Shape Your Future Podcast

Today we share with you Scott’s story. Years of overeating, overindulging and consuming food based on what tasted good had lead him to gain excess weight. Being 420 Lbs could come with a host of physical, mental and emotional problems. For Scott, his addiction to sugar lead to diabetes. In this episode, Scott tells us how he discovered about his diagnosis and what he decided to do in order to recover from it. As a father, Scott wishes to teach his children to take care of their health. However, wanting your kids to care about their nutrition as much as you do could be a daunting task especially when the majority of their peers, their immediate surroundings as well as their schools encourage excessive sugar and fat consumption. He tells us about the challenges he faced on his weight loss journey and how he remained focused on his goals. “I just did everything I could to cut that temptation out of my life”. His is a story of determination and discipline. Scott’s story will inspire those who struggle with diabetes and other obesity related chronic diseases. “I think having a plan and sticking to that will really make a big difference” - Scott Rees

Nacira, a lovely mother of 3 from Germany shares her success story of how she lost 70 kilograms or approximately 155 LBS in one year after injuring herself. A lot of us deal with emotional challenges that encourage us to develop negative coping behaviours such as binge eating and living a sedentary life. For Nacira, she tells us how her failure to express her feelings to anyone has lead her to literally “eat” her feelings of frustration and loneliness, “When I was sad, I ate”. Being overweight for most of her life, Nacira was absorbed in a vicious cycle of making the same mistakes, claiming that after losing a certain amount of weight, she relapsed into old and unhealthy habits which took a toll on her emotions, on her relationships, on her mood and most of all, on her health. Almost every mother goes through the struggle of finding time for themselves. “I was making everything for others and losing focus on myself.” It took a ruptured ligament to awaken her. Realising that her health should also be her priority, Nacira gives us insight on the importance of taking action. Now, she is an inspiration to many moms who get frustrated and depressed about their physical appearance, about raising their children, about their health and more. “Now I am the person I want to be.”

Her father used to tell her, “Tell me who your friends are, and I’ll tell you who you are”. Deborah’s story proves that the people we choose to be with influence our life more than we know. The relationships we build with people greatly shape who we become as we embody the collective personality of these people. For Deborah, her decision to be with a certain person lead her to develop an unhealthy lifestyle which then lead to bigger issues such as low self esteem and weight gain. Weighing 320 Lbs at her heaviest, Deborah recalls how insecurities took over her relationship and how depression took over her life. “You wake up and you feel like you don’t have purpose, you don’t want to face the world, you don’t want to face people, your family members, your loved ones, you just wish you could hide behind the curtains. You kind of stop living. You stop being who you are and that’s who I became.” Deborah shares how her life changed the moment she decided it was time to change, when simple tasks like washing the dishes or walking became painful experiences. She also tells us how she understood that sometimes, the people we love could hold us back from becoming the best we could be. Now, fitter and 130 Lbs lighter, she has learned to cherish small joys and achievements like waking up without joint pain, running and experiencing life’s beauty. “I feel like I can inspire others and feel inspired by others” - Deborah M Morales

Joel has always been a bigger kid when he was young. But after losing his parents at a young age, Joel began to put on more weight, describing his activities as a deadly combination between eating a bunch of junk food and playing video games. His story will resonate with many young men out there who struggle with weight, who have developed an unhealthy relationship with food particularly junk food, young men who refuse to discuss their feelings and who have built daily routines around a lifestyle that is sedentary. Weighing 467 LBS at 19 and consuming food that could feed 4-5 people, Joel recalls his breaking point. “I was tired of throwing my life away. I was pretty much killing myself with food.” Gain insight on what life was like as a young obese man as Joel recalls his biggest challenges and how he started to take small yet effective steps to turn his life around with the right motivation and will power. It is through these small daily goals that we achieve amazing feats.

