Boy, did Nyla ever have a rough year for her transformation.
Luckily for her, she had Chris there to help...he gave her space when she needed it, pushed her as much as he could, and was there for her no matter what. He even located her father, whom she had never met.
Chris himself even said that this was one of his toughest transformations, because it seemed to be taking Nyla such a long time to "get it". She had so many mental and emotional blocks to break through that she still cheated with her food choices and didn't always work out to the best of her ability. She let finanacial and other stress get to her on a regular basis. Her fears and low self-confidence got her in trouble many times. She even almost quit more than once. But she finally decided that working through all of her issues was better than staying stuck where she was, and that staying in her comfort zone was getting her nowhere.
The biggest breakthough came when Chris got the information about Nyla's father. Unfortunately he had committed suicide in 2010, but she was able to meet all of her aunts, uncles, and cousins - who all embraced her and told her how much her dad wished he'd had his act together so he could be there for his daughters. This revelation made her feel less abandoned, because she realized he really loved her even though he wasn't present for her. She also gained support from an entire set of relatives who were so happy to finally be in her life.
It does sometimes take some of us longer than others to "get it". We are all unique individuals, so we are not all on the exact same timetable in our lives. God has a plan for each of us, and He will get us there in His perfect timing. And that timing may be different for me than you, or for you than your best friend, etc. We all have issues and stresses in our lives that we have to deal with, and we will not all deal with them in the same way. (And I can certainly say that from experience!)
Now, of course my favorite part of this episode was Nyla's salsa lesson with Tony Dovolani from Dancing With The Stars. I couldn't help but smile throughout the whole thing for her. I know all about having a passion for dancing. (and, for me, writing about it!) Nyla's come a long way from the girl who couldn't even open a dance DVD at home to work out...now she even teaches dance fitness classes!
Nyla still did an amazing job in a year's time...from 435 down to 278 is quite an accomplishment and she should be very proud. And as she said - this is not just a year long journey, it's a LIFE JOURNEY. There will be ups and downs, but as long as we always keep going and never give up we will get to where we are supposed to be. Just keep moving forward!!!
