Four decades, countless lessons — one path forward
At 23 - Confident, full of life
At 32 - Happy mom, yet stuck
Early 1990s - Life in Motion
👨👩👧 The beautiful chaos of raising kids. I was active — chasing children, volunteering, and working — but not balanced.
- I tried diet after diet, but they all failed me.
- They nearly destroyed my metabolism, making losing weight nearly impossible and regaining it far too easy.
- Still, I never gave up — I kept choosing healthy foods and looking for answers.
💡 Lesson: Activity and “healthy eating” weren’t enough. Without the right plan, real results never lasted.
1993-1997 - A Health Curveball
💔 Early 90s health curveball: a serious illness knocked me flat and changed daily life.
- I developed Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, making me allergic to virtually everything — even foods.
- Our lives changed dramatically; we had to make major adjustments and start over more than once. Finding housing was one of the biggest challenges.
- Doctors couldn’t help, so I sought alternatives — and after four years, I beat the odds and recovered.
💡 Lesson: Setbacks can shake everything — but they don’t have to define the future.
2000s - The Cycle Continues
🔄 In the 2000s, I felt stuck. I could only lose a few pounds at a time — and they always came back unless I starved myself, which wasn’t healthy and only made things worse.
- We moved again, this time to be closer to my aging parents.
- I tried another round of Weight Watchers, but my work schedule made it impossible to keep up with meetings.
- No matter how hard I worked at weight loss, the results were minimal and discouraging.
- I kept searching for a healthy way to finally lose the weight — but nothing lasted.
💡 Lesson: Even when progress feels impossible, staying committed to your health keeps the door open for real change.
2010s - Turning Points
🌱 A decade of change — much of it beyond my control
We moved three times, first to Southern California to be closer to our kids. We loved our new rental home with a neighborhood pool — something I’d always dreamed of — and started a childcare business. We hoped to buy a home there one day, but life had other plans.
My mom suffered a major stroke. During our daily phone calls she would say, “I can’t live without you.” At the same time, our landlord needed to move back in, and buying in Southern California seemed out of reach. Torn between dreams and reality, we returned to Washington.
Back in Washington, I found a home for sale that fit our needs perfectly, but the owner chose to rent instead of sell. Our daycare families were planning to return, so there was no time to look for another house. We were forced into a 3-year lease.
Through all of it, I maintained some of my weight loss but was still on the roller coaster.
✨ Late in this decade, a bright spot changed everything: I became a Grammy for the first time. Holding my first grandbaby brought a new kind of motivation — I wanted to be healthy, vibrant, and full of energy, not just for myself, but for my growing family.
2020s - The Final Stretch
In October 2020, I joined Noom, thinking it would be the program that would finally work. My metabolism was so fragile from all the weight-loss plans I had tried over the years that it took me until May of 2023 to lose 20 pounds.
- I was 17 pounds from my goal and feeling on top of the world — the closest I’d been in decades!
- Then life took another turn. In May of 2023, my husband got very ill, so my focus shifted to him and my full-time job.
- Without logging every bite I ate, the weight returned over the two years it took him to heal.
💡 Lesson: The final stretch isn’t about quick wins — it’s about building habits that last a lifetime. It took me a while to realize what I was looking for wasn’t out there… and that’s what prompted me to create Lose Weight – Once and For All.
Four Decades in the Making
After forty years of trial and error, I finally stopped chasing diets and built a way of eating that works — balanced, satisfying, and realistic.
- No more starving, logging every bite, or cutting out entire food groups.
- I created a plan that gives freedom, confidence, and energy every day.
- What started as my solution is now here to help others break free from the cycle.
- This isn’t a quick fix — it’s a whole new approach to food, weight loss, and maintenance.
💗 Lesson: This plan is different. You don’t pay monthly fees — you pay once for the full 8-week plan and can reuse it for life. More importantly, you’ll build a new relationship with food: one that carries you through weight loss, into maintenance, and toward lasting success.
Finding Joy Along the Way
From vibrant highs to challenging seasons, every photo is part of the journey. Even at my heaviest, joy and love were present — and they carried me forward.
- The pictures capture the struggles and the celebrations.
- Each season taught me something I carry with me today.
- Looking back reminds me that change is always possible.
💡 Lesson: Every season has value — and every season can spark change.
👉 For the full behind-the-scenes story, visit my [40-Year Journey page].