After makeover picture of Barb Hoffman and Lisa Ellis

Lisa Shares Her Story:

My father was in the Air Force and we moved around a lot my first 6 years (Florida, Hawaii, Texas, Germany). I am the second child with an older brother by 2 years. My parents divorced when I was 6 and we moved back to Oklahoma, where my mother’s family lived. My Mom worked hard and was a single Mom for awhile. I do not know what the cause was, but I was painfully almost certifiably shy and my body image and weight did nothing to help that. I did not make friends easily and had a very lonely and awkward childhood. My mother had another daughter, when I was 11, during her second marriage that lasted about 5 years. She was a single Mom again and I was pretty much my sister’s child care provider for a few years during middle and high school. I was even more reclusive and my weight gain continued into my late teens/early twenties.

I moved to Florida to live with my father and focused on loosing weight. I literally did nothing else but work and workout for several months. I went from about 230 to 135 and started getting attention that I was not used to. I made some friends and started going out to clubs, but the attention and low self esteem was not a good combination. I felt more comfortable with my inner dialog but was still very awkward socially, which at 41 I still very much am. I got pregnant and had my beautiful daughter at 23, met and married my husband 2 years later. When I got married, I started putting my weight back on and continued to gain until I reached almost 240. I was so miserable and uncomfortable all the time. Being so overweight affected my fertility and I was never able to get pregnant during 14 years of marriage. My husband never, ever complained about my weight but desperately wanted a child and it caused several ongoing arguments over the years. I had tried to loose weight over and over and eventually turned to gastric by pass surgery Feb 2, 2006. Eight months and 70 pounds lighter, I got pregnant. We had our son 7-7-07 (lucky numbers, huh). Post this weight loss of almost 100 lbs, and pregnancy, I had been dreaming about getting at least a breast lift and augmentation due to the loose skin. I really needed a tummy tuck as well but thought that would be very unlikely since we could probably not even afford one surgery.

 

Tryouts:

When I heard about the show tryouts back in Feb I thought it sounded like it might be fun to go to. After all it was close to my house and I have always dreamed about getting a makeover. You could safely describe me as a reality show “addict” and I think it is because I find the real human experience so much more interesting than dramas and such shows. So, I was off to the tryouts thinking I would just get an experience out of it and not expecting to be selected at all. I took my 17 year old daughter with me and left my 7 month old son at home with my mother who lives with us. That is right, I have a daughter that was about to start her last year of high school and a son that I was still nursing! Well, I had a great time chatting with the other women that were there, I was really putting forth an effort to be as outgoing as possible, and after several hours waiting it was my turn to talk to the producer. I was given the impression that I would probably not be in the running and that there would be a call back in the few weeks following. I did not hear anything further and was a little disappointed, but had a fun time.

 

Around the end of August I received an e-mail from one of the producers asking, what I thought was everyone, back again. He said that production had been stalled but was picking up again. I came so close to not going because it was scheduled on my work day and I did not know if it was worth it to take a day off. But, my interest in the show won out and I took my mother with me this time. That day was so fun! I was very surprised to find out that there were only around 40 women there and that I had made some sort of cut already.

Meeting all the professionals was a great experience and they were all very kind and interested in all of us. It took a while to make the rounds to everyone and after lunch, all the professionals deliberated to pick their top 3 for follow up questions. When Maria came into the room, I was telling the ladies at my table that I was sure that she would not call my name. She asked for 3 ladies to come out to talk to one of the teams and she called out my name last. I was so shocked! I started to get nervous at that point because it was a possibility in my mind now that I could be picked.

 

We were brought into a conference room with the panel of professionals for team 2 and they asked us some questions. I was a little nervous because we had to have microphones and the cameras and lights were going as well. When they told me that I was selected for their team, I could not believe my ears. The first thing I wanted to do was to go tell my Mom, but they had to interview me some more. Everyone was really happy and excited for me but I was so shocked it took quite a while for it to sink in and seem real.

 

Meeting with the professionals:

That was on Sat and I already had an appointment with the surgeon, Dr. Mosharaffa, on Monday morning to clear me health wise. I was pretty nervous and did not know what to expect. Dr. Mosharaffa made me feel very comfortable and relaxed. He explained in detail the procedures and recovery process and made me feel like I would be in the best of care. Ok, taking the pictures was not the best experience, but that was a very small price to pay for the end results. I left that appointment feeling great.

