In Sheila’s line of work, being overweight is not a selling point for potential customers. Sheila is a hypnotherapist, yoga teacher and front desk administrator at a wellness spa, yoga studio and tea bar in Marble Falls. “You don’t want to go to a hypnotherapist to lose weight if the hypnotherapist is fat. I certainly have professional reasons for wanting to be thinner,” she said. At 5’7 and 319 pounds, Sheila’s weight gain began 13 years ago with a painful chronic reproductive disease. After eight surgeries and countless treatments, the pain persisted, sapping her motivation and making it difficult to exercise. Still seeking relief, she turned to ancient medicine. “I went through every different kind of holistic healing I could imagine; acupuncture, Ayurveda, I even took a trip with shamans to the Andes in Peru and I still wasn’t well,” she said. Sheila tried hypnotherapy and it worked, easing about 70 percent of her pain. Amazed, she went to school and became a licensed hypnotherapist herself. Hypnotherapy works, but it’s not a panacea, she said. Sheila is hoping the contest will give her the extra motivation she needs to be diligent about eating right and exercising. She is also concerned about her health. About a year ago, Sheila had a kidney removed due to cancer. “That was a huge wake up call that if I didn’t get my weight under control, the next step was diabetes. I really want to keep that last kidney and protect it,” she said. Sheila said she is not a big believer in diets that require purchasing special foods, and is excited to learn more about sound nutrition. “I believe we can lose weight and be healthy with God-given food grown here on Earth, not pre-packaged, chemical laden cubes.”