My Story

“I don’t think I’ve ever been “fat” or “overweight”, but I’ve always felt that way and been uncomfortable with my weight. It’s always been a sensitive issue with me. I had always been teased and called names; whale, thunder thighs, chubby, big legs, big, fat, etc., You name it, I was called it.

As a competitive gymnast up until junior high, I was 5’2″ and a very lean 120lbs. After quitting the sport I gained about 20lbs and by high school I was a consistent 155lbs at 5’3″. I got down to 144lbs by the end of my senior year by meticulously counting calories.

During college my weight fluctuated anywhere from 160-145lbs, my lowest was when I ran 4 miles every morning with my best friend. After college I typically weighed in the range of 155-160lbs. I’d typically go through spurts of counting calories to stay in the 150-155 range. In March of 2011, after feeling the tightness of my clothes, I stepped on the scale and I was a dismal 164 lbs.

I was disgusted with myself at this point and how “big” I had let myself get.

I vowed to myself that day “NEVER Again!!”  I was tired of feeling like the “big girl”  or the “fat girl” ( I was wearing size 10-12 jeans at this time). I was starting to think that my weight was a correlation to my singleness and lackluster dating life. At that point my goal was to “lose weight and lose it the fastest way possible”. I had hit my breaking point and this was it for me. I didn’t like the way my life was going, and I needed to make a drastic change.

I researched many diets and decided to give the Atkins diet a try. I quickly lost 10lbs in just 2 weeks. The next 9 lbs came off more slowly. But I got down to 145lbs and hit the biggest plateau ever. I spent the next several months of eating no carbs and there was no change on the scale whatsoever.

At this point I met someone and we started seriously dating! BUT, what do you do when you date? You go out to eat!! Trying to eat no or low carb became almost impossible and I quickly gained 5lbs back. During this time our relationship became more serious (I had helped him pick out my engagement ring) and we went to visit my parents in Ohio for my birthday (June 2012). During this trip, I over indulged because my thought was, ” I’ll lose a bunch of weight once that ring is on my finger. It’ll be a constant reminder!!”. When we returned, I was back at 155!!! I guess my overindulgence of blueberry pancakes and at frozen yogurt bars did me in. After getting engaged, I decided to give the Atkins diet another try and in 2 weeks I only lost 1 pound!! I was devastated. I sent my friend from high school, who is a personal trainer, a message to ask her opinion on why I couldn’t lose more weight. The Atkins diet had worked so well for me before, why was it so much harder now?

She explained to me about metabolic hormones and the balance of foods and fat loss. That it’s not necessarily how much you eat, it’s the quality of foods that you put in your body for optimal fat loss. And that there is a difference in fat loss and weight loss. The breakdown and biochemistry of foods is more important that the caloric values. And that counting calories and overdoing cardio is a serious fat loss mistake.

I told her I wanted to get down to 135, lose 20lbs, for my wedding. But not only for my wedding. For the rest of my life. I was tired of the fluctuations in my weight. I wanted something that I could do and keep it off for good. She told me if I did her program that this could be achieved in just 12 weeks. I was super skeptical about this promise. 12 weeks?? Seriously? In that short amount of time? No way. I had struggled so much in the past, there was NO WAY this was going to work for me now. It was almost an entertaining thought to see if she really knew what she was up against. But I decided to give it a try. What could it hurt?

When I started the program, I was working full time in the summer. Two weeks after starting the program, I had to move, and go back to school, all while still working full time. Many people say they don’t have the time to work at being healthy or losing weight, but if I could do it while working full time, in school full time, move, plan a wedding and spend time with my fiancé, ANYONE can do it.

After having much success and re-examining my goals, in 16 weeks, I achieved my (new) goal.

I broke the original 135.0 goal and hit 127!! Soooo exciting! I can’t remember the last time I was that weight. There are many challenges to compliance to the having a healthy lifestyle. I have a husband who likes to eat. But I have to make a conscious decision to, “make the best choice” on daily basis…

While doing this program, I faced many challenges, and there’s some I still face;

• I had to schedule my workout times; either 9pm or 6am depending on my class/clinic schedule. This ensures that I get my workouts in.
• Now, I make sure I get up at 5:30am to get my workout in before heading off to work. I realized that if I waited until evening, I was too tired to workout.
• If you get off track, which definitely happens, you pick yourself back up and get back on track at the first possible opportunity.
• While in school, I had to drive 2hrs each weekend to check in at work with my boss. So food planning was difficult. But when eating out I made the best decisions I could or take food with me. Being healthy takes conscious planning and commitment to a goal.
• Making my meals ahead of time was really helpful with my extremely busy schedule. It is hard when friends or family want to go eat pizza or Mexican. I occasionally have a cheat when there’s no other option. And my body reminds me later why I shouldn’t feed it that junk anymore. But at the first opportunity, I get back on track.

After completing my own customized meal plan and personal fat loss journey. I realized my own passion for fitness and nutrition. I decided to obtain my hormonal fat loss certification, so that I could help others achieve the success that I have had. I’m not perfect, but I’m real. Being healthy and living a fat loss lifestyle is hard sometimes, but it is so worth it!