Life and Work with Lia Sanchez

Today we’d like to introduce you to Lia Sanchez.

Lia, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
As far back as I can remember, I was always heavy. I ate my emotions and never had a way to deal with or process life aside from stuffing my face.

Life hit hard in my 20s.
At 21, I went to drug rehab to get clean from some pretty hard stuff. At 26, I had two major back surgeries, after snapping a disk in my lower lumbar. The doctors told me I would never walk again. At 29 years old, I watched my dad pass away, and my then-fiance was cheating on me with my “best friend” of 14 years. I was 336 and my world was upside down. I was too busy helping others to see that I was drowning.

It was in these moments of breaking a real friend asked if I had ever “loved myself or put myself first?” My answer was easily no. She told me she was scared for me, for what was next. She encouraged me to find me. To put my health first and to really learn to love myself. A conversation that truly changed my life.

From there, I jumped in headfirst Into this nasty relationship with myself that I had never nurtured or loved, I hated the person I was outside and how I allowed people to treat me inside. I had enough and I knew I was done. That I had to get up and fight!

First, I started with food, not what I ate but how much. Then, I worked on what I see and making better choices. I didn’t diet, I still don’t. I want a healthy life and that include balance.

Second, I took all my emotional pain, my hate for those two who ruined my trust. My anger for losing dad right when we really started having a relationship. I took all of it and went to the gym. I would have anxiety attacks, I would emotionally break and cry but I knew I had to feel and process. I also knew falling down and staying down wasn’t an option.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Smooth road? That’s not how I would describe it. I had to change everything and that is never easy. I had to really look in the mirror, put myself first and fight for what I want. Sometimes that means walking away from toxic people. Sometimes, that includes family or people you care about but learning to put myself first was the biggest gift I ever gave myself. Life will inevitably be challenging, it’s what you do with it, how to handle it that makes the difference.

Please tell us more about your work, what you are currently focused on and most proud of.
I’m known in the gym for dancing around regardless of who is watching. For having a smile on my face and pushing myself physically every chance I can. I get up and fight on the good days and even more so on the bad. I share my workouts and story on social media to help encourage others.

I want people to feel the joy and freedom from being stuck in a shell they don’t like or want. I’m known for losing 130 pounds, never giving up and always keeping my faith.

What advice would you give to someone at the start of her career?
Think of a baby learning to walk. They crawl, they stand up and fall down, they take two steps and wiggle a little slip, step back and fall. All of this just to start over but with more experience and determination than before.

Do this for you. Be kind to yourself as if you’re the baby learning to walk but never allow yourself to give up. Instead, grow, grind, stay determined and keep pushing.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @Ms._beautiful_beast
• Other: Fbizzy in snapchat

Image Credit:
Lia Sanchez

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