Hello everyone! I was asked to compile a few more photos for the segment Beachbody Headquarters is doing on my story to success & I needed some really gnarly before photos, so I dug deep. Deep into my external hard drives & into folders that said “do not open this.” I literally had my jaw on the floor the whole time I went through folder after folder, I couldn’t even recognize myself! This is what 6 years of sobriety vs a few months of sobriety looks like. WOW! WOW! WOW!

I had JUST gotten clean & sober in the photo on the left. I was into really hard drugs, drank every day & was always putting poison in the form of food & substance in my body. My MAIN focus was the bar scene, who I’d get messed up with & what people thought of me. Exercise was something I saw other people doing but it just wasn’t for me. I could barely get up in the morning never mind work out. To be honest with you, being healthy just never crossed my mind. It wasn’t even on my radar till I got sober & started my journey to becoming the best version of me.

For me, it’s about reversing the damage I did to myself from the time I was 13 till I got sober at 23. I went HARD for 10 years. At first it was just about having fun but then it turned into something I NEEDED. That’s when I decided to take control of my life. I witnessed one of my friends get sober. She looked so happy & healthy. I wanted that. I wanted to be happy & FEEL. I was completely dead inside. I KNEW there was a healthier version of me deep down & it took a lot of hard work on myself to meet her. I love the Amy I am today & it happened one day at a time. I am so grateful for my journey & feel it was mine so I’d be able to show others what can be done. When you overcome addiction, you can truly overcome ANYTHING. That was the hardest thing I’ve ever done. The rest is just icing on top.

6 years

I am coming up on 6 years clean & sober next month & was thinking as I looked through these photos that I’ve only been on my health/fitness journey for 3 years & I haven’t even been sober as long as I drank or did drugs/smoked cigarettes. I was a pack a day smoker! I have a lot of healing to still do mentally, internally, physically & emotionally. Why am I a coach? Why do I spend my life trying to help people take that first leap? Because I have been through hell & back to get to where I am today & being of service to others is the ONLY way I can constantly be reminded of what it was like before I asked for help. Before I committed to doing the WORK to change my circumstances. As new coaches start their journey, I am reminded of when I first started & how hard I worked to build this life for myself.

A healthy lifestyle for me is the most rewarding way I could ever live. I have made it my JOB to be healthy because the alternative for me leads to death. Back to when I destroyed myself day in & day out. There is no other option. I never ever want to go back to feeling sick & tired of my body, my health, my skin, my job, my boss…MY LIFE. We all deserve to live the life of our dreams. To live in our dream body. To have a healthy mind. To feel confident. To achieve BIG THINGS. However, faith without work is dead. So, if you’re not willing to put in the TIME, THE WORK & get UNCOMFORTABLE you will never ever see the change you want to see in yourself or the world you create for yourself.

The biggest thing I learned through all the struggles was that I had to accept humility, try to live humbly, TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR EVERYTHING, always be willing to lend my hand to someone who is sick & in need & not make excuses. If I can do it, anybody can…email me to find out more about how you can get paid to be fit, healthyh & help inspire others to make a change in their life.   AmySilvermanFitness@gmail.com

Also watch “HOW BEACHBODY SHOWED ME I DESERVE GREATNESS”