We LOVE to get updates from people who have posted BIG Dreams. Recently, we received an update from April in Portland.

April’s update… in her own words:

“A couple of years ago I realized I was still young and yet I was so heavy and unhealthy that I really wasn’t living. Everything had me out of breath. I was around 300 pounds maybe more. I started to realize I was emotionally eating and I wanted to stop. I was too embarrassed to even know where to begin. I went to the library to look for a book and I came across Bob Harper’s (the trainer from the tv show The Biggest Loser) book “Are you Ready!”

I was struck by the fact that it had a exclamation mark, not a question mark at the end of the sentence. So I got it and thought “I think I am ready!” 
I started walking at night because I was so embarrassed by my size and I didn’t want anyone to see me. Then I got Bob’s Biggest Loser DVDs and I started doing them at home. I also consciously tried to stop eating when I wasn’t hungry and I applied the principles from the book to my life. Guess what? I started losing weight! 

I pretended Bob was my trainer. I could hear his voice in my head cheering me on, telling me not to quit, yelling at me when necessary. I watched the show and joined in his team.

I was struck most by him because he was working with people who were morbidly obese. People who even Doctors would look at and say “you’ll never be able to be thin.” And yet he knew they could. I applied that to my own life and weight loss. If I WANTED to, If I wanted it- I could do it! And I think that was the thing that sustained me MOST as I’ve been on this crazy journey. I’ve lost 140 pounds and am still going. I’m becoming more physically fit like an athlete. I am working towards becoming a personal trainer. I’m even certified to teach Zumba (group fitness latin dance)
One of my big dreams that i posted was to get to meet Bob Harper and tell him “thank you”. I tried winning contests and wanted to come to LA to take one of his classes that he teaches, But when Biggest Loser came to Portland I thought “maybe this is my chance!” I ended up meeting the casting director Holland Striplin who was moved by my story and asked to film me for the upcoming season. (my story may or may not air) And sheepishly asked her if I could meet Bob.

The event was a large group workout and a segment filmed for the next seasons show in Sept. Bob came out and people were screaming and grabbing for him. I didn’t want my first meeting with my hero to be like that. Holland made her way over to me and asked me if I had met him and I said no that I wanted to actually talk to him not just reach for him.

So she said “come with me!” and she took me down to him and said “Bob this is April. She lost 140 pounds after reading your book” Bob took time to meet me. I asked if I could hug him. I was able to look him in the eye and thank him for the impact he had on my life. He was kind and gentle and as I watched him through the day I realized he was exactly the man I imagined he was. He went out and talked to people, listened to their struggles and victories sincerely.

After that I was able to meet other people in the crowd struggling with their weight. Some 400 and 600 pounds. I was able to tell them that it’s possible, that I had done it.

I had accomplished one of my dreams but there are so many more bursting forth from that one.

So now I continue my dream journey wanting to inspire and help others. With this one little dream moment fulfilled to keep me going on days when the others seem far away!

Well done April! Well done.

So how about you? What’s one of your BIG dreams?