“I Do This for My Daughter”

A Healthier Body Was Just One Small Part of Her Drive to Succeed

When bullying and depression led Natalie Barry to gain weight as a child, it set a trend that continued into adulthood. With job stress, difficult pregnancies, and other health issues added to her burdens, she had to decide whether she’d finally reached her breaking point — or make it a turning point instead.

Every transformational journey has two chapters — the decision to change, and the path that led up to it. Where does your story start?

I’m not really sure where to begin. I do feel my story has two chapters, but I’ll start by telling you my childhood was not great. Not that I had it rough at home — my family was great! I grew up in a loving home with two hard-working parents and a younger brother. I wasn’t athletic, I was never a part of the “in crowd”. I had a few close friends in school and spent most of my days dreading going to school because I was constantly made fun of.

Too many people can identify with you there. What kind of impact did that have?

In elementary school, I started to gain weight. So, come my high school days, I would do cardio in my basement at home and eat next to nothing. I remember my dad saying “A moment on the lips, forever on the hips”. I know he meant well, but that is something that has stuck with me for years.

Do you feel that you developed an eating disorder there, or was it more simply the misconception that starving yourself was the key to fat loss?

No, I don’t think I developed any type of eating disorder, more so I was young and we’ve been told over the years as young women that the way to lose weight is to just simply eat less and do more cardio. That’s all I knew as a teen.

What about as an adult?

Well, after high school I met my husband. This is where my first chapter really starts. We would go out to eat ALL the time, and drinks were a normal thing that went along with the food. Slowly, the weight started to creep back up. I didn’t even notice at first.

We moved across the country, and I was suddenly a young woman in a management position with a company that took full advantage of my work ethic. Needless to say, the stress piled up — and so did the weight. We got married a few years later and decided to start a family.

At this time I had also lost my father. He suffered from cancer for 17.5 years. Shortly after losing my father, my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer, though thankfully she won her battle.

We continued trying to conceive for five years or so, but were told by Doctors we would just never have children due to the fact I was dealing with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) which can prevent some women from ever conceiving. After some of my own research, I become convinced it was my weight that was part of the issue. I decided to try to lose some weight, hoping that would help balance out my hormones and allow for a chance to carry a child. So began my first weight loss journey.

What did that look like?

I joined a gym and started running. I lifted a little weight but cardio was king for me. I would eat but I would eat less and less once I noticed the weight start to drop. Soon 60 lbs were gone in less than five months. I realize, now, that was the wrong way to do things, but at the time I was happy. We tried to get pregnant again with a new doctor — and it worked, we were finally pregnant! I couldn’t have been happier. We were finally going to have our child we wanted.

Sounds like everything was coming together for you.

It was, until it wasn’t. This is the part I don’t often talk about. It was a rough pregnancy, and she was stillborn at 5 months. I was devastated, and so began the downward spiral into depression and more weight gain. I didn’t know exactly how bad the depression was until we ended up pregnant again a few months later.

It was another incredibly rough pregnancy, and I found myself not being able to bond with the baby I was carrying out of fear of losing this baby as well. I was restricted as far as the activities I was able to do, so more weight was gained.

I gave birth to my beautiful daughter, and although I was more than in love with her I found myself falling more and more into depression. I tried to hide it, but I was eventually diagnosed and put on medication. It helped, but it wasn’t how I wanted to live. A year went by and we ended up moving back closer to family. This is where my second part of my journey really begins, and where my Pathway to JYM started.

What was that pivotal moment?

I literally woke up one morning and looked in the mirror, tears running down my face, and said: “No more!” I knew I needed to do something, not just for my physical health but more so mentally. Depression had and was taking over my life. I needed to change in order to be around for my daughter and family.

A lot of people struggle to stand up to their depression. How did you do it?

I remember that morning like it was yesterday. I stood in front of the mirror and I took a before photo, I looked at myself and said: “Today is the day it all changes!” I have not looked back since!

How was this different from your previous attempts to get fit?

I started making small changes this time, like in my diet. I started walking every day with my daughter. I started working out at home with some light dumbbells and using my treadmill. And slowly things started to change: I was happier, I was looking better, I was feeling better. I started running outside and it felt amazing to be able to do that.

I decided to join the small — and I mean small — one and only gym in town. I didn’t know ANYONE, but I went.

That’s always a big step. Were you nervous?

Was I intimidated? Absolutely. I did what I think most women do at first, and exactly what I did with the last gym I joined: I went right to the cardio equipment and started there.

Better than not starting at all. How did you transition to weight training?

I got the feel for who was who at the gym. Before I knew it, I was lifting more than running.

I don’t remember the exact time frames on most of my fitness journey. I know after about a year of lifting and doing my own programs, teaching myself how to lift, using the internet and Bodybuilding.com for info and having pretty good success, I was down a lot of weight and was feeling amazing.

