It’s hard to realize the things you try so hard to ignore. It will take so much effort for me to lose weight. I get that now. I can’t give anything less than 100%. Anything less and I will just maintain the weight I am. It’s the cold hard truth. If I put off a day of working out it takes a toll on my goals. I wish it were different but it’s not. I’ll probably have to spend the rest of my life worrying about my weight and my diet. I’m willing to put forth the effort now more than ever. I want to succeed more than anything.

I hope someday we can have an update on all of us. I’d be thrilled if in the next year I can get to my goal weight. I know it won’t be easy but I think it’s worth a shot. I want my dreams to come true. I want to be happy with my body and I want to show everyone that it is most definitely possible to change your life. I am still just so thankful to have been given this opportunity in the first place. It’s not going to be a walk in the park but it’s so worth it. I would love to be an inspiration to every girl out there who wants to change their life. I know I couldn’t ask for anything more…

We’re closing in on the end of the competition, which breaks my heart. However, it’s what I do with my life after this is all over that really matters. It’s easy to push yourself when it’s in a situation where everything has been provided for you. I know that it will take so much more effort when I have to do it on my own. I’m not quitting. I have tasted what it feels like to be healthy and lose weight and I sure as heck am not going down without a fight. These past few months have given me the motivation and determination to keep on going. I’ll never be alone though. I have made some friends I hope to keep forever (I love you girls), I have great trainers (Lisa, Shanna, and Todd), and I have the most amazing family and friends. I know there will always be someone at my side encouraging me along the way.

I haven’t lost as much weight as I was hoping for, but it’s a start, around 20 pounds to be exact. I am proud of myself for that! I’m sure there are things I could have done better, but I did the best I could. I feel guilty if I miss one day at the gym and I don’t see that changing anytime soon… I am a success because I never imagined I could actually lose anything. I have and I will continue to do so. I hope everyone knows that I am in it to win it! Maybe not this competition, but in my journey! Someday I will look back at this experience and KNOW, this is where it all started, because Lisa saw something in me to take a chance on, and I hope to make her and everyone else proud. Love you all!!!

It’s been another week already?!? The time is flying by way too fast for my liking. I just wish I could wake up and start this competition all over again because it has been such an amazing experience. I have met some people that I never want to lose touch with. I guess that’s my biggest fear. Is everything going to change once this is over? I really hope it doesn’t. I don’t want ANYTHING to change. I have grown so much in the past couple months. I have done a lot of soul searching and I realize that no matter what my size, I am every bit deserving of love and respect as anyone else. I put up this wall around my heart because I have been hurt so much in my past, but it’s time to take it down. I’m a hopeless romantic. I guess I just wish I could have found someone to love me the way I am now, big and beautiful. I just don’t want to feel like I’m not good enough. I know I will lose weight, and I know that will change the way people see me, including my friends.

I am doing this for myself. As much as I want to please everyone around me, I want to make myself happy and healthy the most. I will succeed in this long journey. I am never going to give up and that’s a promise I know I can keep. Someday, instead of showing pictures of the skinny me I was in high school, I’ll show pictures of chubby me now. So they can see how hard I worked. I’m on my way to being in the best shape of my life!!

Hello again! I guess since last week was kind of based on my venting and frustration, this week should be about all of the positive things coming from this experience. I think the one thing I have noticed is that people are actually gaining something from my blogs and my new way of life! My family is with me every step of the way. Since I want to eat healthy, they want to eat healthy. It’s an amazing ripple effect! To be called an inspiration by my brother brings tears to my eyes, and my mom’s. My whole family deals with weight issues and I’m proud to say we are ALL taking steps in the right direction. I know they are proud of me and I hope they know how truly proud I am of THEM! I am looking forward to the results that will come to all of us. I know I will be able to be more comfortable in my own skin in doing things I already do as well. I’m mostly looking forward to being slimmer for next year’s Roar on the Shore! I rode with my cousin Paul (who rocks!   ) this summer and I can’t wait to do it again next year!

I have also noticed both friends and people at the gym acknowledge my hard work and dedication who want to do the same in their lives as well, whether it be losing weight, going to the gym, or just in general. That means more than I can explain with words. Every day is a challenge but as the weeks go by I can honestly say I have put 100% into it. I hope everyone can feel as accomplished as I do. Soon this competition will be over, the blogs will be over and everything will go back to normal. FYI, I dread that day! For now, I am enjoying every second of this fantastic experience!

