Removing Your “Fat Suit”

This woman discovered her true self after losing 130 lb.

Remember gym class in grade school? There were definitely two echelons of kids: those who could and those who couldn’t. For the kids in the latter category, gym was a panic-inducing hour.

“I remember standing in line for the 50-yard dash and being so anxious that my stomach hurt, my palms were sweaty and my heart was racing,” remembers Bonnie Matthews. “I was obese and couldn’t run like the other kids. I was also very shy and had low self-esteem.”

This abysmal self-worth followed Bonnie into adulthood, and she consistently found comfort in food, eating mindlessly in front of the TV to alleviate her anxiety and loneliness. She lived in a “fat suit,” a body she knew wasn’t truthfully hers to control and love, and one that she was eager to unzip and step out of, revealing her true self.

“Project: Me”

At age 44, Bonnie went to the doctor for a checkup and discovered that her fat suit had ballooned to 280 lb. This was a major reality check, and she knew she had to do something to escape the confines of a body that would soon betray her, leading to a lifetime of disease and possibly death. She had never exercised before, was going through menopause, and couldn’t walk down the street without needing a break. She needed to make some drastic life changes. Determined, Bonnie began “Project: Me,” and set out to lose the weight.

Bonnie decided to start small so she would be able to stick to her guns. She lost her first 30 lb simply by eliminating ice cream, pizza and cheese. Then she incorporated daily walks around her neighborhood, and even joined the YMCA. There she learned to strength train, and added a weight-bearing workout to her routine three days a week. Slowly and steadily, Bonnie chipped away at her fat suit, and two years later emerged 130 lb lighter.

“I’m no longer afraid of my reflection,” says Bonnie. “I have a different body, and I emit a different positive energy. When I see other tiny, fit bodies in the gym, I no longer feel insecure. I feel proud knowing that I am strong and healthy.”

Bonnie is now a certified trainer, a healthy chef, a Wellness Warrior for Dr. Oz, and the co-founder of a new company that is bringing Freekeh, a healthy new grain, into grocery stores nationwide (see freekeh-foods.com).

“Our bodies ebb and flow with our lives,” she says. “They move with us when we are happy. They expand with us when we are sad. They are often a reflection of what is happening with us inwardly and outwardly. I was ready to be happy, and I knew there was a higher purpose for me. I hope my story can inspire others to do the same thing.”

Bonnie’s 5 Steps To Unzipping Your Fat Suit

1. Do something right now! Even if it’s just walking out the front door and down the driveway. Everyone has to start somewhere, and every step counts!

2. Don’t compare yourself to others. Instead, focus on your own goals and what you can — and will! — achieve. I may not be small, but I’m strong and fit. Knowing that makes it easy to be happy in my own skin.

3. Don’t be afraid to experiment with exercise and new foods. There are so many ways to get moving and eat healthy, there is sure to be something you like. Try things you think you don’t like once again and you might find your tastes have changed.

4. Visualize yourself succeeding and meet yourself with love and compassion. Don’t beat yourself up about things you’ve done wrong in the past; move forward and make positive changes instead of dwelling on the negative.

5. Overcome your fear of the gym. The variety of equipment keeps your workouts exciting, and you may even find a new social circle of like-minded people who you enjoy.

Kim Lyons, NASM CPT, PES, CES and Prenatal Specialist, is an internationally known fitness trainer who worked on “The Biggest Loser.” For more information about Kim, visit kimlyons.com.

Photography courtesy of Bonnie Matthews.