 

My personal trainer, Jacky, wanted to start right away as well. I have been meeting with her every day that I do not work since that Sat. It is really nice because she come to my house and involves the rest of my family as well, if they are available. My Mom has worked out with me the most, but my daughter has joined a couple of times. It is amazing the type of workout you can get at home with just the ball and bands! Jacky has me sore all over, everyday. It is hard but a lot of fun as well. We have done a couple of sessions where we dance, and that is great. We have also used my pool for a workout and that one was very hard. She really keeps it switched up and interesting. I hope that some of it will sink in and that I can do it my self when this process is over.

I was surprised that my hair professional wanted to meet with me early in the process, but Curtis told me that I needed some products to get my hair into shape. I met with him at Veronica’s for a consultation where everyone was so attentive. We discussed the possibilities and have decided on blond, blond, blond. I am still not sure if we are going to do extensions, which blows my mind, or go to a shorter style. I left there with some shampoo, conditioner, supplements and looking forward to my hair makeover.

I did not have an appointment with my cosmetic dentist until Rich, the camera man, was in town to do some filming. I already had a great time with Dr. Smallwood and Dr. Elannan at the casting and new they would be a lot of fun. I was not disappointed. We had a great time at that appointment and I had the feeling that they, and their staff, give all their patients special treatment. They took all kinds of impressions and explained the process of my smile makeover. I was so excited because I have always hated my smile. That is the one thing I have wanted to fix as long as I can remember. I still won’t believe it until it is done.

 

I have not met with the rest of my team yet, since the tryouts, but I am scheduled Monday for a shoot at Paradise Medspa and my surgery is on Tue. I am focusing on loosing as much weight or inches as possible before surgery, but it is approaching very quickly. Honestly, just getting the opportunity to work with one of the professionals on my team would have been a dream come true, but all of them is just unbelievable! It still does not feel real that I am on a show.  

 

Lisa shares a week by week overview of her makeover:

Week of Sept 8th

I had an appointment with the surgeon Dr. Ali Mosharrafa, on Monday morning to clear me health wise. I was pretty nervous and didn’t know what to expect. Dr. Mosharrafa made me feel very comfortable and relaxed. He explained in detail the procedures and recovery process and made me feel like I would be in the best of care. Ok, taking the pictures was not the best experience, but that was a very small price to pay for the end results. It was decided I would have an eyelid lift, breast implants and breast lift, tummy tuck and liposuction to the back of my waist area. I left that appointment feeling great.

 

I also began working with Jacky Burke my personal trainer who wanted to start right away. I’ve met with her every day that I don’t work. It is really nice because she comes to my house and involves the rest of my family as well, if they are available. My Mom has worked out with me the most, but my daughter has joined a couple of times. It is amazing the type of workout you can get at home with just the ball and bands! Jacky has me sore all over, everyday. It is hard but a lot of fun as well. We have done a couple of sessions where we dance, and that is great. We have also used my pool for a workout and that one was very hard. She really keeps it switched up and interesting. I hope that some of it will sink in and that I can do it my self when this process is over.

 

 

Week of Sept 15th

I was surprised that my hair professional wanted to meet with me early in the process, but Curtis Blue Jermonti told me that I needed some products to get my hair into shape. I met with him at Veronica’s for a consultation where everyone was so attentive. We discussed the possibilities and have decided on blond, blond, blond. I’m still not sure if we are going to do extensions, which blows my mind, or go to a shorter style. I left there with some shampoo, conditioner, supplements and looking forward to my hair makeover.

 

I’m continuing my exercises with Jacky which seems to be working wonders. I’ve lost 12 pounds of fat and my waist measurement has decreased 3 ¼ inches. Honestly, just getting the opportunity to work with one of the professionals on my team would have been a dream come true, but all of them is just unbelievable! It still doesn’t feel real that I am on the show.

 

I saw Dr. Smallwood my cosmetic dentist for the first time on 9/17. He examined me and thought I was an excellent candidate for veneers. He was wonderful and thinks my smile will be phenomenal. We decided on the shape and shade of the teeth. I go for my next appointment October 20th where they will prepare my teeth and show me what my smile will look like. I’m really looking forward to that!

