I remember sitting on a plane as we prepared to take off, and struggling to squeeze the fully loosened seatbelt across my lap. I knew that I would soon have to speak up and make the humiliating request for a seatbelt extension. At that moment I thought about all the things in my life that I couldn’t do because of my weight. I realized that if I didn’t take my life back, take responsibility for myself and actions, I was going to end up dead. My father died when I was nine of lung cancer, and my mother when I was twelve of diabetes complications. I didn’t want my future children to tell the same story. So I chose life.

My name is Melissa Carter, and I am your new DailyBurn Inspiration Ambassador.

I’ll be highlighting all the inspiration that our DailyBurn family has to offer one another.  Collectively we are a community of greatness and we are here to support each other as we reach our goals, discover and push our own boundaries, and live a healthier lifestyle.  I call upon you to become your own Inspiration Ambassador and recruit others to join our army!

Making the Change.

When I was obese, I was stuck living a life where all my thoughts and actions centered around my weight, yet I made every excuse in the book why I couldn’t lose it. Finally I had to do what worked for me, to put an end to the up and down and stop torturing myself. I decided to have a weight loss surgical procedure that has aided me in my journey. However, for me surgery was the easy part. I just had to show up and let the doctor do his job.  It gave me a second chance to commit to living a healthy life.

Dedication and Hard Work Pay Off.

Now I am dedicated to not just losing weight, but living a long healthy life! I am now kind to my body by eating responsibly, and working out.  DailyBurn provides me the tools to maintain this new lifestyle.  While weight loss surgery is not the answer for everyone nor is it a quick fix, it was what I had to do to turn my life around.  The hard work came afterward.

Now that I am 130 pounds lighter . . .

I can proudly say that my weight no longer dictates how I live my life and that freedom is something I will never risk losing again. I am an active participant of life now rather then just trying to get through it!  Life is good and I want to relish every moment of it.  You have the power to control how you accept and make change, I say embrace it, go after it,  and enjoy the process. I was able to truly commit to my change by surrounding myself with people who were rooting for me no matter what.  Entrust in your friends and family, don’t be afraid to ask for support or a little extra encouragement when you need it.  The people that really care for you want to see you succeed, let them help you.  You never know your journey might just be the inspiration they need to make a change in their life as well.

What About You?

So my fellow ambassadors, tell me your story. Let’s start sharing inspiration with one another. What was your defining moment when you knew you had to make a change?  Write me and tell me about it and what your journey has been since that moment.

No matter if your goal is to lose 100 lbs, 10 lbs, 5 lbs, or learn how to do pull ups (something I am working on myself). I want to hear all about it and you never know you just might get featured.  I look forward to getting to know you and hope to bring a little bit of inspiration your way when ever you need it!  Now go on  and GET INSPIRED!

Lots of love,
Melissa