50 pounds down, 22 to go!

Hello, friends!

My name is Jo-Ellen. I'm 32 years old. I'm a proud mother of a child with autism, a martial artist, a full-time college student, a store clerk, and a wife! I guess you can say that I have a full life!

When I was fat, I hated myself. I had a food addiction and I was bulimic on top of it. My sex life was bad, my self image was horrible, I was tired all the time, I was depressed and I had no self esteem.

There are many reasons why I started getting my life under control. Firstly, I suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder as the result of a childhood of such nightmarish proportions, you only read about it in books and in Lifetime movies. How I survived it is beyond me. This was a big reason for why my self-esteem was so low. I have learned to deal with this partly through the help of my husband and the help of a good friend who said, "Others have made your past, it's up to you to make your future. If you live in the past, you are embracing death. Your life is yours. Rise up and live it."

So, I went back to high school where I completed my last year and earned myself a high school diploma (not GED). As far as education, I just (very successfully) completed my first year of college at the University of Maine where I am pursuing a Bachelors of Science in Nursing so I can become an RN. I have been on the Dean's List both semesters of my first year. I start my second year in the fall.

As for the weight loss, a large part of my motivation was, and still is, Taekwondo. For those who aren't familiar with it, Taekwondo is the traditional martial art of Korea. I watched my son train for a long time and I always watched thinking to myself how badly I wanted to participate. I knew that in the current shape I was in, there was no way I could handle such an intense workout. So, through knowledge from watching 10 seasons of The Biggest Loser and other research, I started eating the way I should and managed to get a serious eating disorder under control. When Season 11 of TBL came, I lost 25 pounds in two months with the motivation that and TKD provided me.

So, after having lost the 25 pounds, I finally got the courage to join the Taekwondo adult class. The classes are 2-3 hours of intense cardio twice a week. Another 25 pounds came off quickly. I have earned my 1st Dan black belt from the Kukkiwon (World Taekwondo Headquarters) in Seoul, South Korea and I'm working on my 2nd Dan.

I'm here because lately I've found myself slipping back into those old habits: the binge eating (not the bulimia). I knew I had to get this under control or I would just put the weight back on. I had already gained 5 pounds back in a period of only 2 weeks. But I refuse to let that happen again. So, here I am. I need a support system and the tools that this website provides so that I can stay motivated and be successful in not just weight loss and fitness but everything I do in my life! Because we all know that it affects everything else!

I'm happy to be here with all of you and I hope that I receive some friend requests soon! I look forward to my time here!