Today we’d like to introduce you to Patricia Kamara.
Patricia, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
My journey started over a decade ago. I was searching for *change* but I couldn’t define what that meant for my life. I moved from Indiana to DC only to realize that I still didn’t bring the change I was so desperately searching in life. My mom suggested visiting Dallas-she had a friend who lived there and could show me around the city. Last-minute, I decided to buy my ticket, and after missing my flight (due to my poor time management), a few hours later I made it to Dallas. Long story short, I met the man of my dreams (my husband) and moved to Dallas permanently.
Dallas presented its own challenge. First, decided to take a leap of faith with no job. Second, I didn’t know anyone besides my husband or face at that time. The move definitely wasn’t as easy as I imagined. I was jobless, friendless and discovered I was pregnant with my daughter. Surprise! Although it was exciting news it was tough being pregnant in a city where I didn’t have a family to help me through the journey. So, I ate and ended up gaining 75 pounds by the end of my pregnancy. I figure I will lose the weight after I had my daughter, Amira, however, I ended up suffering postpartum depression. I was a new mom, with a husband who was going through a rigorous schedule attending dental school, and I left worthless, then I felt guilty for feeling worthless and depressed because I had this beautiful baby and a husband. So everyday tasks seemed to take an enormous amount of energy. I no longer enjoyed doing things I loved and I felt like I was the worst mom in the world. I suffered alone since I hadn’t connected with any new friends and my family and friends were a thousand miles away. I read every self-help book, dived into the bible and listened to every motivational speaker out there. One day, it just clicked and I felt a weight lifted off. The love for my child made me pushed through and decided to claim my life back. My first step was changing my diet and incorporating exercise or what I call a lifestyle change. I started eating healthy and begin an at-home workout program since going to the gym was not an option due to budget and having a small child. I lost 30 pounds but then found out I was pregnant again with my second child. I was extremely excited but the thought of two children, under the age two scared me. I just started to get the handle of one child. Although I considered going back to Cooperate in America at this time, it was not an option due to several reasons. However, I decided I wanted to really embrace motherhood and support my husband as he completed his last year in Dental School.
My pregnancy was much different this time. I only gained 20 pounds with this pregnancy since I had started incorporating a healthy diet and exercise into my life. I was doing an at-home workout DVD-Insanity. Which is weird because it actually made me insane-so I made sure to schedule it in, just like I would anything else that is important in life. Some days were easy, others, a struggle. I started to schedule “Me Time”, which ranged from 5 to 15 minutes-but regardless of the time it was for ME. For the first time in a year, I had my energy and was smiling again. The old me happy self was slowing returning. I was eating right, exercising and loving my new normal as a mom of two and a wife.
I finally connected the dots of what I was searching for all those years ago. I realized that healthy eating and exercise not only affected you physically but also mentally. I no longer had brain fog. I had more energy, more joy that was so contagious. I realized that I can’t pour from an empty cup, so I had to be full in order to give my kids and husband what they needed. This triggered my passion for health and wellness.
My husband’s career took off after graduating from Dental School and started on the journey to self-employment and owning his practice. I was left alone all day with two children and a surprise again… I was pregnant with my third child. This time, my cup was full and I was happy, which meant running my household was very manageable. Where there some struggles along the way, yes but I was more equipped to handle thighs with the support of my amazing husband. After the birth of this child, I dropped the baby weight very easily since I knew how to enjoy my food without overeating or depriving myself, and a scheduled workout program. I got amazing results from Insanity. I went back to my pre-baby weight in less than six months after delivery and much stronger physically. My friends couldn’t believe I had such great progress and we’re excited to join me in a Challenge Group. Even strangers stopped me and asked how and what I was doing to be a fit mom of three. I started sharing my struggle and my nutrition plan.
My husband encouraged turning this new passion of mine into a business. I knew being a health and wellness coach gives me passions. I dived in and got my credentials and education to be able to serve my clients. It was important for me to gain more knowledge from professionals beyond my knowledge.
My business started to grow, and my support for this journey was incredible. Being a Coach, I was immersed in a whole, a new community-passionate family that was embracing and encouraging. It has provided me every kind of support I needed to hit every milestone set and beyond.
Coaching has changed my life 180 degrees. I get to stay home with my children while working my business around my own schedule. That means I’m there for meals, snacks, playtime, lunch duty, school volunteer, naps, and trips to the park while growing my business when it’s suitable to me (usually at nap time or after the kids’ bedtime). Because the morning and evening rush have been eliminated from our routine, our house is a stress-free zone. Because our schedule is more flexible, my husband and I are better parents. In turn, our children are more cooperative and calm. It’s a complete turnaround!
More than money, though, I have earned our family time- time for my kids and my husband. Time that is less stressful and less rushed. There is nothing in the world more precious than time with loved ones, and thanks to Coaching, that’s the time I get to enjoy.