I don’t know where to begin… I am feeling frustrated. I have never wanted anything so much in my entire life. I am trying so hard to do the best I possibly can, but it just doesn’t seem like enough. I work out 6 days a week, and I love it, but I’m just not SEEING results. I know Rome wasn’t built in a day but come on! I guess I just have my expectations set too high. I am hoping I can get my spirits back up as quickly as possible. I’m not used to letting things bring me down, but it can get to a point where you just have to take a step back and accept your feelings and try to make sense of it all.

Sometimes people just need a chance to vent. I guess that’s what I’m doing this week. I want to scream, cry and laugh all at the same time. I am so good at pretending everything is okay, but I hurt. Being called fat hurts. Having people use weight to judge you as a person hurts. Living life afraid of never accomplishing anything hurts. I am so tired of being the joke and my weight shouldn’t be the punch line. I am NOT a joke, I am NOT worthless, and I WILL succeed in life. I can barely type this with the tears running down my face, but it feels good to let that all out. I am done trying to find approval through others. I am doing this for me, my health, and my life.

“Beneath the makeup and behind the smile I am just a girl who wishes for the world.” – Marilyn Monroe

“That’s just the trouble with me, I give myself very good advice, but I very seldom follow it.” – Alice in Wonderland

I guess Alice said it best. I think that quote describes me almost too well. It’s a work in progress, but that’s beside the point. I have been trying to talk myself into all the healthy and low calorie foods. I eat it and feel good which is what I would hope for. However, I feel the constant urge to rebel and go to Taco Bell and eat something bad for me! I can’t help it! The commercial for that new $5 box is on every five minutes! Maybe it’s because I’m one of those people that will do the exact opposite of what people want. If I asked you what color shoes you liked better between pink and blue, and you said the pink, I would probably go with the blue (Even though pink is my favorite color). I scare myself sometimes…. Or maybe I’m having such a hard time controlling my willpower because the media can show a weight loss pill commercial right after that Taco Bell commercial. What is this world coming to?!

I am eating healthy though and in turn I am feeling pretty healthy too. I can also say I haven’t crumbled under pressure yet! It’s crazy to finally realize just how terrible I ate before this competition. I am so grateful to my mom who has been my main support so far and a fantastic cook to boot! Although if she tells me to eat salad one more time I might lose it! She is my rock though, and I wouldn’t be as strong if it wasn’t for her. I hope I can stay strong throughout this competition and I hope all this hard work pays off. I’m ready for a fresh start on life!

I think this week has made me realize that I have seriously been underestimating myself for the past….well forever. I am working out 6 days a week and sometimes a couple times a day!! It’s becoming second nature to me. I can’t help but remember all the times I would start trying to work out and last maybe a week at the most. Something would always get in my way like staying up too late and not wanting to wake up to go the next morning. Missing one day would derail my motivation. Support from my family, friends, and the wonderful people at Flab 2 Fab has really made all the difference in the world. I can honestly say that I can already feel the lifestyle change coming!

I want this so much it hurts! Every day I think, “Get up Casie, you have to make the most of your day!” I want to know that when this competition is over with, win or lose, to know that I put 110% into it. I refuse to have any regrets. I just know that I have to keep on pushing! If one of the girls does better than me in weight loss or inches lost, I can’t help but be happy. As much as I want to win, and believe me I’m trying, I am so proud of the other girls! We laugh so hard sometimes I’d swear everyone else thinks we’re crazy. It’s the laughter and the smiles that get us through the challenges we are facing together.

I don’t know where to begin this week. I feel like every day I keep working harder and just pray to get the results I’ve been dreaming of for so long. I think reality hit me in the face harder than I was expecting. We got weighed again and in two weeks I have lost about 5 pounds. Under normal circumstances I would be completely thrilled, but I have been pushing myself more than I thought possible. I know the weight isn’t going to just fall off. Am I wrong for wishing it would?!

I’ve been overweight pretty much my entire life. It’s something I’m used to and that scares me. I don’t want to be stuck being the “chubby” girl anymore! The funny thing is that when I look in the mirror I don’t see myself as being overweight. Am I crazy? Don’t get me wrong, I know that I am, but it’s not what I see. I am in love with make-up, jewelry, and anything pink, and when I get dolled up to go out, I look in the mirror and say “dang I look good”.  Then I see pictures of myself and my body and it breaks my heart. It’s tough seeing that I really am that big.

