Looking for inspiration? Meet Jody.

“I will develop consistent habits that maximize my physical and mental health so I can be an effective help-mate for my husband and the best role model for my children, family, and friends”

Jody wants your help this month. To increase motivation for this stretch of her health journey, she will be sharing her goals with you for the next four weeks.

If anyone understands what it means to say “health is a journey” it would be Jody.

Her journey began as an infant with an infection that left her hip malformed. She has undergone several operations throughout her life to deal with pain and mobility. It was in planning her next operation, a hip replacement, that she found FitMetabolism. This discovery changed the course of her journey to transcend short term improvements and realize the path of lifestyle based change.

Dr. Powell of the Alberta Hip and Knee Clinic referred Jody to Fm as part of her surgery preparations. The hip-replacement was deemed high risk. Jody needed to take as many precautions as possible including weight reduction. But it was worth the risk for Jody.

She is a mother. The kind of mother that lives and breathes her children so much so you feel it in her words and you see it in her face.

I believe that in the heart of all mothers is this indescribable capacity to give. And Jody is proof of that for me. And in many ways she has helped me in return because of that (Thank-you Jody).

She drew on that power of love for her family and friends and took responsibility for her health. As many have said, but not really lived, “you need to care for yourself before you can care for others.”

She went against the grain of her habits, stepped outside her comforts and applied herself to continuous improvement in healthy life behaviours. And this was no easy task. Years of family baking, dinners, and traditions were redefined in the name of extra time and the promise of one day running alongside her children.

Jody was immediately successful. In the first six months she decreased a significant percentage of her body weight decreasing her disease risk and improving the function of her hip joint.

Then two critical events happened. Her long anticipated follow-up with Dr. Powell revealed that surgery was no longer required due to the improved hip that came from her weight loss. While this was news well received, it also removed one of her advantages- a sense of urgency in her goals. It took her a few months to realize this relief was working against her overall plan. She pulled her bootstraps up, dusted herself off, and then started anew.

The second event came shortly thereafter. Jody’s mother suffered a stroke that left her dependent on full-time care. I have seen people undergo unfathomable heartache and give way to circumstance, but not Jody. This event was further affirmation that leadership in her life pertaining to health was an absolute priority, for her and for her children.

We had several meetings over the course of the following months where we simply kept afloat. There is no denying that success in that time was measured with a different stick, but we made considerable progress during what could have been a serious step backwards.

And now, quite simply, here we are. Time has passed and it has healed her the constraints of forward movement. Jody is ready for the next part in her journey and commitment.

And so for the next four weeks she is inviting you into her life. She is counting on you for encouragement. For a community that can echo her own voice back, “you can do this Jody!”

Thanks to her hard work and the expert advice of her new coach, Craig Rieger (as I have changed roles), Jody lost two pounds last week, all of which were measured as body fat. This was despite Halloween, and a few mini chocolate bars! Her goal is to lose another two pounds this week. By the end of the four weeks her ambitious but possible goal is a total of eight pounds bringing her to a record low body weight.

Please post your comments and words of support for Jody! We will keep you posted with her progress! Thanks Jody for your bravery.