Woman becomes fitness trainer after bariatric surgery.
Bariatric surgery was just the start of woman’s weight-loss journey
When Shenese Colwell decided on bariatric surgery to help her lose weight, she could not readily find the support, information or resources she needed.
So she hit the books and created exactly what she needed — before and after surgery. Now, Colwell, 49, shares her strategy with others through her business, L.A.B. (or Life After Bariatrics) Work and Fitness.
While her passion is helping clients before and after weight-loss surgery, her programs are meant for anyone with an interest in getting active, healthy and strong. Colwell, who lives in the Galleria area, underwent gastric bypass surgery in October 2012 — the day before her birthday, as a gift to herself.
Growing up, Colwell always was a healthy weight. Even after the birth of her first child, she dropped back down on the scale to 120 pounds. But after her second and third children were born, she put herself on the back burner.
“Everything was a priority over me,” she said. “I had placed myself on a hiatus.”
As a result, Colwell started gaining weight, eventually climbing to 250 pounds. “But I never noticed, because I was focused on so many other things,” she said.
She had a full-time job as business manager at Baylor College of Medicine, worked part time and was attending school to earn her master’s degree in business administration at Texas Women’s University. In addition, she was a single parent to three boys.
Her stress level was high, and although she tried a number of weightloss methods, from diets to boot camps, nothing worked.
“I would lose weight, but not a significant amount, and then I would gain it all back — and usually gain back more,” Colwell said.
When the extra weight began causing physical pain, Colwell knew something had to give. She worked backward, realizing how stress was building up and how her health was getting ignored.
Colwell wanted to change all of that before earning her degree.
“When I walked across that stage, I wanted to look the part,” she said. “I wanted everything to line up to the vision of myself that I had, and my weight was a part of that.”
Bariatric surgery could serve as a reset button. But her physician was resistant and instead recommended dietitians and nutritionists. “My doctor tried to talk me out of it,” Colwell recalled. “She was adamant about me not doing it.”
Colwell felt that she had tried the fad diets and had a number of failed attempts at weight loss already under her belt. She wanted to do something new.
At the time, Colwell did not realize the stigma associated with bariatric surgery. “People are so judgmental and say that you’re not doing it the right way,” she explained.
Surgery was considered the “easy way out,” Colwell realized.
But that did not deter her. Since she worked in the medical field, Colwell decided to research on her own. “I set the ball rolling,” she said.
Once the surgery was complete, Colwell was aware that the work was just beginning. As soon as she could, she started working out.
“I wanted to be the best version of myself,” she said. “I did everything I could to make sure I liked the way I looked. I got a trainer. I hit the ground running.”
After a couple of years building a new exercise routine, Colwell realized the mental and emotional component of weight loss. She started seeing a therapist and journaling.
Nutrition was also essential to the journey. “From the beginning, I realized I was going to have to eat differently,” she said. “I wanted to be longterm successful.”
During each step of the process, Colwell said there were obstacles, which she calls minefields.
“I don’t want to step on that,” she said. “I’m always recalibrating. I journal, I work out, I listen to music. People have to find what works for them. What worked for me, might not work for others”
From doing her homework before surgery, Colwell knew that it would be easy to slip back into old habits and gain the pounds back. She saw others struggling with their journeys.
“After the honeymoon period, that’s when reality sets in,” she said. “People aren’t prepared for that. It’s heartbreaking to see them gain that weight back.”
Before long, Colwell found that she was offering advice to others undergoing surgery. In 2016, she decided to become a certified trainer.
“My friends were asking me to make them exercise programs,” she said. “When I was giving them plans, I wanted to make sure I was giving them the right information. Now, as a certified trainer, I can trust that I’m giving them the right advice.”
At the same time, Colwell wanted to do more than provide fitness routines. She wanted to build a business that would help others with weight loss.
“It takes work to maintain this journey — bridging the gap between weightloss surgery and fitness and maintenance, all of the work on your mind, changing your lifestyle and working on you,” she said.
In 2017, Colwell remarried. Her husband, Ephraim Colwell, had been selfemployed as a neuromuscular therapist for years and encouraged her to start her own business — offering her space to work with her clients inside his therapy location.
Last year, Colwell received her bariatric coaching certification. She was also certified as a group support leader and paired that with her experience of being a fitness trainer. This year, she added barre certification to her list of credentials.
Now, at L.A.B. Work and Fitness, Colwell mentors, offers fitness classes and will begin leading support groups for clients.
“I want to be a resource to help them get through this and not gain the weight back,” she said. “I have found my passion. And every piece of this is something that helped me.”
To build her business, she asked herself, “What did I need? What was I lacking? What did I wish I had? What would have been beneficial at each stage of my journey?”
Colwell also wanted to become an advocate and joined the Obesity Action Coalition, a nonprofit designed to empower obese individuals as they seek better health, and Exercise Is Medicine, a global health initiative.
Client Elicia Hale has worked with Colwell since March. She explained that finding a trainer who knows specifically how to help obese people is unique.
“Shenese has been awesome,” Hale said. “She is so nice, so encouraging and not judgmental. I really appreciated that, because I did not get that from a lot of people.”
Hale’s health was suffering from weight gain. Even though she purchased a Peloton bike in 2018, she rarely used it. Now, she is addicted and has lost 22 pounds.
“I got the sleeve in 2015, but I didn’t eat the way I should,” Hale said. “I didn’t exercise. I gained a lot of weight back.”
Hale calls her mentor almost daily for encouragement.
“Shenese told me not to focus on what others were doing,” Hale said. “If I can only do five minutes, to only do five minutes. She’s inspired me.”
Colwell is a firm believer in not being too hard on yourself.
“It’s all about maneuvering the minefield,” she said. “It’s like a game. You circumvent all of those things that sabotage your success. Don’t let them take you under. Go for it.”
Colwell encourages her clients to stay positive. “No matter where you are in that journey, embrace that part,” she said. “You can always pick one part of yourself that you don’t like. Instead, pick a part that you totally love.”
And take the first step — even when it’s difficult, Colwell said.
“There’s no reason to be ashamed of gaining weight, but it is your fault if you don’t tackle those issues,” she said. “It’s never too late to start. Start where you are — and recalibrate often.”