The Secret is Out | My South Beach Journey

February 16, 2018

The secret is out, and it feels so good to finally open up and share my weight-loss story with you all!!!

About a year ago a long time friend of mine mentioned a great opportunity that might be of interest to me. The agency she was working for was looking for candidates for an upcoming weight-loss program. She recommended that I submit my story and photos to the agency as soon as possible due to the amount of interest these types weight loss programs generate. I quickly gathered some pictures and composed the letter that would change my life forever!

Five days after submitting my story, I received an email from Paige (agent) telling me that I had been pre-selected for the program- YAY! She then scheduled an interview – more like an audition – where the agent asked a number of questions while being recorded on camera- yikes! I’d be lying if I said, I wasn’t nervous.

When the day to interview finally arrived, I remembered being excited yet nervous while on the drive. I kept saying to myself, ” just be yourself and remember to smile!” After all, how bad could it possibly be, right? I mean, I blog and make Youtube videos all the time – haha. You got this, Dawn.

I left the room feeling confident and relieved that I survived the interview. Now that the tough part was out of the way all I needed to do was play the waiting game, for the call back. A few weeks went by, and I FINALLY got the CALL from the agent telling me I WAS IN!! Can you imagine my excitement!? Not only was I going to be apart of great experience but I finally had the opportunity of a lifetime.

Pre-South Beach

Before the South Beach Diet, I had tried every trend of diet that people were talking about, Atkins, the Yoplait, Master Cleanse, diet pills, you name it, I tried it! By this point, I was done and over every diet that claimed would work. I had lost all hope and motivation…..until South Beach came along.

February 20, 2017, was the official start date of this long and exciting journey. The waiting period between September and February felt like a lifetime, not to mention all the holidays that come around at the end of the year only made me more anxious to start. I was excited to start this new chapter in my life and lucky for me, I had all the support I needed. I tackled this journey with other candidates whom quickly became like family. It was nice to know that I wasn’t the only one going through it alone.

The First Month:

For starters, it’s true what they say; the first month is the hardest. I’ll never forget how I felt and how badly I wanted to give up that first month. However, the support of my family, boyfriend, friends and my South Beach family kept me going. I went through each day focused and used affirmations as a way to keep me motivated.

I had all the tools I needed to be successful. South Beach gave me the necessary fuel. I received a booklet where I was able to track my food intake; I made sure to hydrate myself, my weight training was ready to rock and everything else in between. It takes 21 days to build a new habit, and I was prepared to start breaking my old ones.

Every inch of my body craved everything! Even foods I usually didn’t eat. Having my daily planner kept me on track because I saw how far I had gotten in just a few weeks. I didn’t budge and ate the food that was recommended in the booklet while incorporating the food that was sent out to me by South Beach. It was a huge learning curve but as time went on it got easier.

Third/Fourth Month:

During my last few months on my diet, I was determined to lose as much weight as I could. However, my body hit a plateau which made it harder. It was discouraged, but I decided to push through it anyway. By this time everyone had already noticed my transformation. I felt like a million bucks and over summer I rocked my very first bikini. Can you believe it? I sure couldn’t! The response I received from everyone was overwhelming. I had finally reached a happy place in my life where I felt confident about myself.

End of Program:

After my program had come to an end, it was bitter-sweet. I was happy to be done and back to prepping my meals. Being apart of such a selective few made me realize the importance of dieting and living a healthier lifestyle. I feel happier than ever, and although there’s still a long journey ahead, The South Beach Diet made it possible for me to reach my goals and sustain a healthier lifestyle. Cheers to 16 pounds off!!!!! Thank you South Beach for this incredible experience.