Edie Dozier’s story is not unusual for many women. Since she was ten years old she has battled
her weight, watching it go up and down like a yo-yo. She says, “If there was a
fad diet, I tried it. Cabbage soup, Weight
Watchers, you name it.”
Sitting with her family at Applebee’s one night, weighing
240 pounds, Edie had her ‘Ah-ha’ moment.
She remembers, “I was watching
another family eating dinner. The
mother was a bit older than me and she was overweight. The rest of the family was
regular-sized. I realized that she was
the only one at the table eating dessert and I thought ‘Oh, my God, that is
me.’ It was that moment that I realized
if I didn’t do something soon I was going to die fat and I was going to die
young.”
After doing research about her options, she first stumbled
upon downtown Lee’s Summit business, The Daily Shake. There, she joined a weight loss challenge and began her
journey. The Daily Shake offers a
nutrition class, which is a 12-week series for only $30.00. There, she learned how to eat in the real
world, including restaurants. By
counting calories, reading labels and knowing how much protein her body needed,
she would begin her journey into better health. Daily Shake owner Laurie Klaus says, “Edie’s been really focused.
That’s the only way it’s going to work.”
Once she began to learn a healthy path to weight loss she
realized that if she were going to be successful, she would have to begin
moving her body. She started small, by
walking at an easy pace a few minutes a day.
Gradually, she was able to increase the time she spent walking, and then
added in spurts of running. The next
step was to find a way to strengthen her body.
Edie was not a fan of gyms. She
says, “At 240 pounds, the gym is not a comfortable place. You can’t help but feel like you’re being
watched or judged, and that many of the fitness instructors are more worried
about getting their own workout in rather than helping me.”
With the help of her sister, Brenda Riggs, Edie began
exploring yoga. She found a home at The
Zen Zone, a local studio offering beginner and chair classes for those new to
yoga or fitness. There, she says, “I really felt like I was at home. Instead of telling me I can’t do it, they
encouraged me to do what I could and to be patient. Yoga has given me strength, and the best part is that it’s never
the same thing twice!”
Since beginning her healthy journey over seven months ago,
Edie has lost an astonishing 65 pounds.
Even more amazing is that she has stopped needing to take the blood
pressure medication she has been on for over 17 years. Edie’s advice to someone who is ready to
take this step for himself or herself? “Take baby steps and find a fitness
activity that you actually enjoy. Start
logging what you eat and figure out how many calories a day your body needs.”
For more information about the Daily Shake’s program,
visit them at 318 SW Main in Lee’s Summit or go to dailyshake.net for more
details. Want to try yoga? Visit The Zen Zone at 413 NW Murray Road or
view the class schedule at zenzoneyoga.com.
Mention Edie’s name for a free class.
Don’t wait until tomorrow to change your health and live the life you
were meant to live!