 

 

Week of Oct. 6th

I went back to Paradise Med Spa Monday to have my first facial ever! I’ve always wanted to have one but never put myself first to do stuff like that. It was so nice and relaxing. What I was most nervous about were the facial fillers. I thought the injections in my face and lips would be very painful but Dr. Weiss made sure I was relaxed and gave me some numbing shots first. She talked to me during the process and it ended up not being bad at all.

 

But even as happy as I’ve been about this makeover, this week has had its up and downs. One day I’ll feel great and the next I might have some swelling and soreness that I didn’t have before. I am walking around, but I am still not able to stand 100% straight up. It is getting better everyday. I look pretty beaten up right now and some of my family are kind of shocked at how I look. But I know that the end result will be awesome and worth all the healing time. I already feel a difference in myself, like taking more of an interest in taking care of me. I have been getting on the scales about every other day and letting Jacky know what I weigh. I’m staying around 150-152 since surgery.  The professionals tell me this is to be expected and temporary. Still it’s a bit disappointing because I was around 147 when I went in for surgery and had several pounds of skin removed.

 

Friday I had a shoot at Dr. Ali Mosharrafa’s office. It’s always great to see him; he lifts my spirits. I usually feel like a brand new woman when I leave his office and today was no different. I had my drains and the stitches around my eyes removed. Of course I was nervous again that it would be painful but was not at all. We joked that the anticipation is much worse that the actual process.

 

Now I can wear a garment to help with the swelling I have. Still no bra though. I am walking around better and should be able to do cardio in another week. My in-laws leave this Sunday and were a great help during their stay. On Monday our family goes to Flagstaff during my daughter’s fall break so she can do a campus tour of NAU. This is her last year of high school and we have a lot to do to get ready for college. So, we are looking forward to that and I should get in a lot of walking during this trip. We are excited!

 

My weight went up post surgery about 5 lbs, but I’m told it’s related to swelling and water retention. So, I am not too worried about that. I haven’t had much of appetite. I’m looking forward to getting back to my exercise regime with Jacky but have been told it’ll be a few weeks before we can start up again.

 

 

Week of October 13th

This has been a nice relaxing week for me. My energy is coming back and I can tell that I am healing more every day and the swelling has gone down considerably, but there is a way to go still.

 

My family just got back from a mini vacation to Sedona. My daughter has been accepted to Northern Arizona University so we took this opportunity to go on a campus tour and exploration trip of Flagstaff one day. Another day we drove up to the Grand Canyon for some sightseeing. It was great to get away for awhile so I could kind of catch my breath, slow down a little and concentrate on something else besides myself for awhile. This is an important time in my daughter’s life and I want to make sure she knows we are extremely proud of her accomplishments in school and as excited as she is about her next step in life - college.

 

I only had one appointment this week, my 3 week post surgery follow up with Dr. Ali Mosharrafa. He removed all the tape over my incisions and took the stitches out of my belly button, which by the way is so cute. Nothing was painful about this appointment and Dr. Ali Mosharrafa assured me that everything is looking fantastic and healing nicely. My stomach is still numb but he said that it would take several months for the feeling to return. On the flip side, the great news is that I have no numbness in my breasts. I know that loosing sensation to the nipples is a risk that breast lift patients face, but Dr. Ali Mosharrafa did an excellent job because I had to actually cover my breast during my first couple of showers due to sensitivity. So that is awesome. I can not wear a bra for another couple of weeks, which I am totally not used to, and I go back to work next week. That will be a little weird for me to say the least.

 

It is so amazing the changes a skilled and artful surgeon can make to a body. I think I look great already and the results will just get better. It is a little unnerving to see the scars on my eyes but I don’t let that get me down because I know in my head that it takes time for those to fade.

 

I am still frustrated that I can not pick up my son or play with him like I am used to but I have a lot of family support that has picked up the slack for me right now.

