I was raised, like many of us, with food representing a lot more than fuel. It was there to show love, celebrate special occasions and fill the void during moments of sadness.

I dealt with it rather well until my early 20s, when a wrong career path took me on the on the biggest roller coaster of my life.

On top of starting Medical School and moving from New York City to Upstate, N.Y., I have developed a devastating physical illness, which nobody deserves to deal with at such an early age. It is still hard for me to admit that I had gained 60 lbs in SIX months!!! My feet were hurting and my knees were constantly in pain. I was always hot. I was struggling with finding a cure, while being embarrassed to be seen by my friends.

That was when I made a decision to fight. I took my before pictures with my own camera positioned on my bathroom counter because I believed that I would get to my goal.

At first, I desperately wanted an easy fix to the weight problem and started with all the well-publicized diets out there. I tried the Atkins diet, the Zone, the Weight Watchers, etc. I would drop five pounds and gain seven, while getting more depressed in the process. One doctor actually suggested I take an antidepressant for my “condition”.

Finally, by pure coincidence, I joined a gym and decided to invest in a personal trainer (who was NOT my husband…even though I did meet him at the same gym). I was broke and existing on student loans, but desperate to get to my goals. Upon hearing about my situation, he said that he would train me Monday and Wednesday and work with me every Friday for free. Knowing that someone was investing an hour of his time into me made me work twice as hard and watch my diet like a hawk.

I gave up on fad diets and started listening to my body, reading about food and training harder and harder. While transforming my own physique, I started noticing an astounding number of overweight and obese children, adults, and geriatric patients on the hospital floors who were being treated with a slew of medications without ever addressing their diet or exercise patterns.

On August 17, 2007, I made the hardest and the best decision of my life – I chose to dedicate my future to what I truly believe our country needs at this time. I decided to switch my career paths and pursue a graduate degree in Clinical Nutrition and Public Health at New York University – an amazing place where I am today.

Nowdays, I eat 5-6 times per day. I do not punish myself and simply learn from anything that can be done better. I exercise daily. However, I do not force myself to do anything. I listen to what I REALLY want to do. Sometimes it is jumping rope outside. Other days it is running with my husband. I love skiing, running to clear my mind, and weight training to feel stronger.

It took me two years to get to my goal and drop the weight. No matter what stage of the process you are in or what issues you are dealing with, I have probably been there at some point. Please e-mail me with any questions you may have at maria@mariaalexandrabella.com.

PLEASE VISIT OUR SITE: www.topbalancenutrition.com for before and after pictures