by Kelly Knox

What started out as a personal journey to rid myself of inherited "saddlebags" and cellulite, led me to the most revealing truth about myself and others and I feel compelled to share this story with you.

It all started with someone telling me I'd never be able to shed the cellulite and that my saddle bags were there to stay.   Being the stubborn person I am, I was determined to do just the opposite.

I decided to go to a small personal training studio where there is a well-known man who is not only a personal trainer, but a nutritionist, dietician, spokesman for the American Diabetes Association, and contributor to big name magazines like Men’s Fitness, Oxygen and O. Intimidating, yes. But keep in mind I decided to be fearless this year. Despite his perfect physique, I refused to be intimidated – there was no stopping me.

Meeting My Trainer

I finally meet my trainer, Chris. Not only do I not want to sweat in front of this guy, I want to rush to the bathroom to fix my lipstick and pretend I run every day. I don’t give into that. I am totally upfront and honest, telling him that not only do I not want to sign a contract so that I can drop out anytime I want, but that I also hate working out and have an absolute love for Chick-Fil-A and sugar. I then add that I want be completely lean and cut in six weeks! Good luck Chris.

I get my workout regimen and diet. We do measurements and a weigh-in and decide that we will train together three days a week. The other three I will have to spend getting in my cardio. He suggests the YMCA, which to me didn’t sound the least bit appealing, but I reluctantly bought a membership. I had six weeks to diminish this junk on my butt and get lean and if I had to do it at the Y, well then I had to do it at the Y.

"If she can do it and she's disabled, I can too, and without complaint..."

The YMCA for me is where this story really begins. I have gotten more inspiration from this affordable gym than I ever imagined. For example, on one of my most difficult days, when my body was tired and trying to get used to a new way of doing things, I saw a beautiful disabled woman having her hands tied to an exercise machine because she simply couldn’t use her hands. This woman is fiercely determined to workout and gain strength and not one ounce of her was going to be deterred by a disability. Or, there is the woman who is about 300 pounds and has more than my entire body weight to loose. She shows up everyday and gives it all she’s got. In fact she is so determined that when she falls off the treadmill one day, she simply laughs at herself and gets right back on. Also, there is the woman who is blind and who comes in daily. She has the Y staff kick me off her favorite machine which happens to be mine too. I get off that machine in a heartbeat for her because I can’t even relate to the effort it took on her part to even get there today.

There are people out there who have it way harder than me and they don’t complain or whine. They show up and get it done. That is enough for me to know that no matter how hard my day is, there is someone else who has a lot more working against them than I do. Because of that, everyday I will show up at that gym and get it done with them. I have learned to appreciate my body and all its abilities and have become so grateful for a body that can rise to any occasion. It may not be easy and it doesn’t mean that I don’t get sore and tired. But what it does mean is that I will work through it just like those women who have inspired me more than they will ever know.

My six weeks come to an end...

I must say my body not only looks great but it feels great. My cellulite and saddlebags are history, but from what I lost, I gained an incredible amount of strength and self-awareness. I learned my strengths and my weaknesses. I learned that I can rely on other people to help me. I taught my family that I am important and that I value myself enough to take care of me. I view this as a gift I gave to my daughter. I want her to see the importance of health. More importantly, I want her to see the importance of taking time to take care of yourself and working through things that may not come easily to you.

I could never imagine that trying to rid myself of a big butt would have changed my life but it did. My hope for you is to never underestimate the power of an “itch” in your life. Listen to that buzz in your ear and go after it, whatever it may be. What makes me beautiful is my determination and drive to challenge myself and my body. Cellulite will surely come again, but I will never loose the pride and confidence I have gained from being inspired by others and pushing myself harder than I ever thought I could.

With Mother’s Day around the corner, I encourage you to give yourself a gift. Please share your story with us and tell us what makes you beautiful. Inspiration truly is like a virus and it spreads when you lift yourself up and encourage someone else to do so as well!! I can’t wait to hear from you.

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