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Gwyneth: We're inspired by women who have restarted their lives
using health and fitness.
We hope you are too.
(music)
I'm Gwyneth Paltro.
Tracy: And I'm Tracy Anderson.
Gwyneth: This is The Restart Project.
(music)
Tracy: This is a story about what happens
when you think you know what your future is going to look like.
Then everything changes.
How do you embrace a life path
that isn't what you thought it would be?
Stacie: I grew up in L.A. born and raised.
I grew up in a family of 4 kids
so to me it was just the natural thing
to grow up and have children.
Then right out of college I ended up getting a job
at one of the studios and I started on a career track
that just kept going and going.
Then, all of a sudden, I realized,
"Uh oh, I might have forgotten something."
That was the family, the children.
That life that I had wanted before.
So at 44 years old I decided I'm going to try online dating.
2 days later I met my husband.
We were engaged in 5 months.
3 weeks later I became pregnant.
Tracy: Stacie, I love this.
Showing off your arms.
Stacie: Perfect day.
Tracy: On this beautiful summer day.
It wasn't always that way, though, was it?
Stacie: It wasn't, actually, no.
Tracy: Can you take me through that journey?
Stacie: Sure, sure.
Everything seemed like it was perfect.
I'm engaged, I'm expecting my first baby at 44 years old.
Tracy: Oh.
Stacie: Like a miracle.
Tracy: Something that you wanted?
Stacie: Oh yeah, yeah definitely.
Tracy: And he wanted as well?
Stacie: Yes.
Right man, right time.
Probably my last shot.
But then 8 weeks in I went to the doctor for my check up
and I was supposed to hear the baby's heartbeat that day
and the doctor looked very serious and she just looked at me and said,
"There's no heartbeat."
Tracy: Oh.
Stacie: Mmhmm.
It was just devastating.
My world just crashed.
There are no words for what you feel
when someone tells you that your baby's dead.
Gwenyth: I had a very similar incident to that as well.
Stacie: So, you understand how devastating that is.
Gwyneth: I do.
Stacie: For me it was one of those things where,
that was my shot.
I knew that that wasn't going to happen for me.
That was really tough.
Gwyneth: Right.
Stacie: I was not in my right mind.
So, what did I do?
I went to work the next day.
I jumped immediately back in to my 50 to 60 hour weeks.
Gwyneth: You hadn't processed all of the emotions.
Stacie: Not at all.
Gwenyth: Yeah, the body doesn't like that.
When you push feelings down and you don't process
and digest your emotions, the body will eventually act out.
Stacie: Yes.
I didn't even realize at that time,
that by not processing it or talking to people,
it was hurting me.
I ended up becoming very depressed.
I was not working out.
I stopped eating well.
I just didn't care.
It all came to a head one morning at about 4:30.
I just wake up to go to the bathroom and I collapse.
Tracy: Oh gosh.
Stacie: One side of my body was completely numb.
I thought I was having a stroke.
I went to the doctor that very morning.
They ran lots of tests and they found out
that my blood pressure was elevated
and my cholesterol was 336.
Tracy: Oh my goodness!
Stacie: 336.
Tracy: Oh my goodness.
Stacie: That was a huge wake up call for me.
I decided to start making changes in my life
that very day.
A, I had to start talking to somebody about what had happened.
B, I had to start working out.
It changed my life completely.
I lost about 30 pounds.
Now, I help other women do that.
Hi ladies, it's your coach, Stacie Simon-Secall.
I am a free fitness coach.
I put women together in virtual groups online.
A home-based workout 25 minutes a day.
Gwyneth: A lot of women feel, maybe my life is incomplete
because I'm not a mother.
Instead, you decided to make yourself whole.
You decided to deal with your own issues.
Stacie: Right.
Gwyneth: You know, I think it's amazing
that you've been able to find fulfillment
and happiness and let go of something
that you could have held on to as a disappointment.
Stacie: Well, I decided that I could either continue
being depressed and sad or I could turn it around.
The thought of just being happy again ...
Gwyneth: Right.
Stacie: That was enough to push me forward.
Realizing that I can't have children
turned out not to be the end of the world.
It actually put me on the path to something
that I really love and enjoy doing.
Now, it's just me and my husband
and we're at a great place where we're happy with that.
And life is good.