I’m just a regular ole gal who (mostly) enjoys working out, eating (mostly) right and inspiring others to do the same. But it was not always like this.

I was overweight for the majority of my childhood. My earliest memory of being overweight was probably somewhere around age 8. I remember comparing my chubby knees to a skinny boy sitting next to me in school. I wanted skinny knees too.

I had to shop in different sections of clothing stores than the other kids. As time went on I got heavier and heavier. I didn’t have much of a concept of what was really happening with me I just knew it wasn’t normal. At middle school weigh-in day the nurse told me that I should “lose a little weight.” That only made things worse. My parents tried to help but as a kid I just felt ashamed, hopeless and helpless.

Come high school, I don’t even remember what my weight was. I couldn’t even tell you. I remember my dad talking to me about “missing out on things the other kids were doing” due to my weight. Three years into high school I started to finally take matters into my own hands and I successfully lost a handful of weight but nothing too major. When I did stand on the scale, I was 180lbs.

In college and after, I gained most of that weight back. When Michelle and I auditioned for The Biggest Loser, it had been years since I stood on the scale but figured I was around 200lbs. After we didn’t make the show and decided to lose the weight on our own, I officially weighed in at 215lbs.

I did well when we started things off in 2008, but I was not motivated enough to keep momentum on my own. Michelle was truly an inspiration to me and I would not have made it as far as I had if it wasn’t for her. Slowly but surely I began to try new exercise classes and actually enjoyed it.

I have lost a total of 85lbs using many different weight loss techniques. This journey was not always easy and I have come to realize that keeping an eye on my weight and finding time for exercise will need to be a constant in my life. For some that might seem daunting but honestly, feeling healthy is something I appreciate and am grateful for.

It was always a dream of mine since childhood to be a normal weight, whatever “normal” is, and I consider my weight loss a dream come true. I am truly honored that I can inspire others to change their lives. I am currently writing a memoir about being an overweight, awkward kid and I look forward to hopefully sharing that with the world one day very soon!