The gain from a big loss

Being overweight was always an issue for Caitlin Smith until she found the right place for the help she needed.

When you meet Caitlin Smith, you see a vibrant, healthy young woman with a glow about her. It’s obvious she loves life, loves the work she does, and has a deep-seated joy. However, it took Caitlin a while to get to the place where she is now, and she readily shares her story as an inspiration to others.

“My whole life I battled my weight and did binge eating,” Caitlin says. “My mother took me to nutritionists and all kinds of specialists, but I got no answers.”

Caitlin says most people she saw thought it was a psychological issue, but she didn’t agree with them. Though she was active in high school, she was still overweight. Nothing seemed to make a difference in her size.

Finally, she was diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome or PCOS. It’s an autoimmune disease that often starts slowly in early teens when hormonal changes begin. Symptoms become more noticeable after weight gain. They can include hair loss, acne and oily skin, insulin resistance, and fertility problems.

Once she was diagnosed, Caitlin said she felt free to blame her weight on PCOS. Gradually, she gained another 60 pounds. “It was an excuse to let me pack it on,” she says.

In April 2016, after seeing a photo of herself, she decided it was time to make a change. “I decided that wasn’t how I wanted to live my life.”

She began working out and eating somewhat healthier and lost 20 pounds in six months. It was still a struggle because her “healthy” choices weren’t all that healthy, and she thought she could burn enough calories with her workout to counteract their effect.

“Aubrey Akers and I are good friends, and she suggested I go see her mom at Total Nutrition & Therapeutics (TNT), so I did, and I finally got the help I needed,” Caitlin says.

She began seeing Lori Esarey in December 2016 and since then, Caitlin has lost 85 pounds and 10 percent of her body fat. At the time, she was working in an insurance office while getting a bachelor’s degree in organizational management. In January, she joined the TNT team and it was life-changing for her.

“I think it changed my outlook on my self-image and how I see other people,” Caitlin says. “My husband and I have always wanted children, and I wanted to be sure I was setting an example for them.”

Caitlin says it’s God’s plan and God’s timing, so she can wait. Meanwhile, she’s helping other people every day because she knows what they’re experiencing as they make their own lifestyle changes.