About Me
Hi I’m Paris Sturgeon I have many interests and hobbies that keep my mind and body active. I stay curious about the world, like to learn new things and continue to discover how to live my best life.
I’m always ready for the next adventure!
“Happiness is truly found in the little things that bring you joy in life… So get out there and experience them!” – Paris~
Let’s chat, call or text me: 1-250-999-0380
Hobbies
Kayaking – Living near the ocean with a strong fear of JAWS I thought I would overcome my fears and buy a kayak. I enjoy my morning coffee out on the water and just paddle a little faster when bubbles appear nearby. It’s a great workout!
Biking – Living in a bike friendly city my childhood love of biking was reignited. Wear a helmet! I was hit by a car when I was a child… the helmet saved my life.
Gamer – My current obsessions are Beat Sabre VR, Sim City & Hearthstone. I often get nostalgic and will do a marathon of Day of The Tentacle, Indiana Jones and The Fate of Atlantis or StarCraft.
Interesting Facts
Vegan – The more I researched veganism the more it just made sense to me.
Gym Rat – I love the gym! Yes, I am one of those nuts. I lost 300lbs and love what my new body can do. It’s one of the ways I deal with stress.
Entrepreneurial – I’ve started many hobby businesses. I’ve been an eBay PowerSeller, ran a coffee kiosk called the Perky Bean out of a converted horse trailer and started a RV rental summer business.
Handyman – I completely stripped down to the studs and renovated the pluming, electrical, kitchen, bathroom and all the flooring of my first home. I learned that renovations are a dangerous thing to start as they don’t stop.
300lb Weight Loss Transformation
My determination to lose weight and improve my life started with a moment I vividly recall.
Out for a walk and less than a block down the road I was completely out of breath. At nearly 500 pounds my body suddenly felt like a prison. This moment was when I decided to make a change and begin my weight loss journey.
Deep down I knew that I wanted to be a part of things in life, I wanted to climb mountains, experience nature and all of the things I physically wasn’t capable of doing. The reality was, I was sleeping my life away. I was exhausted all the time and all I wanted to do was watch TV and eat.
My life was one of denial, not wanting to admit that it had become so out of control. In part due to my reluctance to admit I was in a loveless relationship, now a thing of the past, but then a trigger to perpetually reach for comfort food.
At the time, one of my graphic design clients was a hypnotherapist. He knew and had referred me to a friend that specialized in hypnosis for weight loss. I worked with this hypnotherapist for three months over Skype and was introduced to plant-based diets.
Having adopted the program I quickly lost 50 pounds in the first three months. Hypnosis had helped make me aware of my subconscious thoughts, limiting beliefs and my habit patterns. Hypnosis sounds all magical and mystical, but it’s not. It’s about being in tune with your mind and figuring out what your triggers are. It’s a journey of self discovery. Figuring out what the problems are and what tools you can use in your daily life to change bad habits.
Taking a cooking class, taught by the local dietitian, I learned how to cook without added oils, salt, sugar and animal byproducts. With help I also learned how to let go of a co-dependent relationship. Giving myself permission to do things on my own, even when my partner had no interest in being active.
In the beginning I was asked about a goal weight. Not giving it much thought I said 185 pounds. It was just a number I threw out there thinking I would never ever get there.
The task of losing 300 pounds did not seem to deter me. I started with walking, going further and further everyday. I worked my way up to swimming then eventually gym workouts, something that initially intimidated me. I pushed past this fear and began to go to the gym regularly. I used every cardio machine available and continued to do that for many years. I eventually hit a weight loss plateau and I signed up for strength training with a personal trainer for a year.
Often when working out I would turn my head and look in the opposite direction. My trainer once asked me why I was doing that and I subconsciously answered “I’m looking at my future self”. That moment is when I discovered what kept me motivated. I was holding that vision of my future self in my mind, holding onto a goal.
I got to a point that I loved exercising and pushing my body to the limits. I like to run as fast as I humanly can, it feels awesome. I love the music – I get a really good, fast tempo music and I just go. I was always the subject of conversation at the gym. I used to jog when I lived in Victoria and there was a stretch right in front of the Parliament Buildings in the inner harbour where I would go flat out. I love that feeling.
The significant weight loss resulted in a lot of excess skin, I used tight bands a compression shirt and spandex shorts to help reduce the discomfort.
I was now faced with new challenges for skin removal, from being on a wait-list for 18 months – to needing to work another job to pay for it, as well as iffy blood test results before the surgery. Because I was very aggressive with trying to lose the weight, I did have a dark period when I was bulimic. I was not eating properly, I was not a very good vegan at the time either not being mindful of vitamins from different foods or supplementing with B12. My blood work was a mess and I was anemic.
Surgery was a risk and could not be done all at once. In all it took 4 surgeries. You look like you were taken apart and put back together. Emotionally, it’s something that I have learned to accept and to be happy with my body and what it can do.
My journey was not always smooth, sometimes I would have a really bad day where I would eat things that were bad and I knew it. I felt guilty and that led to bulimia. It’s not something I like to talk about, but I feel it’s necessary to let people know that it’s not an easy road and you’re not going to be 100 percent perfect the whole way. Things are going to happen. You’re going to feel bad.
You have to be emotionally ready for a weight loss journey. You have to be committed at the start or you’re going to go back to your old eating habits because you haven’t fixed anything emotionally. This is why I’m happy to share my story because I hope that it’s the catalyst for somebody to start their own journey.
I was out of a bad relationship of 18 years. I shed my old life, I lost three hundred pounds. I’m completely the person I envisioned I was going to be. When I had my final surgery, I stared at myself in the mirror and I thought. Hey, nice to meet you. It’s the new you. l teared up and thought, I did it, I’m now that future person.
My advice for anyone who wants to lose weight is to begin with small changes and to be prepared for a long journey with many bends on the road. It’s a very personal thing. I don’t think there’s one solution to lose weight. The emotional issues are different for everyone, so seeking out some sort therapy is my recommendation to fix that part. I think that is such an important part weight loss – getting support, some tools, diet then exercise. That’s what boils down to.
I reached my goal weight and I’m ready for the next adventure!
