Nyla

Participant Bio

At 27 years old, and 435 pounds, Nyla knows she needs to change the way she eats and lives. The younger of two girls, Nyla was raised living a Louisiana lifestyle. Food was an important part of every occasion, and was often fried, buttery and creamy--and she learned to cook at an early age. She had a modest upbringing and was raised entirely by her single mother. Her father was never in the picture, and at the age of 21 she tried to contact him, but he never reciprocated.

As a young child, Nyla was not overweight, but began to gain weight in the second grade and has not stopped gaining since. Nyla is former high school state champion weightlifter. She placed 3rd at the national competition for 3 consecutive years. Unfortunately she was not strong enough to push away from the table. She also did well academically and served as Student Council President in high school. Nyla is generally an upbeat and positive person. She is very outgoing and loves to make others laugh. Also, she is very goal oriented which helped her in obtaining her MBA. Unfortunately she was unable to get a position in her field after graduating. She feels that her weight affects how employers perceive her ability to perform satisfactorily in the workplace.

Nyla knows she deserves to live a completely fulfilled life and is geared up and ready to make a permanent change. However, over the next year that she worked with trainer and transformation specialist, Chris Powell, they occasionally clashed about her commitment to the program. To help address her needs, Chris planned a very special surprise to help her find closure and a new beginning.