My story. uncut

My  story. I wanted to get this up so you could all see a snip-it into my life. It's not perfect but hopefully it's a step in the direction that most of you are hoping for.

Being back at my parents house this past week and reflecting on how far I have come in the past 15 months has been crazy. I’m trying to think back to what it was that started it all. Yes it had to do with my divorce. People tell me over and over again that when I was with Brian, my ex husband, that I wasn’t the “Becky” that they knew. I wasn’t the positive, outgoing, fun loving girl. In no way do I regret the 5 years I spent with Brian and he is a great guy and we are to this day still friends but together as a couple and married we were not right for each other. I tried everything I could think of and unfortunately things did not work out for us. That being said I was 24 years old and knew I could still start over, so I did. I won’t spend time bashing my ex or go into detail about our marriage or what happened because it is our business. What is done is done. We both gained weight, we both were depressed and when I moved out I decided to change my life and I was successful.

I don’t remember if I saw a picture of myself, heard a comment from someone or what exactly it was that “clicked” for me. But I was offered the chance of a lifetime by a great personal trainer named Gary. He offered me 6 months free to get me to drop 50+ lbs if I would take pictures, tell my story and pass along his name. It took us 4-5 months (along that time were the holidays, the death of my Aunt and God mother and many other changes too) for us to figure out what worked best with MY body to see the results we wanted. We did crossfit, we did TRX, we did cardio drills, I ran AND ran AND ran. I lifted heavy, I lifted light, you name it, I tried it. He had patience and refused to give up on me. I still went on 4 week long vacations during my year of change. I ate things in moderation that were bad for me and still continued to lose weight. I started my journey on October 1^st, 2011 at 252 lbs. By April 17^th I was 220 after coming back from 5 days in Jamaica. My 6 months was up and I had to start paying him, and I did. By the time my one year came about I was 173 lbs. I went from a size 20 to a 10. XXL shirts to M shirts and am starting to see definition on my body. I am 5’8 and solid.

I saw him 5 days a week. I lifted for 45-60 minutes M, T, TH, F, S every single week and did an hour of cardio M,T,W,T,F after. I gave up alcohol, I slept 8-9 hours a night, I gave up fast food, I cut out junk, fruit, sugars and processed foods. I let myself cheat once a week, on Thursdays which were my days off from work. I usually had a Dr. Pepper or candy bar. Were there temptations, of course there was. Change is not easy. This is not a diet, there is no quick fix. It takes time, and if done the right way you will be successful and can keep it off. This is a lifestyle change. I still continue to work out 4-6 days a week depending on my school and work schedule and I do it because I LOVE IT. It takes 21 days to make a habit someone told me once and it is entirely true. If you want something bad enough you can achieve it. I told myself I’d give myself a year to get to where I wanted to be. Over the course of the past 15 months my goals have changed because I went even further than I had planned to go but that is ok I’m currently training for a half marathon and I lift heavy.

The advice I like to tell people is this- find a fitness routine that you like. Running, workout DVD’s, crossfit, zumba, spin, turbo, soccer, swimming, etc. there are so many options and unless you try something you never know if you will like it.  I am not certified yet so I don’t feel I am in any way qualified to write meal plans, workout plans or give you direct advice because everyone is different. Their body, health issues and what they are capable of doing physically. What I can tell you is don’t dread going to the gym and try to embrace the change. Look at it as a positive change versus a negative. I am a very positive person. Anyone in my life will tell you I hate looking at things in a bad light and always strive to have a smile on my face. It isn’t easy and we all have our bad days. This journey wasn’t without struggle. I gained weight some weeks and fought harder the next. I was determined though to live a better life. I want to have a family someday. I want to be around until I am old and grey and at this time 68% of this country is overweight or obese. I didn’t want to be a statistic anymore. Start out by weighing yourself, take measurements and in the first few weeks and months those measurements are going to be what keeps you going. I can promise you!

Yes I am 25 years old and I cannot tell you that your journey will be the same as me. I slowly and gradually lost this weight so I would not have loose skin. I did not have surgery of ANY kind, ever. I have stretch marks on my hips, boobs, stomach, butt and thighs. Since I’ve moved from Minnesota to Texas it is only because I am tan that they are not as noticeable now. I did put lotion on every night before bed and it did help them fade but I call them my tiger stripes. It reminds me where I came from and how I don’t want to go back to being that woman again. The only supplements I took were 2 rounds of Oxy Elite Pro for 4 weeks each (which is what the bottle advises you to do) because my metabolism was non-existent and it was the quickest way for us to restart it. Talk to a Dr before you start taking them, there could be side effects for you. I drank protein after my workouts. I take vitamins on a daily basis. I didn’t take pre-workout during the initial weight loss but I do now. (for those of you who have asked) I can’t advice you what to do because I am not a doctor. Trial and error worked for me but clean eating – lean meats, fruits and vegetables got me to where I am. You cannot out work bad eating habits. It is simple science. In order to lose weight you must burn more calories than you consume.

To be honest, this journey was hard. I had an amazing supportive family, friends and trainer who kept me going. They hit the gym with me; they prepared meals with me and encouraged me from all over the country. Try to find someone who can be your accountability partner but do it for you, not anyone else. It has to come from inside and you have to want it with all of your heart. It is worth it. It won’t happen in a week and it won’t happen in a month but it will if you continue to make better choices every single day.

THE most important things I can tell you is it is 80% about what you eat and 20% about how much time you spend in the gym. I know it is a hard concept to grasp but it is true. Attempt to start with your eating habits and add the exercise in after. If you are able to drop the junk food, fast food, processed food and watch what you eat you will be amazed how quickly it can change your life. You can still have those things, IN MODERATION. I eat cake, ice cream, chocolate and candy but just not everyday anymore. It is hard to change your eating habits and start exercising and for those of you who are able to do it I applaud you. For others it is not that easy. Food dependency is just like any other addiction, smoking, drinking, etc. So if you need to start with one or the other begin with your eating habits. Portion control, fat, carbs and protein amounts are going to be KEY to your success. Yes calories play a big part also but watch your intake of the previous mentioned things.

There is no magic pill and you will have to work for it. It won’t be easy but it is worth it. I wish I could help every single one of you personally. When I started my journey I never would have thought I would touch as many people’s lives as I have in such a short amount of time. I am honored and blessed to say the least. Along the way I have fallen in love with this life and hope to make it my mission to end the trend of obesity one person at a time.

It is one of my New Year’s resolutions to write in this blog at least once a week if not more. I want to give you recipes, share my workouts, share others stories and continue to inspire, motivate and help you all achieve your weight loss goals. Every day I strive to be better than I was the day before. Someday I want to make money doing this but for now this is not what my life is about. Now by the end of the year I hope to be NASM certified and hope to have the knowledge to help those on a more personal one-on-one basis but for now this is what I am able to do for you and still be honorable.

Make small goals and reward yourself when you get there. New shoes, a new outfit, some new tunes, or a trip somewhere! Whether big or small those rewards will keep you on track. Enjoy the process. Be proud of every accomplishment. Try to beat your previous mile time, try to go up in weight, reps or try a new exercise you never thought you would do. Hit a new trail, continue to make new goals and if you are able to inspire even one more person along the way, you are even more successful than you will ever know.

I know this is long and I may have left a ton out but if you are still reading this, thank you. I wish you the best of luck on your journey and I hope yours is just as successful as mine. No matter how long it takes.