Barbara Brady

Hi. My name's Barbara Brady. I'm sixty two years old, and I'm an elementary school teacher that's about to retire. I'm married to a wonderful man. We have two grown children and a beautiful grandson.

As I sat down today and was getting ready to do this, I really was thinking about what was the problem that led me to Warrior Babes. At first, I wanted to share how the typical issue of so many women who've gone through menopause, how we've gained weight, and all of a sudden we have fat where we didn't used to before.

I wanted to share how I've had a typical issue of trying different diets, losing the weight only to gain it back again over time. I wanted to share how I was inactive, that I would come home after work with no energy and no stamina, would eat junk food and sit in front of the TV and do nothing at the rest of the evening. But when I really thought about it and was honest with myself, none of those was the problem.

The biggest problem that I've had with my health and fitness stems back from something I've struggled with all my life, which is that I've suffered from a low self image and low self confidence.

I've always been a late bloomer. I was one of the last ones to learn how to read in my class in elementary school. I was older when I had my kids, and I was forty years old when I became a teacher. It always takes me a while to get to where I wanna be, and that's okay.

But the painful part about all of that, going through all of that, is that I've always wanted to hide. I never wanted to be seen. I never liked going to the gym. I didn't want people to see me in my workout outfit.

I didn't look good. I didn't want people to see that I couldn't get through a whole aerobics class without stopping to rest. I didn't want people to see how I didn't have good form or how I couldn't lift as much weights as other people could. I was embarrassed.

I didn't think I was good enough.

Even as a teacher, I'm almost ready to retire, but it's only been within the last couple of years that I've realized, yeah, I do know what I'm doing, and I am a good teacher. It's always taken me a long time to see that I can do something.

When I joined Warrior Babes, I joined because with the promise from Warrior Babes of changing the composition of your body. I've been in the program about four or five four or five months now, and I've been having success with that. I've lost a few inches on my waist and my hips. I have lost several pounds. I'm reaching my goals.

But Warrior Babes has helped me with so much more than that. While I am changing the composition of my body, what I've come to realize is that I'm changing the composition of me. With the help of my coach, little bit by little bit, I'm changing who I am.

She met me where I was. She knew that I couldn't just all of a sudden change something overnight, and that's really not the warrior babe's way.

Little bit by little bit, as I am changing how I eat, how I move, how I exercise, what is it that I do when I first get up in the morning, I am finding as I'm reaching these goals, I'm standing a little bit taller. I have more confidence in who I am. I'm not afraid to be seen. I'm kind of liking being seen right now, and that's a new thing for me. And my coach has helped me do that and is continuing to help me do that. I am so glad that I joined Warrior Babes, and I know you will too.