I had a friend at the gym approach me and start talking about supplements. I had only tried one pre-workout at that point, and wasn’t convinced I really needed anything. Well, he mentioned JYM Supplements, and after a bit of research I decided to try it .

I continued to train with my own programs using the supplements for another year or so, but I had reached a major plateau in my training. My friend saw I was getting frustrated. Yes, I had already lost a lot of fat, but I had just stalled. No matter what I tried to do, I wasn’t making any more progress. He suggested I try Shortcut to Shred. So I said: “What do I have to lose?”

I read the overview over and over. I made notes. I learned about counting macros. Up until that time, I had no idea what a macro even was — I had always just eaten healthy and made healthier food choices. I had no idea, before finding Jim [Stoppani]’s Dieting 101 and Shortcut to Shred program, how much of each macronutrient I should be taking in. So began my love for tracking food.

How important do you think that change was?

I truly believe it made all the difference with my training and the ability to keep progressing with my training. I shed fat and started gaining muscle. I was hooked on cardioacceleration! Yes, even the step-ups. I was hooked on his programs. I absolutely loved it! I found the JYM Army Facebook group right after I had finished that first program, and decided to post my before and after photo.

Another brave step forward, putting yourself out there. What was that experience like?

It was unreal. That next morning, I woke to over 1,000 likes, plus comments and so much amazing support. I had never had that in my entire life. I didn’t have a lot of support at home or from family. At times, I would be made fun of by some of my family for my dedication to my fitness lifestyle. They’d even make fun of me for packing and bringing food with me to family functions. But I continued to see the amazing support and education this Facebook group gave, and I had finally felt like I found a home. They’re people that understood why I push myself, and why I am committed to this lifestyle.

How has your journey gone since then?

I want to mention it hasn’t always been easy. I have had many ups and downs along my journey. I have PCOS, which makes losing fat almost twice as hard as it is for someone without. I have had to fight through chronic neck and back pain due to having degenerative disc disease. I have had numerous injuries that have made even walking painful. But I have never once let any of those factors stop me from pushing forward.

It hasn’t been a straight path, but fitness never is. It will always be filled with obstacles, ups and downs, and setbacks. I have been lean, I have gained, I have struggled with my head telling me I will never be good enough. I fight though… I fight through it and I do this not only for myself. I do this for my daughter. She deserves to have her mother healthy, happy, and around for her as she grows up.

Your transformation sounds like it’s been much more than just the physical aspect.

I can’t stress enough just how much the gym has changed me for the better, and yes, I’m not talking appearances. Mentally, I am stronger. I am happier. I am no longer fighting depression. Yes, I will always have times when I am not feeling 100%, but I know how to overcome that. I will continue to set goals and try to achieve things I never thought possible. I want my daughter to see just how strong her Mother is. I want her to grow up with the same strength and fight I have found in myself.

What would you say has been the biggest contributing factor in your success, beyond your own determination and hard work?

Education, getting the right information. It has literally changed my life. I have learned so much about dieting and training right, I get emotional thinking about how I probably wouldn’t be where I am today without it.

I have been doing Stoppani’s programs ever since that first Shortcut to Shred program. I’ve done HIIT 100, the Daily Grind, Down and Up Mass, and of course Super Shredded 8, among others. I’ve learned how to adapt these programs and training techniques to meet my needs and goals. I have made incredible friendships through the JYM Army group. I have received support from people I have never met in person. I can’t thank Jim and everyone involved in this brand enough.

You’ve improved your life in ways some can scarcely dream. What insights would you like to pass on to those looking to make a change for themselves?

People will always make excuses for why they can’t achieve a goal, why they can’t look a certain way, why they can’t make a difference in their own lives. I want more people to know it is possible to get healthy. Just look at how many lives out there like mine have been changed by just never giving up! That’s why I decided to become a certified trainer, I love helping people see what I see in them.

Meanwhile, I will continue to push myself every day. I will continue to set goals for myself and push myself to be better than I was yesterday. I look back at all I have overcome and I am most proud that I never let any of it stop me. It takes time, consistency, dedication, hard work — in and out of the gym — but it will happen with the right mindset, and a good education like I’ve gotten from Jim Stoppani.

Thank you so, so much for sharing your story with my readers and me today.

It was my pleasure. Any chance I can get to share a bit about my journey I am more than happy to take the time. I hope someone reading may be able to take something from my experience and find it in themselves to continue on their own journey.

Natalie is an active presence in the JYM Army Facebook group page, sharing her journey and encouraging others to make strides on their own paths to healthier lives. You can also find her on Instagram sharing her progress and insights that she’s learned from Dr. Jim Stoppani.

For more on proper nutrition through Stoppani’s Dieting 101, programs like Super Shredded 8, the Daily Grind, and HIIT 100, as well as tons of articles and videos from one of the world’s foremost experts on training, supplementation, and sports nutrition, check out JimStoppani.com.