My Story
I cannot recall a time of ever being normal and have struggled with my weight since childhood. The love of food combined with a sedentary lifestyle promoted obesity throughout my family. I enjoyed eating -- down-home cooking, fast-food, it didn’t matter. I loved to eat and ate my way up to 305 lbs. by the time I was 25.
Then I experienced what I call a divine revelation. I realized that I did not want to inherit, nor die from the diseases -- high cholesterol, diabetes, and high blood pressure that plagued and killed most of my family. Through prayer, I decided to make changes to improve my overall quality of life. This involved educating myself about food, nutrition, and fitness. By maintaining a proper diet and regular exercise routine, as well as a spiritual relationship, I have lost 175lbs.
No quick weight loss programs, no shakes, no pills, no surgery, no diets. That’s right, no diets. Diets don’t work. They are simply an emotional rollercoaster that not only leads to more weight gain than what you started with, but ultimately failure. Only a lifestyle change will bring about results that last. Losing the weight was only part of the challenge, now the battle is keeping it off. During my journey I discovered that my weight issues were due to emotional eating. Total wellness involves spirit, soul, mind, and body. If one area is out of sync, then all others are a mess as well. Food is my drug of choice and every day I make a decision to eat right and workout.
I know how hard it is to lose weight. I know the everyday challenges that you face. Unlike most medical professionals and fitness experts, I have been there. And, I know the joy in achieving what some may think is impossible. However, I am proof that all things are possible. Disease free and able to jog a few miles (whereas I couldn’t walk up a flight of stairs without huffing), I am enjoying a fulfilling life. And, you too can experience a life better than you could have possibly imagined.
| Alicia Before | Alicia After |
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Alicia Franklin-Edwards, life strategist and founder of Revolutionary Transformations, believes “If you want it, make it happen.” As a speaker and writer, Alicia’s enthusiasm and the power of self-belief is what inspires others to make changes that boost their total quality of life. Her straightforward style and genuine compassion, combined with a success-oriented plan and commitment to results is her winning method for successful lifestyle transformations. Alicia passionately coaches individuals to create a clear path to their purpose because everyone should enjoy life to the fullest and “live with no regrets”.
As a personal coach who supports people in all aspects of life transitions, Alicia specializes in total wellness -- spirit, soul, mind, and body. She avidly promotes health and fitness, and works with individuals, as well as organizations towards obtaining optimal wellness. Her lifelong battle with obesity fuels her passion for motivating others who struggle with their weight. She shares their pain and personally knows how challenging it is to prevail. Alicia’s holistic approach is the foundation of her weight-loss success of 175lbs. and ability to keep it off for 15 years.
Alicia loves coaching because there is nothing more rewarding than seeing people fulfill their ambitions and soar to their highest potential. Her commitment to personal integrity stems from her extensive leadership development background. In addition to a BS in Organizational Leadership and Management, from Regent University, where she graduated with honors, she is pursuing the International Coach Academy’s Certified Professional Coach Certification, an International Coach Federation (ICF) www.coachfederation.orgaccredited program, with an ultimate goal to obtain the ICF Professional Coach Certification (PCC).
As an administrator with over 20 years experience in both government and corporate settings, Alicia has coordinated health and fitness programs catering to 2,000 employees. Her focus on innovation ignited several initiatives, a healthy vending machine policy, a wholesome food alternatives meeting plan, and an employee outreach network program. She is a strong advocate for targeting youth wellness education and proactively combating childhood obesity.
On a personal note, Alicia’s heartfelt compassion for others has driven her volunteerism in several ministries at her local church. In her leisure time, you can find Alicia walking around a lake, reading, cooking, solving a Soduko puzzle, taking in a play, enjoying a cultural festival, or exploring a new place, while traveling with the love of her life, with whom she resides in the suburbs of Washington, D.C.