Success Story: An SMU Fitness Coordinator Finds Balance

BROOK DABBS Age: 26 Profession: SMU fitness coordinator Motivation: Developing a healthy, maintainable lifestyle Would Never Give Up: Chocolate milk Personal Mantra: “Everything is permissible for me, but not everything is beneficial.” 1 Corinthians 6:12 Favorite Snack: Baked tortilla chips and salsa

Brook Dabbs, a self-described “type A” personality, has always been on the slim side. But while attending Texas State University in San Marcos, her self-image spiraled downward. She had discovered a love for instructing aerobics, but, she says, “being an instructor can make you self-conscious.”

So, despite her small frame, she became obsessed with losing weight. “First, I decided I wasn’t going to eat dinner. Then I pushed it to eating only half of lunch,” she says. Soon, she was anorexic, refusing food, running three times a day, and teaching several aerobics classes. “I constantly wanted the scale to go lower,” she says.

After a year of near starvation, she moved into her own apartment, grew lonely, and started eating to fill the void. “Food tastes so good after you’ve deprived yourself,” she says. “I ate a ton. I would eat an entire large pizza and nearly a gallon of ice cream.” To try and regain control, she would starve for two days, then binge.

After four years of struggling to control her weight, Brook knew she needed help. “I decided I was better than this,” she says. She turned to Georgia Kostas, a registered dietician, formerly of the Cooper Aerobics Center, who completely changed her lifestyle.

“She helped me write a food plan, and I started keeping a food journal,” Brook says. She also read Kostas’ book, The Cooper Clinic Solution to the Diet Revolution. Six months later, Brook’s new schedule became habitual, and she regained energy and strength—enough to complete her first marathon this past December. Now, she’ll happily tell you she’s been healthy for a year.

Brook is still active. She aims for a 60-minute cardio workout four to five times a week and two 60-minute weight-training sessions. She also teaches jogging and conditioning, spinning, and boot camp classes at the Texas Club. “More important than the number on the scale is the empowerment in knowing that I am treating my body well and am truly healthy,” she says.