people all the things I listed. Yet, it was never taught on my terms; which is where my newest life change comes in!

In 2020, I decided it was the year for ME. The year for me to quit letting people rob me of my passion. A year for me to launch my own business so I have the ability to help my clients in any way that I see fit! I could not be more excited about this new journey and to continue helping people change their lives!

Even though this blog post didn't get into the nitty gritty of my weight loss journey, I promise there were MANY ups and downs! One thing I plan to do through this blog, is to give people an insight into ALL the ups and downs of weight loss journey!

Below are a few pictures to show where we started and how far we have come!

My Weight Loss Journey -

Stefanie Griffin - Nutrition Consulting