Women That Inspire: Ruby Gettinger

Have you ever found that your greatest weakness became your greatest strength? This became true for a woman we love, star of Style Network’s highest rated show, “Ruby,” Ruby Gettinger. Three years ago she set out to take America with her on a journey to overcome morbid obesity. The result became not only losing over 400 lbs. but inspiring countless people all over the world to take control over something they felt made them powerless.

“If it imprisons you, it matters because if something is causing you not to live your life, come out of your house, do things you can only dream about, or watch others do in movies, then you are in prison,” says Ruby.

It is never easy to face an imprisoning challenge, but Ruby has been generous and courageous enough to face such a private struggle in a very public way. The experience has been fruitful and life-changing for her and for everyone who gives a chance to the woman who makes weight-loss stylish.

HOPE: Who are you and what matters to you?
RG: What a great question! I really can’t give you one answer because I have so many people, places, things that have traveled with me through life. Through all this, I find I am still searching to find the missing pieces of the puzzle that will complete me. I believe in God, Jesus, family and friends, and my pups, I LOVE them with all that I am! I love spending time with them. I love to laugh and could do it 24/7. I think this is a great and bad quality of mine, but I truly believe in the impossible: I believe in mankind! My passion is God and people! And for me, and everyone, to live their God-given destiny! To laugh out loud and live a little, not care so much about who is looking or talking. Love your life!

HOPE: You are major inspiration to so many people. Your show is #1 on Style Network. You signed on to do your show in 2008. Since you signed on, what has changed about the purpose of the show, what you sought to accomplish, and your relationship to your weight?
RG: …my journey was about finding out the truth behind me being morbidly obese and getting healthy at the same time. The biggest accomplishment for me was when I started to change mentally, emotionally, spiritually not only physically. The biggest eye opener for me was, not after I lost over 400 pounds, but when I gained 60 pounds back and was truly blinded to myself. To find out we are truly in a fight for our lives and the only thing that can save us wasn’t a diet [or] exercise (even though they are great tools and essential) but only after we fix the mental/emotion/spiritual problem.

HOPE: Usually fitness products are endorsed by a seemingly fit spokesperson. However, people across the nation relate to you and trust you with their weight issues. (Why) do you feel that it is more important to have a person actually in need of the fitness journey rather than someone who can speak from having already done the journey?
RG: Because they are doing this with me and they are discovering with me! The great part about this journey is that we have each other. Everything I find out for the first time, they find out. Everything I do for the first time, they can do. We are all on the same journey!

Because of Ruby’s candidness, many have begun to trust her struggle with weight as her credibility for weight loss. With that, she offers her opinions on the process and what to consider for those who are waiting to begin their journey.

HOPE: What is more important, eating healthy or exercising?
RG: My personal opinion [is that] the most important is getting to the root of the problem which is fixing your mental/emotional/spiritual and the other important things will happen. If you find a trainer always make sure they know what they are doing and [that] it’s their passion. Drew and Shazi have been amazing to me because it is their passion!

HOPE: What is your favorite food and has that changed since you started living healthier?
RG: Sweets for days! It has changed! I find when I crave sweets, if I get an Atkins bar, it saves me. That is during PMS! I give you my word, when I did OurLife for 3 to 6 months it changed my palate! It took 3 months for it to happen, but thank God it did. I learned to love fish [and] veggies…

Ruby keeps in contact with her fans via her blog on Style Network Online. One of her most powerful messages stemmed from an entry she called, “If it imprisons you, it matters.”

HOPE: Why is this message important to those trying to lose weight?
RG: For me and others who have been caged by our addiction, and some home bound, they refuse to leave their homes because society doesn’t accept them! I am shouting out loud to them first: GO LIVE YOUR LIFE! YOU ARE ALLOWED TO COME OUT INTO THE WORLD! GO TO THE MOVIES, GO HEAR A CONCERT, GO AND SPEND TIME WITH YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS! I know people will stare, but it will last five to ten minutes. Let them know you have every right to be where ever you want. Please start being free and as you take your first step out that door, your healing will begin! Fear keeps us frozen in time! The more we wait we gain, the more we avoid the problem and the longer we take to get help, the bigger the beast becomes and your prison becomes smaller! You are worth it!

HOPE: What is your source of faith and how has it affected your journey through life?
RG: My faith is God, Jesus, Bible and no matter where I am or how many times I do not get it right and fail, I will always have my faith to remind me I am worth it all and just because I am not perfect, I am still loved and have a purpose! In God’s eyes no one is better than the other. It’s a safety net you can’t put into words, you must trust it and feel it for yourself.

HOPE: Now having been on this journey for years, what is something you wish you had known before you started?
RG: Not to be so trusting of people that say they have your same passion.

Ruby’s followers can rest assured that she has the same passion for weight loss and healthy living as they do. More than the useful products or exciting new exercise plans, she wants her fans to know this, “To live your life right now! Start this very second and do not wait until tomorrow to dream or beat what you need to in your life! Tomorrow will not come for another 10 years or more and sometimes NEVER! It’s time to be free from the chains! It is never too late to live your God given destiny! I believe in you!”

HOPE: What is the first thing that comes to mind when you see read these words?

Change: Freedom
Food: Healthy
Home: My Photos
Happiness: Foxy, Lucy, Mellie, Rinny, Angel, Jim, Georgia, Jeff, Ben, Zach, Kayro, Mom, John, Leslie, Greg, McGinty kids, Denny, Kristie, 6th street, family and fins! Hearing from everyone on my blogs or meeting them different places…
Strength: six sense
Purpose: to help others
Success: Loving others

HOPE: What do you HOPE for the most?
RG: To bring a true face to obesity, to get to the higher ups- the President and First Lady, Senate etc. – so we can start fixing the problem. I want to help me and everyone else be free!

Whether or not Ruby has been a part of your journey, regardless if obesity is one of your personal struggles, her mission and message is universal: Live your life now and don’t be imprisoned by your fears. Ruby has become not only a motivational leader, but a spokeswoman for Life. And for that, she is a Woman that Inspires.