Melinda has been on one diet or another since elementary school. She was not obese, but carried around an extra 10 to 20 pounds that she wanted to shed. “My family doctor gave me diet pills when I was in grade school,” Melinda states. “He didn’t even think twice about it.” She said that reading teen magazines and watching television and movies made her want to be thin.

When Melinda got to her 40s, her activity level slowed down and she gained some weight. Those 30 – 40 pounds that she was overweight really slowed her down.

A good friend of hers died, and then her mother got cancer in 2000. Her children went off to college, and Melinda, in her words, “just went to bed”. If she was not on the computer, she was lying in the bed.

In May of 2006, Melinda decided to do something about her weight. She quit smoking and joined a boot camp, which she calls “a nightmare from hell”. The first day she ran a mile…all 230 pounds in tow. She was up every morning before the sun, yet she did not lose any weight.

Soon after, she began to speak to a good friend of hers who is a dietician. She learned about good food choices and eating right…and gained five pounds! “I ate more fruits and vegetables,” Melinda shares, “but I didn’t cut out those burgers and fries!”

In October of 2006, Melinda decided she was going to have gastric bypass surgery. She went to consult with a surgeon, who told her that she should really weigh 15 pounds more than her current weight in order to have the surgery. “No problem!” Melinda decided. She gained 13 pounds and scheduled her surgery.

Her dietician friend tried to convince her that she should not have surgery. She promised to help her make better food choices and suggested that she begin to work with a trainer. The Friday before her scheduled surgery, she went in to the gym and met Austin for the first time. “From the moment I met him, Austin was very positive and encouraging. He made me feel like I could do anything!”

On October 23, 2006, when she started working with Austin, Melinda would have paid any amount of money to lose the 47 pounds that she’s lost to date. “I realize that the next stage of my life is all aboutme. I’m happy, I’m sleeping better, and the future is great! I’ve rejoined the world, and I hadn’t even realized that I had left it!” Melinda says. She has learned that you have to eat to lose weight. You have to you’re your body fuel so that It can burn fat. “I’ve realized that I can do anything as long as I picture it in my mind. This has been a physical, mental and spiritual journey, and I’ve grown in all areas.”

Melinda, whose 55th birthday is in September of 2007, shares that, “I want my next 30 or 40 years to be happy and healthy. I don’t care about being skinny. What I want is to have a healthy body.” With Austin’s guidance and support, she is well on her way to having just that.