Name: Melissa Wilde
Occupation: Social Worker
Sun Sign: Leo
History: I played sports in high school and never really had to worry about gaining excessive amounts of weight. I never really loved the way that I looked or felt, but it didn’t ever become anything abnormal in terms of what regular preadolescent women experience. Following high school, I played one year of college basketball, a year that was spent being totally obsessed with my weight. As the years passed following high school, I began to be consumed with looking a certain way and ended up becoming anorexic/bulimic for a time. I was either starving myself, or exercising to the point of total exhaustion. Though I became more satisfied with the way my body looked, I hated the person that I had become. My whole life had become a secret. My family had no idea how much this was consuming me. I could no longer enjoy a family meal, go out with my friends, be normal. I would spend hours at the gym and really became very socially isolated. Though I eventually recovered from that, I never was able to accept the way that my body looked. It was always about the control that I needed to have and couldn’t achieve.
How did you come to hear about BodyArt Motion? I had a friend that had worked with Tanya several years earlier and she had great things to say about Tanya at that time. As I understand it, Tanya’s program has evolved over the years into a very holistic and centered type of plan that is much more focused on sustainability.
Was it what you expected? What happened as you moved through each week/month? I was expecting a very strict, very detailed program that required tons of will power and deprivation. As I worked through the program, the focus was on nurturing my body and listening to what it really needs. My program was very focused on giving me back my freedom, but doing it in a way that allowed me to be healthy. The 3 hour rule became easier to implement as time went on, and is now an automatic. As the weeks went by, I began to have an understanding of how I could meet my body’s needs while working towards a healthier perspective with regards to food and eating.
Have you tried diets, nutrition advise or exercise programs in the past? If so, how is the BodyArt program different? I have done many different types of sports etc. I did kickboxing classes, ran a marathon, played a number of different sports. I have worked with a trainer in the past. I have found that the BodyArt program encompasses all aspects of the person, not just nutrition, or exercise, or the mental aspect of accomplishing your goals. I think for me, the most important part was the fact that Tanya took the time to really understand my background and what my needs were to achieve my goals.
Did you have specific challenges that were resolved? Throughout the program, the focus was on sustainability. We worked towards finding balance in nutrition, exercise and life. That was my biggest challenge. Rather than being totally focused on only one area, we were able to find a place where I could feel like I had flexibility in all 3 areas.
Do you consider this work valuable for the everyday person or only for specific people? I think that the work could be valuable for any person, but I think that Tanya attracts very focused and driven people to use her program.
What was the most important part of the journey for you? I needed to relearn how to listen to my body. By eating every 3 hours, I practically eliminated any cravings that I had, but I had the freedom to eat what I wanted, if I really wanted it.
Do you see yourself continuing to evolve your Body Mastery project?
Has your relationship with your body, food and/or exercise changed? Are there other aspects of your life that have shifted? Everything has changed in terms of my relationship with body, food and exercise. I can accept the way that I look knowing that I am listening to my body’s needs and having that be my focus. It does take some discipline and planning to ensure that you are eating regularly, but the results are fully worth it.
What other significant parts of this process do you wish others to know about? The holism of this program makes it sustainable. Your body just keeps getting better, and it doesn’t feel like you are giving up your life to look a certain way. Tanya’s focus on how you are feeling mentally and emotionally makes all the difference in working through the body image issues that I struggled with. Her own experiences in the fitness world have given her an excellent perspective on what truly is helpful for her clients and what can be detrimental.
If Melissa's insights have inspired you, please let us know! info@bodyartmotion.com