Hello, my name is Daphnye. Let me begin by saying this is and will continue to be one of the hardest things I have ever taken on. I will add that it is something I have been putting off with any excuse I could find. I believe they say that denial is the first hurdle that must be crossed before a change can take place. So I want to thank Hannah and all of the friends I know who will support me in this endeavor. I feel as though I just admitted to some severe addiction. I guess I really have if the weight that I maintain could be counted as such.
I have always been healthy to some extent. My family is mostly Italian with a little German added to the mix. So, we always had foods that were created to “put meat on your bones.” Thin was so not in! If we began to look like we were losing weight, my Grandmother would say we needed sustenance. I took dancing lessons from the time I was able to walk. I used to dance five to six days a week and there was never any need to add to my exercise program. In high school, I was always active in something. I loved to play volleyball and tennis. I was really never any good at tennis, but effort is part of the game, right? After finishing school, I maintained my exercise of dancing at the local dance clubs. Wait, that’s still exercise! After a few years of searching, I found the love of my life. I married one of my best friends from high school and we are still happily wed 23 years and three kids later.
I feel as though I have been overweight ever since the birth of my first child. My children are now 20, 17, and 15 so I can’t use them as the excuse anymore. On the contrary, they should be the reason I lose the weight. Trying to set a good example for them and keeping up with the demands of three, well, now two, teenagers should be all the incentive I need to get me going. However, real life comes in and I find solace in food sometimes. Some say there are foods that relieve stress and I for one believe chocolate is the main one.
I was a licensed cosmetologist at the age of 18. My career started off rocky and had some twists and turns along the way. However, now I am 28 years in and believe I have found my niche. CND was a Godsend in my life. Almost nine years ago, I became an Education Ambassador and began the path I am now on. In 2005 at the age of 42, I graduated college with an Associates in the Applied Science of Cosmetology. I have recently been hired to teach a full-time nail pProgram at my college. My life has been through many changes in recent years and this will mark the latest one. I am committed to make this change and pray that with God’s help and my friends’ support I can achieve great things.
— Daphnye Shaffer
Print | posted on Thursday, August 07, 2008 11:01 AM