 

It is also time this week to start exercising again with Jacky. I can do low impact cardio and I think Dr. Ali Mosharrafa gave her permission for some light weights as well. Jacky has a great program on her website for recording your food intake, exercise, along with other things. Remembering what I ate and logging it has been hard for me in the past, but once I started using the website, it has been a snap. I am pretty much at the weight I was before surgery and plan to put in as much cardio as possible.

 

Now that I am back from my trip I feel refreshed and ready for the next step of my makeover. I am really looking forward to my new smile and facial treatments next week. The support from my family could not be any better. I am a little nervous to start back to work, but everyone I work with at Intel is excited for me and I am sure will help me out with any limitations I may have while I continue to heal.

 

 

 

Week of October 20th

This has been a very busy week for me and I am totally exhausted. I have been able to slowly start working out with Jacky again. We can’t do too much yet, light weights and cardio, and I am hoping I can still make some good progress over the next month with my overall health.

 

Monday was a big day for me at The Centre for Contemporary Dental Concepts. As usual, everyone there gave me the red carpet treatment and made me feel as comfortable as possible. I was a little nervous because I wasn’t sure how much pain I would be in, if any. I had to start fasting the night before and take a pill one hour before my appointment to make me relaxed. It ended up being an easy appointment of prepping my teeth and putting on my temporaries that I will wear for about two weeks. So I have a new smile now that looks great but I know when I get my permanent smile it will look so much better. I keep looking at myself in the mirror because it is so strange to see a totally different smile and there has been some awkwardness getting used to a different bite while talking and eating.

 

Tuesday I had an appointment with Dr. Weiss at Paradise Med Spa for an Affirm laser treatment on my face. I had no idea what to expect because I have never even had a facial before this makeover experience. They applied a numbing cream to my face that had to set for about 45 minutes before the procedure. The actual laser process went really fast. She went over my face twice with the laser and my face felt really hot by the end. I had cool air blowing on my face and was given a cold towel to help with the heat. I would not describe it as painful, but maybe uncomfortable, and my face was slightly red for a couple of days. I think it is more than worth it because this treatment firms the skin and helps with texture. I have at least two more Affirm sessions to go before I am done.

 

Thursday I went back to work at Intel, red face and all. My coworkers were happy for me to be back and gave me a lot of support and encouragement. I have to admit that my energy is not as high as I thought and I was very tired everyday after work. I think my body is just working overtime with all the healing it has to do so I am trying to take extra good care of myself. I am looking forward to the new experiences I know are coming up next week.

 

 

 

 

 

Week of October 27th 

Life is a little more normal now that I have started back to work and can have more interaction with my son. I still have to be careful because I am still healing but I am getting stronger everyday. My workouts with Jacky are still light for now but I have a follow up appointment with the surgeon next week and we are hoping he will give me clearance to do more exercise. I have been the same weight for 4 to 5 weeks now and I would like to start making progress again.

 

Monday night I met with Barbara and some members of our makeover teams to do a workout with Dhargya, a Tibetan Monk who teaches Tai Chi, Chi Gong and Meditation. I had never done anything like that before and I really liked it. It is very slow and deliberate movements that still worked my body and made me sweat but also relaxed me. I had a great experience and it was good to see Barbara again. She seems to be doing really well and looks great!

 

Wednesday I had an appointment for cosmetic acupuncture at Paradise MedSpa with Dr. Sarna. I will say that I was nervous about this appointment. I have heard of acupuncture and always wondered about it, but never thought I would experience it. I would recommend that anyone who is curious and wants to try it, but may be too scared, to do it. It is not painful at all and I even fell asleep during the 20 minutes that I had to relax after the needles were placed. I had around 75 needles in my face and 10 in various points on my body. I have been having a little trouble sleeping over the past few weeks but have been sleeping really well since I had this procedure done which is good since I have a lot going on next week.

 

Of course we had a great time finishing off the week Trick or Treating with our children. I just need to make sure I stay away from any of the candy.

 

 

Week of November 3rd

This week I had a follow up with Dr. Mosharrafa. We discussed my progress, which is good. I can start massage and scar maintenance which makes me happy. Putting something on my scars makes me feel like I’m helping with the healing process. The doctor removed a little stitch in my eye lid which felt no more painful than plucking a hair. But here’s the best news - I’m cleared for any exercise except crunches or sit ups!

