My Story

Please bear with me.  This is a long-ish story.  That's what happens when your journey is a lifetime!  I was born on July 16, 1960 and weighed a meager 4 lbs.  But that frailty didn't last long.  But the time I was in grade school, I was overweight.  I didn't really worry too much about it until I was in my 20s.  At the age of 23, I went on a severely calorie restricted diet and lost a lot of weight. I was wearing a size 13 and I was deliriously happy.
And then I got a sitting job, after having active jobs most of my life.
Needless to say, my weight ballooned.  I worked out but my lifestyle was definitely fast food and beer.
Over the years, I gained weight and lost weight and gained weight and lost weight -- like so many people.
I got married, had babies, got divorced.  My weight went up.  My weight went down. 
I developed Type 2 diabetes.  
But I was still relatively healthy.
I got married again and was very happy in my life.  And my weight skyrocketed.  When I got married for the second time, in 2007, I weight about 235 pounds -- obviously obese but managable.  By 2015 (the photo above), my weight was 275 pounds.  (Believe it or not, that was not the highest weight I had ever been at.  At one point, after my divorce, I tipped the scales at over 300 pounds).  I got a grip on myself and said "ok, I know how to handle this.  So I tired all of my tried and true weight loss methods.  AND THEY DIDN'T WORK.  What the actual hell?
The photo above was taken in Manila.  I was in the Philippines on a business trip in July.  I was there for my birthday.  And the whole trip was the most humiliating week of my life.  I could not walk the two or three blocks from the hotel to the office.  People would send cars for me.  Or my boss would walk with me and be oh-so patient.  It was AWFUL.
When I got home, I told my husband that something had to change.  By this time, my dear sweet husband who was one of those tall, skinny kids in high school, had also gained an incredible amount of weight.
We started researching weight loss surgery options for me.
I was very hesitant.  I had a dear uncle who died from complications of weight loss surgery 15 years before this.  I was terrified.  However, I was more terrified of dying and leaving my kids as orphans (their father had died a few years before).  I could NOT let that happen.
So, on January 6, 2006, I had gastric bypass surgery.  It was the best decision of my life.  I had absolutely no complications -- aside from having to completely relearn how to eat,etc.  (I was lucky.  Not everyone has this experience.)
You will hear a lot of stories about people who have surgery and gain all their weight back.  But, the key was (and is), you have to change your relationship with food and how you eat -- which I did.
It's now 2024 -- eight years later.  I lost 110 pounds and I'm at that weight today. I stick to a low carb or keto diet almost always.  No, I'm not perfect.  But I have learned a lot -- about food science, about insulin resistance, about the horrid Standard American Diet and so much more.
But the most important thing I've learned is that everyone's journey is different.
Today, I eat fairly healthy.  I avoid processed foods.  I exercise 3-6 days a week.  
And, I have cured my Type 2 diabetes.
On the pages in this section, I will share my experiences and advice and recipes and, frankly, anything else someone asks for.  So, if you have a question, drop me a line at rene@moonlitwellness.com.
Am I an expert?  Or a nutrionist?  No. I'm simply a person who has lived life and successfully overcome some challenges that so many people struggle with.
I am here to help you with your journey.