Liz has a story that many young women can relate to. While many use birth control shots with very few side effects, injecting hormones can come with a host of negative consequences. For young women looking to prevent unplanned pregnancies, it is important to be informed of all the side effects, not to be afraid to ask questions and to observe how your body reacts to these shots. For Liz however, birth control caused her to gain weight reaching 268 lbs at 17 years old. It is undeniable that issues about body image, identity and confidence tend to be at its peak during the impressionable age of adolescence and this took a toll on her mental and emotional state. This brave young lady shares how she found comfort in posting on social media - gaining gratification from all the attention and likes. But what people didn’t know was that under the surface, she was struggling. “I didn’t know who she was anymore, I was so lost.” At 18 years old, Liz provides helpful information on weight loss and the journey towards making a change in your lifestyle. Diets and fitness programs can be overwhelming, Liz chose to take it step by step and decided to make small changes part of her lifestyle. Her success story is one that will resonate with many teenagers who are struggling with their weight and the mental, emotional and physical challenges that come with it. In the U.S., 7.5 million boys and 6.1 million girls between the ages of 5 to 19 were obese in 2016 according to research from the World Health Organization and Imperial College London.

Get ready for an incredible weight loss story. Weighing 525 lbs at her heaviest, @ColeenSykesRay, a mother of 2 had to take at least 10 different medications for obesity related diseases just to get through the day. She’s had congestive heart failure, diabetes, hypertension, kidney issues, bladder problems, asthma and joint pain. She recalls her daily dietary intake and how her habits as a child influenced her relationship with food. “We eat when we’re happy, we eat when we’re sad, we eat when we’re angry. Food is our comfort.” She also tells us her story of sadness, guilt and falling into a deep depression after losing a loved one. For anyone who has struggled with their weight, there’s a moment, a breaking point where you decide that enough is enough. “I remember looking in the mirror one day, and I didn’t recognize myself”, Coleen recalls. She gives us her insight on the lack of conversation within the African-American community about mental health issues such as depression and the problems that arise from this. After a year of hiding and blaming herself, Coleen found strength by praying and reconnecting with her faith. She shares how in moments of need, it is meaningful for many to confide in a higher power as this can change one’s mindset and one’s life. In her story, she shows us that small steps lead to a large victory. Now, 289lbs lighter, Coleen is a “walking miracle” she now owns a bakery and she has started a non-profit organisation called “Bags of Hope – Stockton Foundation” which distributes feminine hygiene products to homeless women and girls. Coleen is a woman with a big heart, we hope that her story inspires you.

Zach Moore is living proof that anything is possible and that change can happen overnight as long as you make the decision to go for it. He was once warned by a doctor that he had less than a thousand days left to live when he was 31 years old. Now, at 37 Zach was able to beat the odds. Living in a 500 pound body restricted him from doing that much “living”, with chronic diseases arising from his obesity such as diabetes, hypertension, cholesterol issues, asthma and sleep apnea. Stuck in a routine of eating junk food, living sedentarily and being hospitalised multiple times, Zach often felt like there was no coming back from the life he had. “You get to a certain weight, you give up and you die. That’s what we know. But NOT ME”. He’s had a total of 12 operations which includes disease related surgeries as well as excess skin removal to address the staggering 10 Lbs of excess skin he had all over his body. In this interview he tells us where he gets his strength from and how his son inspired him to make the better choice of getting his life in order. We need to be smart about our nutrition - this is one of the major factors of our lifestyle that Zach firmly believes in. The truth is that 99% of the processed foods on the shelves in our supermarkets use a formula to create a flavour combining fat, salt and sugar that hits the highest mark in your brain’s addiction centre. These flavours have nothing to do with how healthy the foods and drinks are, and they even have nothing to do if you like or not the actual flavour — they are simply turning you into a salt-sugar-fat junky. Be inspired by Zach’s story, the challenges he once faced, the diseases he was able to get rid of after losing all the excess weight, his love for his family, and the areas of his life that he is currently working on. He shares how everything boils down to our mindset and how we intend to look after ourselves and the ones we love for the long run. Obesity is one of the biggest health issues of the 21st century. With numbers growing rapidly by the minute, affecting both developed and developing nations around the world, one needs to ask “what must be done to stop this?” According to WHO, in 2016, more than 1.9 billion adults, 18 years and older, were overweight. Of these over 650 MILLION were obese. 41 million children under the age of 5 were overweight or obese in 2016. We have yet to see what these statistics will be in the future. With the current trend of sedentary lifestyles together with an increased intake of energy and fat dense foods, as well as emotional and mental health issues that encourage negative coping behaviour such as binge eating, it is estimated that 9 out of 10 adults will be overweight or obese by 2050. In our documentary “Solution to Obesity in the World of the 21st Century” we feature real stories from real people who have gradually won their battle against obesity. We look forward to sharing with you what these brave people have gone through physically, emotionally and mentally in order to achieve their weight management goals. The truth is, there is more to the story than the number on the weighing scale. There’s a great amount of lessons to be learned and an even greater amount of inspiration to be gained from these amazing people. We hope that this document series will help you in your journey to fitness, health and happiness.