 

After my follow up with the surgeon I went to see my cosmetic dentists Dr. Smallwood and Dr. Elannan. We talked about how my temporary teeth were working out and about any adjustments that needed to be made for my permanent teeth. They took a little off my teeth to help with my cross-bite and my teeth are not hitting at all now. I will wear my temporaries for another three weeks or so. Then I’ll go back for my final smile and whitening. I am told the hardest part of the process is behind me now, which is a relief.

 

Tuesday I had an appointment at Paradise Med Spa for a Photo Facial. This procedure was extremely quick and easy with no pain at all. It is pulsed light that targets uneven skin pigmentation. I’ve had no discomfort, redness or flaking from this procedure. It takes a little while to see the results and I have another treatment in a couple of weeks.

 

Of course I am working out hard with Jacky again now that we have the green light. I’m doing a lot of squat and lunge type of exercises and have been pretty sore again this week. We’re starting with a little bit lighter weight and band resistance because I’ve lost some strength over the past month. But I’m confident I’ll get built back up soon.

 

I’m excited to be getting back to my normal activities like going to the Cardinals games. I will finally be going to a game this Monday night and I am looking forward to seeing some of my friends I have not seen since before my makeover started. I will let you know what they think about everything.

 

 

 

Week of November 10th

One of the most exciting things about this week is that I finally felt healed enough to go to an Arizona Cardinals football game. Everyone that knows me knows that I am a huge Cards fan and we have had season tickets for about 9 years now. I have missed a couple of games due to the recovery time from surgery. I was a little nervous going to our usual tailgate party because our friends had not seen me since before my surgery. I was surprised to find that the men were more interested in all my procedures and the show than the women were. We had a blast as usual and the Cardinals won, of course. (I walked up and down the stairs for my cardio that day!) We are now 6-3 and leading the division by 4 games. I smell playoffs!

 

I only had one appointment this week. I went for my second Affirm Laser treatment at Paradise MedSpa. I had a topical numbing cream applied to my face, just like last time, and it had to stay on for about 45 minutes. This procedure was a little more painful than the last time and Dr. Weiss said that it was normal to experience a little more sensitivity to the laser because the first treatment has just healed. The post procedure sensation was the same as before. It felt like a slight burning feeling for several hours. It is not painful and the heat feels like it is radiating from inside, not burning your skin on the outside like you might think. Dr. Weiss also used a light treatment on the small veins that are on the sides of my nose. The light targets the veins and they will disappear over the next week.

 

We are all starting to talk about the reveal and getting excited to see how everything turns out. I still have to see Curtis to do my hair and Lindsey for my permanent makeup. It will not be too much longer now.

 

 

Weeks of November 17th and 24th

It seems I have been MIA. Thankfully I’ve only had a couple of appointments these past two weeks and even though I’ve been in this whirlwind makeover process life does go on. We’ve been trying to sell our house. It’s not a great time to do this, between the bad market, holidays and makeover appointments. Preparing my daughter for college and has been stressful at times – but we’ve all tried to keep the stress toned down. Thanksgiving was great and I was able to take the day off work to be with my family. We had dinner over at our friends house (I did not over do it, Jacky) and had a lot of fun. Everyone is really excited for me and thinks my changes are amazing. 

I’ve seen Curtis, my makeover hair stylist, twice now. There are a few steps to the process and I still have to go back one more time. I am still not sure what he has planned for the final outcome, but he is an awesome colorist and definitely a perfectionist. Most of the wonderful experiences I have had during the process of the makeover have been new to me. But having my hair done is the one thing that I can compare to previous experiences. I’ve had a great time with Curtis and Christy and the salon is very beautiful. It is the best salon experience I’ve had and I plan on going there from now on. On top of that, all the customers have the best cuts and the coloring is phenomenal. I have been using the products that they sell and my hair is in great shape now. I’m excited to see how my hair will look when he is done which will not be until the reveal. It is very suspenseful.