I think the one thing I want to make clear however, is that I do believe I am beautiful. I also hope that every other girl in this competition and everyone out there reading this knows how beautiful they are too. This world is full of a lot of terrible people, with terrible things to say, but every time I step into that gym I am happy knowing that we all have each other’s backs. We are all striving for the same goals and we are taking this journey together.

“No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.”
-Eleanor Roosevelt

 

This week has been a real eye opener for me. I missed a workout session to go to Cedar Point with my best friend. I had read a blog before going that said if you are over a size 18, to not even bother. That really freaked me out, but being a huge roller coaster fanatic I decided to go anyways. Sure enough, there were two rides I couldn’t fit on. I felt so embarrassed! I guess I never truly realized how overweight I am. I know it was only 2 out of a whole lot, but still. It just makes me want to work that much harder and go back in a few months and be able to ride EVERYTHING!

On a much lighter and happier note, we got measured again, and in two weeks I have already lost over 4 inches on my body! It’s so exciting to know that all this hard work is really making a difference. Working out isn’t easy, but I’m really starting to enjoy it. I love pushing myself to the limit. I love that I can already see a difference. I just want to jump up and down ALL the time because I am so excited that they picked ME!!! I have never felt so special…

I can’t wait to see what else is in store for us!

All I have to say is WOW! I feel like I have been experiencing a whirlwind of emotions lately. I am working out and pushing myself harder than I have in my entire life! We’ve made it through the first week and boy does every muscle in my body feel it. I’ve never been so happy to hurt so much! You know what they say, no pain no gain! That sure is the case here. Every day that goes by I think it gets a little easier for me. I just can’t express how thrilling this whole competition has been.

One momentous occasion we had was our official weigh in…YIKES! I hope to never see that number on the scale again. It definitely scared me but I think it’s going to make me work that much harder. Nobody said this was going to be easy. I think the hardest thing I am dealing with so far is trying to completely change my diet. I never thought I ate that unhealthy but I am quickly realizing I was very wrong. As much as I would love to win, my biggest goal is to make a lifestyle change. I want eating healthy food and working out to be a part of who I am. I already have more energy and stamina than I did when I started! It’s great to have so many people supporting me and cheering me on. I think I might be the luckiest girl in the world.

So we had our first day at the gym and met with our trainers. I have to admit it feels really great to be part of something I am truly proud of! I still feel like I’m in shock that I have been given this life changing opportunity. I am very grateful to say the least. Our first workout wasn’t too terribly hard but it sure made me realize that I might not be quite as in shape as I was hoping! It gave me a good idea of where I am now and where I hope to go from here. I have very high expectations of myself!

My personal goals that I want to achieve are very special to me. I went to college for Criminal Justice and would really love to become a police officer someday. In the shape that I am in now, I know that it’s not possible. With the motivation and encouragement from this competition I think that I can work hard and get in the best shape of my life. I feel like I not only want to make myself proud, but also the people I care about. I want to make a difference in the world and this is my step one of a long journey. I can’t wait to see where this path takes me!

Casie Morettini

I have a place, there is nothing special about the way it looks, four walls, a ceiling and a floor.  What makes my place special is what goes on inside those walls.  Women’s lives are changed!  They meet new friends, feel better about themselves, and mold the outside to match what’s on the inside.

I had an idea to help some very special people, people with the desire for a healthier lifestyle.  The idea was my version of the “Biggest Loser.” My version because no one gets kicked out.  One hundred and seventy four women wrote and stated their case as to why they should be among the chosen six. Thirty four were asked to come for a meet and greet … the plan was to pick the six to participate.  After meeting them all, the six became seven, seven more were given a free 3 month membership, and the remaining 160 women are being given the option to join the gym at half price.  All the women are special and have a different story.  After reading all the submissions I knew I couldn’t walk away from any of them.

My place is Flab to Fab, nothing special about the building or what it looks like, all the magic is on the inside. It’s a judgment free zone.  Women from 17 to 70 are there to better themselves physically, the magical part happens when they look in the mirror and like what they see.  With hard work and determination you can mold the body, the mind and the heart on the other hand it takes time and encouragement.  To all those women who submitted entries I say: “That was the first step, now take the second and use the half price membership.”  Make a new friend, feel better about yourself, get healthier, and be there for yourself and the ones you love.

– Lisa Desko, Owner, Flab to Fab

Thin It to Win It Participants: