About Joli

My struggle with weight began in my childhood. I started using food at an early age to deal with tough emotions and to escape how I was feeling. Food became my best friend and “go-to” for almost every emotion I was feeling whether good or bad. I hated feeling so out of control around food and everything that comes with being overweight. I was extremely insecure and self-conscious about my weight. I would hide myself beneath baggy, dark color clothes hoping that my weight wouldn’t be the first thing noticed.

I reached my heaviest weight at the age of 23 when I was 265 pounds. I tried diet after diet. Counting calories, South Beach Diet, Weight Watchers, Atkins, low carb, no carb, gluten free, eating smaller portions more frequently…you name it, I tried it! Not to mention all the different workouts. Sometimes I would manage to lose a little weight: 10, 20 maybe 30 pounds at most but the weight always returned. I hated this endless cycle of deprivation, feeling hangry and eventually giving into my cravings. I felt hopeless and disappointed in myself which usually led to me turning to food for comfort. I found creative ways to justify my poor eating habits. This was my pattern over and over again!

I hit rock bottom the Winter of 2018. I was experiencing some newer health issues around that time. I was low energy, experiencing digestive issues, sinus issues and breaking out into rashes. I was no longer able to tolerate some foods that I loved. I was experiencing chronic sinus issues with severe pressure and pain. I was also getting sick more frequently with viruses that I couldn’t fight off on my own. I came down with my first virus of the Winter season in November of 2017 and ended up being sick with virus after virus all the way through March of 2018. I had maybe 15 days sprinkled in those 5 months where I felt “ok”. The viruses usually turned into bronchitis leaving me exhausted and with even less energy than I had before. I didn’t want to get out of bed and even just showering left me completely drained. Throughout that time, I was in and out of the doctor’s office. I left every time in tears, feeling hopeless and worried that something was seriously wrong with me. After seeing a few specialists, I was eventually diagnosed with a long list of allergies. Next came the allergy meds, none of which gave me any relief and it was looking like my last option would be allergy shots which wasn’t guaranteed relief.

I was fed up, frustrated, exhausted and sick of being sick! I was determined to take my health into my own hands. I couldn’t continue to live this way. I realized that this was my body’s way of telling me enough was enough! I knew that to get healthy, I needed to start with addressing my weight, diet, and relationship with food. I was ready and determined to take my health back. It was now or never! I started making healthy, mindful changes in all areas of my life that would help me to lose the weight naturally and heal. About a year and a half later I was down 70lbs, my allergies were gone, my digestive issues were gone, I had my energy back and I hadn’t been sick with a single virus! Since then, I have been able to keep the weight off (for the 1^st time ever) with the lifestyle changes I made.

What started off as a diet change, ended up being the catalyst to an entire transformation of mind, body and spirit. I began to take steps to address my emotional health which helped me face the issue of emotional eating and so much more. I was finally embracing, loving, and getting to know the real me. I felt a complete shift in my life. I have become more authentic, confident, patient, and happy!