By Sarah Nitta for Biggest Loser Resort.
This week I received an email including an experience of a guest that spent three weeks at Biggest Loser Resort at Malibu and it brought tears to my eyes. I am grateful she shared her story and I believe that there are so many out there who can relate. With her permission I am sharing this with you today. 
My name is Karen Eaton, I’m a first grade teacher in Northern California. I joined my first weight loss group when I was 10-years old and in the 5th grade. Over the years I let my horrible choices destroy my self-esteem and my weight ballooned to 311.4 pounds. I was in my 20s and miserable. My mom convinced me to join Weight Watchers and I was motivated at first and about 90 pounds. This was about 8 years ago. I was so excited to have made that accomplishment. For some reason it didn’t stick and slowly I started going back to old habits and poor choices, the weight started creeping back on. Last year I was back to being miserable. I hated getting dressed in the morning and wasn’t motivated to do anything and really just cried a lot feeling like a failure. I was watching the Biggest Loser one day and saw an ad for Fitness Ridge. I thought “Wow, that sounds like something I could do!”
I saved some money, borrowed some of it and set off for three weeks at Fitness Ridge in Malibu. The first hike I went on I was the only person who threw up after the hike and was so embarrassed because I felt like I had really let myself down, by gaining so much of the weight back. I thought to myself. “Oh no, what have I gotten myself into?” But I sucked it up and completed 3 of the most challenging and rewarding weeks of my life. I was lucky enough to meet Biggest Loser Sarah Nitta and her husband, as well as Matt Hoover. When Sarah shared her stories I was so motivated by them, and decided I wanted to be a success story for myself. I wanted to show myself that I could do it and the money I spent and time I invested in myself was all worth it.
The trainers and staff at Malibu did an amazing job of showing me what I could do even when I didn’t think it was possible. I left the Ridge motivated and I’m proud to say that today when I went to my Weight Watchers meeting I received my 100 pound award. I have lost 100 pounds doing exactly what I was taught in Malibu. I completed a half marathon last weekend and I know that it was what I learned in Malibu that has allowed me to see the potential that is within me. I still have more weight to lose, but I know now that I can do it. I am hoping to be able to go back to Malibu this summer to learn more about myself and continue my journey. I can’t say enough about Fitness Ridge and the tremendous amount it taught me about myself.
Thanks for letting me share.
Karen Eaton