are they? I’d still be unhappy whether I was a size 4 or 44.
If what you are “trying” doesn’t make sense for you in the long term, if it’s not a good fit for who you are or doesn’t make you a happy, joyful version of yourself, then you’ve got to make a change. It isn’t worth losing weight if you also lose the joy of living.
The “magic” is in the commitment. That’s something that already lies within you. Commit to be the woman you were born to be. Commit to the little girl inside you. Commit to vitality, not just weight loss. When you do, you will see a change in your body, health, and spirit.
I felt like I had the beginnings of a secret, an inkling that there was something more for us women to focus on other than the scale and the size of our jeans. It seemed like God opened my ears to hear my calling, because I couldn’t go anywhere—a nail salon, a restaurant, a doctor’s office— without hearing women agonize over their weight or their stressed-out lives. I felt like I had a secret that I just had to share: We don’t need to spend all this time worrying! We can enjoy life instead and live well! Although I was still learning exactly what that meant and how to do that, I wanted to share this message with women and reinforce it for myself.
I also loved helping women, and since we all tend to teach what we so most need to learn, I loved (and still do) helping women with their self-esteem. I’m a girl’s girl at heart, and have always wanted women to live to their full potential. I have been writing about the meaning of life since I can remember! When I graduated college, I had the Eleanor Roosevelt quote, “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams,” printed on my invitations and written in red icing on my cake. (Later, I’ve even had that same quote painted on my daughter’s nursery wall). Even though, at the time, I still had some issues with my own self-esteem, I always wanted women to feel good about themselves. So, when my co-worker, Julie,
“Commit to be the woman you were born to be. Commit to the little girl inside you. Commit to vitality, not just weight loss. When you do, you will see a change in your body, health, and spirit.”
told me that she and her mom owned a Curves franchise, I realized I had found an opportunity to help women live a healthy, happy, life, and follow their own dreams.
I was intrigued for many reasons. First, I had spent most of my life on some sort of diet. I finally was able to control my weight, but for years I was on the dieting roller coaster. My highest weight was over 265 pounds, and I was down 100 pounds since that time. Second, I hated working out, and although the thought of a 30-minute full- body strength training and cardiovascular workout seemed impossible, it definitely was right up my anti-gym alley. Third, I thought it could help my mom with her tendonitis and perhaps be a business for us all, as it was for Julie’s family.
So, the three of us ventured out to their Curves, which was actually quite the distance from our homes. We joined, and we were hooked right away—and my mother’s tendonitis started improving. Before going to Curves, she struggled to do simple things like food shopping or go to the mall. This was the first workout my mom not only could do, but also wanted to do. With the upbeat music and friendly environment, my mom found a gym where she felt comfortable. Danielle and I felt the same way.
Before we knew it, we were on a plane to Waco, Texas, to learn all about business ownership from Gary Heavin, the founder of Curves. With my father and brother cheering us on, helping us get our facilities ready, it became a true family business!
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Within a year, we were opening franchises of our own. Little did we know how much our lives would change, and that we were on the path to helping thousands of women change their lives as well.
From the book BALANCE YOUR LIFE, BALANCE THE SCALE by Jennifer Tuma-Young. Copyright ©2012 by Jen- nifer Tuma-Young. Reprinted by permission of HarperOne, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.
Jennifer Tuma-Young, is the founder of Inspirista LifeStyle Design and Chief Cre- ative Officer for Enchanted Makeovers and has been designing health/well- ness/inspirational programs for women and children living in shelters around the country for the past decade. Recently dubbed one of “America’s Ultimate Experts” in life balance and inspired living by Woman’s World Magazine, Jennifer has appeared on over 300 television and radio programs as a coach and inspirer, and she’s had recurring segments on Ra- chael Ray, and ABC, NBC, CBS and FOX News. Her articles and tips are featured online and in print in major outlets such as Martha Stewart Living, Yahoo Shine, and iVillage. And her visibility continues to grow. www,
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