“Will you succeed? Yes! You will, indeed! (98 and 3/4 percent guaranteed.)

Hi I’m Rachel Bates

I just turned 28 years old on Sun. Sept. 1st I am 5″3 and currently 130lbs
I am a wife and mother to 2 boys. and I run my own business with www.heralasvegas.com, I’m also the hairstylist for www.hauteshots.com,

Let me give you a little history on myself. I was always an active child playing sports, I loved soccer and dance as a kid. I never was concerned or really aware if what my body looked like, until high school…
In my high school years I started to be ridiculed about my body. I was called saddle bags, fat, large etc. I was even given a slim fast for my birthday one year. So naturally I started to become really focused on my body and its size. I was constantly “dieting” which is ridiculous and when I look back at photos of me in high school I think it is utterly INSANE!!

Senior Picture

shortly after I graduated I met my husband, John and I was at my smallest size ever weighing in at 118lbs.

As most people do in new relationships I gained the little bit of happiness lbs. I mean how could I be expected to maintain that size when I was consumed with lying in bed and eating ice cream with my main squeeze next to me? I was in pure bliss and for the first time in a long time content in my size weighing in at 135lbs.

After a few years of living together John and I decided to pull our asses outta bed and start getting serious. in 2007 I enrolled into cosmetology school at nights and worked during the day and with a schedule like that my diet consisted of fast food 3x a day and I got up to 145lbs and I was not happy about it.

Then in 2008 we were blessed with a little surprise named Gunnar and then Cole 2 years later. After Cole was born I didn’t immediately start to stress about the weight loss. I had spent the last 7-8 years or so letting other people dictate how my body “should be” even on my wedding day I was criticized by a disgruntled family member that it was a shame I couldn’t lose more weight!!!! I was DONE I was going to breast feed and enjoy my babies. When my youngest son was about 9mo old  I started to address the extra weight. I had set the goal weight of 135lb because that was the last time I could remember being comfortable and happy.  I stepped on the scale and weighed in at 155lbs. Not bad for being pretty close to 200lbs at the time I delivered him! So I got geared up and implemented the only weight loss plan I had ever done. Don’t eat, drink excessive amounts of caffeine, chain-smoking, and become OBSESSED with my scale and weigh in EVERY morning. I wish I was kidding but I’m not. That got me to about 145lbs then nada. I stayed there for about 6mo. Then I started to adjust my diet, I removed all red meat from our lives and did my best to eat smaller portions more often. Voila! Down to 140lbs!  I continued the process of jumping in and out of eating right and exercising to starving and chain-smoking and made it to 135lbs after about 2 1/2 years( some of the last lbs I attribute to pure stress) and I looked in the mirror and this is what I had.

I did not like what I saw. I feel deflated and I think I look unhealthy. I am not by any means “fit” and although I do pat myself on the back for loosing weight, I want to feel good, be healthy and have more energy. I want to treat my body better and stop being so mad at it because I love myself, and my body. It has given me 2 healthy beautiful children!

So My goal for the next 12 weeks is to not have a weight loss goal. For the first time in my life I am not going to be a slave to my scale. My goal is to work out at least once a week. To improve the nutrition of myself and my family, and to enjoy the holiday traditions that I love with out guilt. I will be baking, cooking and indulging. But I will do this in moderation and I will be trying new and altered recipes to make classic dishes healthier. I will be working with a nutritionist Jennifer Kakita at www.mamafit.com for guidance on my diet and exercise.

Check in with me next week for Johns Fitness story and BBC plan!

Go here to join the Boudoir Body Challenge
http://www.hauteshots.com/blog/2013/09/02/the-boudoir-body-challenge-by-haute-shots/