Has it been a smooth road?
I think everyone at some point struggles with juggling different things in their lives whether it is a job, children, sports, hobby, or a business. This happens to me almost all the time. Being a full-time Health and Wellness Coach is something that I absolutely love doing. I mean, check this out, I am responsible for helping people make big changes in their lives every day from health and fitness transformations to eliminating debt and gaining financial freedom. “Double Win”
But my biggest struggle I had to overcome is how I see food. Food was my comfort place and also became my enemy. I went from one extreme to the next. Food acts as a life enhancer while offering the illusion of short-term emotional balance. Though valuable for understanding and making long-term progress, I’ve found that focusing on my own awareness, sensitivity, and behavioral choices has lead me to more immediate, accessible actions. I eventually came to realize that it was not the number of pounds, but rather the see-sawing focus on being fat and the sensual, very short-term pleasure of food that were my distractions from healthy choices and actions. My real problem was a lack of self-acceptance. No matter what number I was on the scale since my childhood to adult, weather my chest bones were poking out to many rolls on my body, the issue was never the weight.
Even though, I was much easier to blame my body than take responsibility for my own insecurities and examine my lack of self-worth. My body was my enemy and pushing bag, abusing it with my thoughts. Today, I look in the mirror and say compassion, kind things to myself. I enjoy food and no longer fear the calories, nor do I obsessively count them. I look forward to going shopping for new clothes, stop hiding behind my children or ask family and friends to delete photos and not post on social media because of how I looked. I no longer avoid mirror or eye contact. The radical shift? Self-acceptance and self-love.
My advice to any woman on your journey:
• Keep Your Expectations Realistic.
• Stop blaming your body for the bad things in your life.
• Be kind to yourself during this challenging phase, and avoid focusing on slips and self-criticism. Instead, pick yourself up and start again by setting modest, manageable goals. Baby Steps. Put one foot forward every day. Some days you’re going to rock it and other not so great.
• Stop things you aren’t in the body you’re supposed to have.
• Stop letting the number on the scale or your pant size define you.
• Enjoy that moment, enjoy that time with your loved one and get back up with a fire in you and never beat yourself for living life.
• Be alert to unhelpful patterns and people, and try to stop their influence in a timely way. Be your own cheerleader!
• Acknowledge any progress you make with incentives and rewards you enjoy. Big or small, celebrate you! Perhaps you’ll treat yourself to a massage or other sensual pleasure after a week of regular exercise, or take a weekend road trip with good company after a month of healthier eating. Don’t be afraid to rely on others — be it friends, family or professionals — for help.
• Making change is hard, and it’s not always attainable without support and cheerleading.
• Lastly, relish the present, and expand other aspects of your life that have meaning. Remember, you matter and so much more than your food decision-making or the number on the scale.
What do you do, what do you specialize in, what are you known for, etc. What are you most proud of? What sets you apart from others?
I am a 34 years old mother to three amazing children who was struggling with self-identity. For the past eight years, I have been practicing clean eating, proper portion control, fitness accountability and I am happy to say that I have kept off all the initial weight that I have lost. I not only love the community I now have but made some amazing friends in the world. I found a fire that I didn’t realize was inside of me when I became a Coach. I truly fell in love with helping my customers reach their fullest potential and now I get to help other women do the exact same thing.
Whether you are a new mom, a mom who is looking to get her life back or a woman is ready to make herself a priority; I’m your girl. I specialized in coaching and training new mothers or mothers are who ready to get feel start taking care of themselves. I will be your cheerleader and accountability partner to lean on. What I love about coaching is locking arms with women and sees them transform into the person they were meant to be and taking a whole new adventure in life. And the best part of it all is giving the gift of life. I get to be able to inspire lasting behavior change.
I have also built an incredible tribe of women all over the United States, Canada and United Kingdom that are working to educate others on how to fuel their bodies with real whole foods and regular exercise. I truly want to help women ditch the dieter mentality and feel their absolute best.
I’ve created a tribe of women who support other women in living a healthy lifestyle and successfully running their businesses. I am so proud of locking harms with these women as partners changing one life at a time.
So much of the media coverage is focused on the challenges facing women today, but what about the opportunities? Do you feel there are any opportunities that women are particularly well-positioned for?
There are many opportunities for women today. One is to create freedom by becoming an entrepreneur. Starting your own small business can create a legacy and something you can pass on to your children.
My coaching business has given me a far greater means than my corporate job. I run my businesses with barely any overhead, a boss to tell me what to do and can perform my job from anywhere. Most of the tools I use online are free or cost very little. Through this business, I’ve met customers and partners in many countries. I basically operate my business from my phone.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.fitwithpatricia.com
- Phone: 2147340497
- Email: fitwithpatricia@gmail.com
- Instagram: fitwithpatricia
- Facebook: Fit-With-Patricia
Suggest a story: VoyageDallas is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
