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Apr 9

A life-changing commitment – SouthCoastToday.com

How to lose weight quickly Comments Off on A life-changing commitment – SouthCoastToday.com

By Nick Friar, Contributing Writer

Losing weight has never been an easy task.

Diets are hard to maintain, and weight quickly comes back once old habits return. True change may necessitate a complete change of lifestyle.

Just ask Amy Smiddy, of Westport, whos lost nearly 100 pounds in the past year. She just celebrated her 40th birthday in January, but is somehow in the best shape of her life.

Hows that even possible?

You just keep pushing every day, Smiddy said. Even if its a little change, you do 100 more steps than yesterday or your try to do one thing that you couldnt do before, as long as you stick with it and trust in the process its amazing.

Trusting the process can lead to a life-altering change.

I never thought that I would get to this point. I always thought Yeah I want to look like that, but never thought I would get here.

Also known as Smidds by fellow gym-goers at Infinite Fitness in Somerset, the Westport Police Department dispatcher swears by her routine, but hasnt forgotten how hard it is to take the first step to her physical condition.

In fact, she may know better than anyone what thats like, given she was inches away from quitting before she started.

Even when I first made the decision to start working out and set up my assessment at Infinite, I wanted to cancel, Smiddy said. I had some stupid reason about the weather and just a dumb reason.

Sixteen years ago Smiddy also served in the military as an administrative assistant and military police in training for the Air Force, but still claims shes fitter now. She describes herself as being way too skinny in her service days, despite being lighter now. The biggest difference isnt just the strength shes developed, but the visible muscle definition.

When I was in the military, we did a lot of physical fitness, obviously, so we did a lot of running, the Westport resident said. I could do physical things but the definition in my arms now, I never had. I couldnt lift anything heavy. I had no upper body strength whatsoever. Now, I have muscles on my back I dont think I ever had on my back.

Smiddy, weighing in at 168 pounds, loves the transformation she sees on the outside more than anything. Its led to a huge wardrobe change for her, which has been hassle at times but in a good way now.

The fact that I can go to any store and I buy a piece of clothing without even trying it on, and it fits drives me every day, that was something I was never able to do. she said. Or I would see something and go try it on and it would never fit. Now Im still stuck in the mindset that Im a 14 or a 16 and I bring things in the dressing room and Im like This is way too big, what was I thinking? Thats huge for me because I like getting dressed now, I like going shopping now and thats what keeps me going.

But for all the spoils of victory she celebrates now, there have been a fair amount of days where Smiddy found herself frustrated. There were weeks where she stood on the scale to see no change in weight, despite feeling a difference in how her clothes fit or how she moved around.

It hasnt been easy, she said. People think this is easy and say Well, I want to lose 50 pounds, how did you do it? I went through a lot of stress at home at first because I always resorted food when I was stressed. Now I go for a run or different things like that.

And no one in her support system has helped her through those difficult moments more than Infinite Fitness owner and head strength coach Mike Fernandes.

Sure, shes hit patches where the weight loss slowed and we had to make adjustments, but I always assured her that we were by her side every step of the way and to trust in the process, the fellow Westport resident said. It's about the journey. If it was easy, everyone would be able to lose 100 pounds, but it's not. I'm so proud of Smiddy because she's accomplished so many things that she didn't believe she could when she first walked through our doors.

But without question, all the frustrations along the way have been worth it for Smiddy. Shes dropped from a 24 pant-size to a 10, and into small in T-shirts the smallest size in her adult life. Her self-confidence is through the roof, shes a better parent and employee, too all because she made the trip to a gym in Somerset.

For people who want to make the change and theyre scared, you couldnt get anymore scared than I was when I walked into Infinite, she said. I was overwhelmed, I was the heaviest person in here and I felt like everybody was looking at me.

But her motivation proved to be more powerful that all those fears and doubts.

Once you make the commitment, make it for yourself, dont do it for anyone else, she said. In the past I always did it for the wrong reasons I was doing it because I was in a relationship and didnt think I was thin enough or to make other people happy.

The real investment is committing for yourself. No ones going to do it for you. Once you make that decision its worth it. My whole life has changed as a result and its awesome.

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A life-changing commitment - SouthCoastToday.com

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