GHUTV Success Story: Julie

We’re so inspired by our Get Healthy U TV members, and love when we hear from them with stories about their fitness journeys. If you have a story you’d like to share about how GHUTV has helped you stay fit, healthy, and motivated to work out, be sure to reach out and let us know!

My story is pretty simple. Until my late 30s, I was never overweight. I’ve never eaten well or exercised unless trying to lose weight after pregnancies. Eleven years ago I started gaining a lot and ended up at 174 pounds. I changed my diet, my husband bought me a treadmill and I walked off 38 pounds in four months. Pretty easy. Three years ago, I was 47 years old, 5’7″, 143 pounds, and happy with the way I looked in a two-piece swimsuit. But slowly and blindly, to me, I started gaining weight. Almost five months ago, I turned 50 years old. I was so overweight that I wouldn’t even let my husband see me unless I was fully clothed. I was depressed and suffering middle of the night anxiety attacks because I was so upset about my appearance. On the morning of February 17th, I finally decided that the only way I was going to get better and feel better was if I finally weighed myself and decided to change. After all, the first weight loss was fairly easy, and I couldn’t possibly weigh more than that.

So, I weighed myself. The devastation I felt when reading 193.5 on the scale still makes me emotional. I cried (a lot), got dressed, and got on my treadmill. While walking, it occurred to me that this was going to be much harder than I expected. I had much more weight to lose than the first time around, I was part way through menopause, and I was in desperate need of something to motivate me.

I continued on my treadmill for about two weeks until one morning on my local news channel, Motivation Monday came on and this time I didn’t just watch it, I really listened. Chris Freytag was talking about GHUTV. I combed through the site, previewed some of the videos, and was excited to see some walking and step videos, my favorites when I was younger. I knew this was what I needed to get me started. I bought a cute workout outfit, broke out my old hand weights, immediately adjusted my nutrition, promised myself to weigh in only once a month, and was on my way.

I’ve been doing the videos for almost four months now and I love them! They are fun, encouraging, and give great tips on how to make the workouts most beneficial. Then I learned about Chris’s Live Q&As and the Facebook “Lunch and Learns.” I’m learning so much and it’s making all the difference. One month after my emotional melt down, I weighed twelve pounds less. The next month was another ten pounds less, and so on. I am currently down forty pounds, four and a half months after my start date, and am planning on losing at least another ten. My workouts and good nutrition are now a daily part of my life. My husband says I look great and I definitely feel great. I’m no longer depressed and am becoming more confident.

My favorite workouts on GHUTV are still the Move to Lose and Walk & Tone videos, and Cardio Kickboxing. They are working for me, so I’ve been sticking with them. I’ve tried many others (and love them), and once I get to my desired weight or hit that plateau, I’ll use them to vary my routine.

My favorite thing about GHUTV besides all the awesome videos, is Chris Freytag and her awesome staff. When I have questions—and I’ve had plenty—I email them or ask them during the Live Q&A, and they get answered. And with every knowledgeable answer is a “congratulations,” some words of encouragement, and requests to keep letting them know how I’m doing. I feel so supported knowing that they truly care about my progress and want me to succeed. I am confident that without GHUTV my progress would be much slower and not nearly as enjoyable. I am so appreciative to have them all there for me!

A big thank you to Julie for sharing her story with us. Keep up the wonderful work! YES U CAN!