Overweight for most of her life, Tanya Winfield, developed gestational diabetes during her pregnancy. But ever since she appeared on the The Biggest Loser, starting out at 262 pounds, the mother of three has made some amazing changes to not only her body, but her entire life.
READ: My Story: "I Lost The Weight, But Kept The Curves"
Tanya came to the ranch because she felt guilty about the 125 pounds she put on while pregnant with her youngest child. Her daughter was born 11 pounds, 6 ounces, and doctors warned Tanya that her little girl will "always be at a higher risk for childhood obesity and childhood diabetes."
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But when Tanya sat down for a heart-to-heart with trainer Dolvett Quince, she revealed that the real story behind her weight problem went straight back to the self-esteem-crushing behavior of her own mother.
READ: How American Idol Candice Glover Keeps Losing Weight
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"My mother was heavily addicted to drugs, and she was very physical," Tanya explained through tears. "She had me when she was 15. And (when) I was growing into myself, there was always this need from her to mess with my face, hit me in my face, hit me in my mouth, hit me in my nose. If someone complimented me, she would hit me in the face. And that's basically how I had to live my life."
Dolvett told her that she would have to be the one to save herself now, and in order to do that, she needed to let go and forgive first.
Now, at age 50, when Winfield goes to the gym, she walks in like she owns the place.
Winfield’s phenomenal weight loss success is just one more extraordinary accomplishment that she has already achieved in her life begun anew. According to her website, she also earned her first million dollars by the time she was 35-years-old, as an entrepreneur, restaurateur and corporate leadership/management executive with Fortune 500 companies during her 20-year tenure in corporate America. Becoming COO of an iconic Chicago franchise is yet another triumph in Winfield’s life; but all of these achievements are only a taste of what’s to come for this fearless woman of excellence.
A proponent of quality, empowerment, distinction and now forgiveness, this teen mother has shed emotional baggage that far outweighs any lbs she’s lost. Her pride in her personal victories comes in second to her determination to follow where this new path is leading her.
Now, with all of this knowledge in hand, Winfield is a full-time Motivational Speaker, Wellness Warrior, and Colgate Total Woman Ambassador.
Read: Trina Braxton: "Once I Did This, The Pounds Kept Falling Off"
Working in the fast food industry for the past 15 years definitely took it's toll on Tanya's health. But she's now...
...using that restaurant experience and opened her very own restaurant among other business ventures.
"I feel like I can do anything," Tanya says. And we believe her too!
Here's to another beautiful 50 years Ms. Winfield!