 

For one of my follow up visits to Paradise MedSpa, I received another Photofacial and Botox injections. I knew what to expect with the Photofacial, since this was my second but was a little scared about the Botox injections. I’ve seen it done on TV many times and it didn’t look pleasant. I was surprised it basically, didn’t hurt at all. The only weird thing was a little crunching sound I heard when the needle went in and I guess Dr. Weiss knew I was wondering. She told me that it was the needle going into the muscle, which was good because that is where she wanted it to go. I have really enjoyed my appointments at Paradise and am planning to check into getting another Photofacial later on. I have already seen an improvement in my skin tone. I think a minimum of 3 visits would be the best result for me.

 

I am still meeting with Jacky three to four times a week and she’s really working me out. I still can’t do sit ups but can tell I am getting more fit and gaining tone. Truthfully, I’m a little disappointed that I’ve not lost more weight. But I think that is just the way my metabolism is and the stress probably does not help. That is one of the reasons that I had gastric by-pass surgery because my weight is so stubborn to come off. I am looking forward to our workout on Sunday because we’re taking it outside for a hike with my daughter.

 

Next week I have my final visit with the cosmetic dentist and my last Affirm facial treatment. I also have my first permanent make up application. Another new experience and a lot to be thankful for!

 

Week of December 8th

It is hard to believe this is the last week of my makeover, a very busy week at that. I was excited to have my last appointment to complete my hair. It really made a difference to do the process in three steps instead of all at once. I am sure it helped to keep my hair from getting too damaged. I really love the color and can not wait to see how it will look on reveal night.

 

I went to have my post surgery/healing pictures taken at Dr. Mosharrafa’s office. Usually the post pictures are taken much later, but these are special circumstances with the show. They were so great to offer a chemical peel for my face while I was there. I had never had one before and it was a very mild. I had no peeling or anything, but it did make my skin look and feel great

 

We filmed my final workout with Jacky at a beautiful park. I really enjoyed it and my husband joined us. We did intervals with walking then stopping every so often to do some exercises. We even did sprints several times. That was very different for me because I’ve never really done any running. It was a blast! Even though Jacky beat me every time, I surprised myself by doing better than I thought I would.

 

After that I met up with my fashion team for our shoot at Vivi’s Boutique. Vivianna encouraged me to try on outfits I never would have dreamed of wearing. I was very happy with how they looked and felt on my body. I have no idea which outfit I will be wearing at the reveal, but I know it will look great.

 

Now the only thing left is the reveal party on Saturday - I will have my husband and several of my friends there to support me. I can not wait to see Barbara and her team again. I know she is looking awesome and it should be a lot of fun getting everyone together again.

 

 

 

 

December 13 – The Reveal Production

 It is hard to believe that three months have gone by and that my makeover journey is now at an end. At times it seemed to take forever but mostly time just flew by. I was a little apprehensive about the final Reveal because I was not sure what to expect. I knew that all the professionals from both teams would be there and I had my husband and a few of my close friends there to support me.

 

It was a long day that started with hair and makeup. I met Curtis at the salon and he did most of my hair there, leaving it set in big curls. Then Lindsey applied my makeup and we left for the party. We arrived at the location of the reveal and continued to work on my hair and makeup. Barbara was there with some of her team and she was looking beautiful. Our fashion teams showed up and we decided on the outfit that I was going to wear for the evening. I am not used to wearing high heel shoes and I had to walk down a flight of stairs, so I was praying that I would not trip.

 

Finally it was time to start and Barbara went first. As she was announced and started down the stairs, I heard a huge round of applause. At that point I was really nervous because I knew that all those people were going to be looking at me soon. I am not used to being the center of so much attention and I did not want to let anyone down. I was told at that point that they were ready for me and off I went. There were so many people there that it took me a moment to find my husband. Everyone gave me a wonderful round of applause and told me how great I looked. I was able to visit with everyone for awhile before we did a panel interview. The reveal night turned out to be a lot of fun and I was so appreciative for all the support I received.

 

I can not express how thankful I am to everyone on my team. I would have been extremely lucky to have been able to see just one of them, but to have had the opportunity to benefit from all the services that they offered was definitely a once in a lifetime gift that I will never forget. I’m glad that they saw something worthy within me and that they believed in my potential enough to chose me. Their vote of confidence plus the makeover experience itself has increased my own sense of self worth.  I know now that I have it within me to care for myself. I plan to continue with the changes I have made over the past few months. Thanks again to all the professionals and to The Beauty Show for making it all possible to begin with.