Sometimes the path to redemption begins deep in the soul, in a place where only loved ones can reach.
Hollister native Amanda Moon has transformed herself from a former drug addict to a picture of healthy living, free of the insecurities that led her to a 10-year addiction with methamphetamine.
Moon, 35, has gone from out of shape and overweight to downright stocky, as she packs 168 pounds on her 5-foot-6 frame. Moon has certifications through the Aerobics and Fitness Association of America (AFAA) as a group exercise instructor and personal trainer.
Moon is also a certified Jillian Michaels Bodyshred instructor, and a licensed cosmetologist. All told, Moon teaches a total of 11 classes a week at Gold’s Gym and Oasis For Women.
On top of that, Moon has eight regular clients she trains on a one-on-one basis. Moon’s work doesn’t stop there. In addition to her fitness jobs, Moon also works eight hours a week as a cosmetologist, renting a station out of Dimensions of Style.
“I can truly say I’m very happy in life,” said Moon, who was 220 pounds when she decided to try the Weight Watchers program in 2007. “I’ve turned my meth addiction into getting fit and healthy, and now I’m helping other people realize their fitness goals and dreams.”
It’s hard to believe that the same person who is inspiring others to eat and exercise was once a meth addict.
“The past got me to where I am today,” she said. “For some reason I had to go through all of that before I could find my way.”
All of that means losing your father, former Marine Richard Lust — a Vietnam veteran who died in 1993 from what Moon said was the effects of Agent Orange — at age 15, getting pregnant at 16 and getting addicted to meth two years later.
“From the moment I tried the drug, I was hooked,” Moon said. “I started using meth because I heard you could lose weight that way. I was very unhappy with the way I looked, and things started escalating from there. Using meth made me feel better, and provided me with an escape.”
Despite the addiction, Moon said she was able to hide her problem remarkably well, adding that she was able to pass a drug test, while never putting her children — Levi and Miranda — in grave danger.
However, Moon said she exhibited all the traits of an addict, as she stole money from her mom and was constantly looking to get high.
“I would put the kids to bed and get high,” she said. “I was living a life of denial.”
Fortunately for Moon, she at least realized it was only a matter of time before she would reach a place where she could never come back from. In August of 2006, Moon, who was living in Riverbank at the time, basically gave herself an ultimatum.
“I just knew I couldn’t keep on living the life I was living, that I had to turn my life around not only for myself, but for my children,” she said. “I never went to a treatment facility, and I just stopped using meth from that point on, cold turkey.”
In terms of her fitness regimen, Moon works out daily. It’s turned into her new addiction, but at least it’s a healthy one. In terms of her eating choices, Moon has gone the healthy route as well, focusing on whole foods while keeping processed foods to a minimum.
Moon emphasizes the importance of psychology to her clients, noting that one has to train the mind first before training the body.
“Training is a whole mind-body connection,” she said. “Before you can train the body, you have to train the mind.”
For Moon, meth’s allure was irresistible, a quick fix to lose weight.
“That was the only way I knew how to lose weight,” she said. “Thankfully, I found a different way, and it makes me feel proud that I eventually did it the right way.”
Moon credits her husband, Ron, for providing her with an unending amount of support. Before the two was set up on a blind date a couple of years ago, she actually saw him at Gold’s a couple of days before their initial meeting.
“I thought he was gorgeous,” she said. “I drove home and thought there was no way someone like him would like me.”
Moon feels blessed that her children — Levi is 19 and Miranda is 14 — are thriving and doing well. One of the more poignant moments in Moon’s life came on Mother’s Day in 2005, when Moon admitted to her mom, Carole, and her grandmother, Carolina Marcus, that she was an addict.
Still, years went by and Moon never felt like she did her mom and grandma justice. So she poured out all her emotions and apologized once again to her mom for hurting the family.
Moon wrote a letter to her mom, and they later embraced amid tears of joy. Last November, Carole died from a rare lung disorder. Moon credits a lot of people for helping turn her life around, but perhaps the biggest credit goes to Lust, who earned a Purple Heart for his service in Vietnam.
Lust battled cancer for two years before finally succumbing, and what Moon saw in those two years inspires her even today.
“My dad vomited maybe once through all of the chemotherapy (treatments) and the bone marrow transplant,” Moon said. “He stayed strong throughout.”
In the final days leading up to his death, Lust had a poignant moment with each of his children. When he took Moon aside, he told her, “I want you to be happy.” It took a while, but Moon has come to her happy place.
In reaching her fitness goals, Moon found inspiration in a quote from Michaels.
“My past has not defined me, destroyed me, deterred me, or defeated me; it has only strengthened me.”
With each passing day, Moon’s past has helped her ascend to new heights.
