My Life Was Once a Series of "I Can't Do That"—Now It's "How Can I Do MORE?"

My Life Was Once a Series of "I Can't Do That"—Now It's "How Can I Do MORE?"
By Meghan Kehoe, 2011 Million Dollar Body Game Grand Prize Winner

I was always a heavy kid, and after experiencing an abusive situation in my preteen years, I turned to food to cope and began gaining weight. When I got married in 2004, I weighed almost 250 pounds and wore a size 22 wedding dress. I hid behind baggy clothes and had very little self-confidence. I was depressed and felt hopeless, and was growing apart from my husband because I felt so bad about myself. I settled for less in every aspect of my life because I did not feel like I deserved anything good.

My only good times were our annual trips to Disney World. Even then I had to Google which rides I would fit on, and wear special shorts under all my clothes to prevent a rash from my skin chafing. I dreaded the water park because I needed to wear a swimsuit, and I couldn't parasail or go horseback riding with my husband because I was over the weight limit.

My husband and I desperately wanted to start a family, and after a few unexplained miscarriages that just sent me straight to the fridge or the drive-through, I headed to the doctor. I was on the borderline of adult onset diabetes, not to mention the high blood pressure. The doctor then told me I had developed polycystic ovarian syndrome, a hormonal imbalance that causes infertility, weight gain, and facial hair growth. I had hit rock bottom; I felt completely defeated. The doctor told me my only chance at motherhood and survival was to take off the excess weight in hopes that it would balance my insulin levels and hormone levels.

My doctor offered surgical procedures like gastric bypass or the lap band, but neither of those options felt right to me. I truly felt the only way I would achieve long-term success would be to finally take responsibility for myself and do the work on my own. I had a gym membership, but being so large, I was intimidated by the weight room. I worked closely with my Team Beachbody Coach to select a program. Since muscle toning was imperative to my overall success, she suggested ChaLEAN Extreme.

The program has completely transformed my body and my life. I am able to do things I never thought possible. I take pride in my appearance and love shopping, now that I can shop anywhere. I no longer worry about fitting on the rides at Disney; I am now the first in line. For the first time, my blood pressure is normal and I don't have to worry about diabetes. Where my life was once a series of "I can't do thats," now I am constantly looking for ways to do more!

If you're ready to take charge of your life like Meghan and Gregg did, there's a community of support and free personalized Coaching available to you at TeamBeachbody.com. Click here to learn more.