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February 6, 2013
Suzie Spitfyre loves everything in life to excess.
After loving food a little too much for 13 years, and topping the scales at 292听pounds, she鈥檚 now learning to love a tough workout plan and regime of healthy eating.
The Times 91原创 Health Challenge is just another hilarious adventure for Spitfyre, a five-foot, two-inch archaeologist, make-up artist and party girl.
One day, her bangs and short braids frame dramatic eye makeup. Another day, when she needs a boost, she鈥檒l break out the war paint and do her face like a warrior.
She鈥檚 feeling pretty good right now, having lost 12听pounds just two weeks into the 12-week program.
鈥淚鈥檓 probably more comfortable now in my skin the way I am 鈥� as unhappy as it makes me every now and then 鈥� because I know who I am,鈥� Spitfyre said.
鈥淲hen I was 109 pounds in high school, I was just terrified that I was fat.鈥�
She got a bachelor of arts degree in classical archaeology from Simon Fraser University and has worked at excavations in Malta and Ireland.
She left Europe for Montreal in 1999 and blames seven years immersed in the city鈥檚 food and party scene for most of her weight gain.
鈥淢ontreal is a pretty awesome party city,鈥� she said.
She revelled in the attention of promoting musicians and, with it, enjoying lots of food and drink.
鈥淧outine is the best thing ever,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 loved everything to excess.鈥�
Her mother, a dietitian, expressed concern for her daughter鈥檚 health. Spitfyre said she鈥檚 the only overweight member of her family.
鈥淚t鈥檚 like, 鈥楬ow can I be different? I know, I鈥檒l gain 200 pounds!鈥� 鈥� she said.
鈥淚 had everything going for me and it was my choice to be terrible with food. I鈥檓 the star pupil of whatever this is I鈥檝e created.鈥�
She鈥檚 far from self-pitying, saying, 鈥淲hat鈥檚 really important for me is I don鈥檛 regret things. It鈥檚 all a learning experience for me.鈥�
She gained the excess pounds and says she intends to lose it again. Her enthusiasm for the task at hand saturates her environment, and it鈥檚 getting a strong response from her friends.
鈥淲hat really has affected me through this whole process are all the people I didn鈥檛 know who were already in my corner 鈥� they鈥檝e come out and said, 鈥榊ou go, girl!鈥� 鈥�
Her twice-daily workouts are even inspiring her already-active friends to step up their game.
鈥淢y cousin鈥檚 husband sent me this beautiful note saying, 鈥楽ome of the guys at my fire hall are kind of big so we鈥檝e got together and we鈥檙e doing [workouts],鈥� 鈥� she said.
She鈥檚 been working out at the Crystal Pool, where strangers recognise her from Times 91原创 articles.
鈥淧eople keep grabbing me and saying, 鈥楢re you the lady from the newspaper?鈥� I go, 鈥榊es I am 鈥� form a line, autographs at 11.鈥� It鈥檚 hilarious.鈥�
The exercise is already showing benefits. She can climb the stairs to her apartment without getting winded, and her body is changing.
鈥淟ook! I鈥檝e got a dent here,鈥� Spitfyre said, pointing with glee to what appears to be a waistline.
鈥淎nd I think that my boobs are actually bigger than my stomach.鈥�
Aside from the physical changes, her energy has increased and she feels 鈥渁maze-balls. I鈥檓 pretty chuffed.鈥�
Her husband, St茅phane, is supporting Spitfyre as she tackles this big life change.
鈥淗e has a bit of a beer gut but he鈥檚 got really nice legs,鈥� she laughs.
Her goal is to lose 30听pounds over a month, 50听pounds over the 12-week program, and eventually drop 150 pounds.
She鈥檚 on leave from her work selling and applying cosmetics and hopes the Times 91原创 Health Challenge will get her back on track.
She loves applying makeup, saying, 鈥淚 change people when they come in to see me. When I鈥檓 at work, I empower people to feel beautiful and to know that they are beautiful.鈥�
She has to learn to discover the beauty in herself, she said.
鈥淚鈥檓 not doing myself justice. I have a style now that鈥檚 dictated by the blobbularness of my body.
鈥淓very day now is an opportunity to have fun and just go out there and get what I want. I want to be an active person and feel awesome in my clothes.鈥�
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