Marina has shared her story on the Dr. Oz Show and the Rachael Ray Show to name a few. Marina tells us that there are no shortcuts, no magic, no pills. It is all just hard work and dedication. “It is confidence you gain along the way, at some point you realise that ‘I GOT THIS”. This episode features Marina, a personal trainer and counsellor from New York City who has overcome adversities and lost over 140 Lbs despite of having been sexually abused as a young girl, been involved in a vehicular accident, growing up with the manifestations of Polycysting Ovary Syndrome, and weighing 320 Lbs at her heaviest, Marina explains how her life her life events lead her to find comfort and solace in her excess weight and develop self destructive coping mechanisms. She tells us what pushed her to make a decision to start taking control of her weight and get fit. Through her efforts to stay healthy and fit, Marina is now 4 months pregnant, definitely a feat for someone with PCOS. On this episode we tackle issues such as understanding the emotional side of weight gain, finding the right mentor that will guide you through the nutrition and fitness programs that will cater to your unique needs as an individual and getting to the bottom of the excuses that people use.

Meet Charles Abouzied, owner and Chief Happiness Officer of The Happiest Gym on Earth. His is a story that resonates with many of us who have been raised in a household where emotional connections to bad habits just weren’t talked about, where unhealthy relationships with junk food and cravings are established early on. He shares with us journey, from being bullied as a young child to understanding his emotional needs and finally getting to the bottom of his weight struggles. In a society where vulnerability isn’t attributed to masculinity, Charles had to break free from these stereotypes and understand how deep seated self esteem issues can contribute to the formation of negative patterns. Gain some insight on how this cheerful and friendly guy was able to silence his inner critic. Obesity is one of the biggest health issues of the 21st century. With numbers growing rapidly by the minute, affecting both developed and developing nations around the world, one needs to ask “what must be done to stop this?” According to WHO, in 2016, more than 1.9 billion adults, 18 years and older, were overweight. Of these over 650 MILLION were obese. 41 million children under the age of 5 were overweight or obese in 2016. We have yet to see what these statistics will be in the future. With the current trend of sedentary lifestyles together with an increased intake of energy and fat dense foods, as well as emotional and mental health issues that encourage negative coping behaviour such as binge eating, it is estimated that 9 out of 10 adults will be overweight or obese by 2050. There are hundreds of weight management techniques flooding the internet, new diet trends popping up left and right, we have digital resources on self help, stress management and nutrition right at our fingertips but many of us still struggle with our weight. Now the question is, what exactly does it take for an individual to effectively control his or her weight? More importantly, what will it take to create a massive change in obesity prevalence around the world? In our documentary “Solution to Obesity in the World of the 21st Century” we feature real stories from real people who have gradually won their battle against obesity. We look forward to sharing with you what these brave people have gone through physically, emotionally and mentally in order to achieve their weight management goals. The truth is, there is more to the story than the number on the weighing scale. There’s a great amount of lessons to be learned and an even greater amount of inspiration to be gained from these amazing people. We hope that this document series will help you in your journey to fitness, health and happiness.

Melaina Rosa-Montes, is a married mom of 6 from Southern California is a true fighter with an inspiring story. She shares not only her weight loss journey, but also her quest to learning about self love. It is every mother’s dream to share fond memories with their children. And a lot of mothers struggle to take care of themselves when a lot rests on their shoulders. Join us as we uncover the reasons for her weight gain, and how depression played a role in her unhealthy habits.