...Friday FITspiration: My Story...

Friday, April 12, 2013

When meeting new people and clients, people always ask me “What is your fitness Story?”

For me…there is no exciting story.  But I do indeed have some somewhat of fitness story.

Growing up I was always “thin” and athletic.  I have always been active in sports and I always had a pretty regular workout routine. I always had a “flat stomach” and thick thighs.  I played varsity sports in high school, I played club basketball in college, and now I am a Fitness Junkie who trains to compete in NPC/IFBB Bikini Competitions.  Before I started to dedicate myself to training and eating clean I considered myself to be “Skinny Fat”.  I heard another girl use this term as someone who is skinny but is not actually skinny.  They may have some extra belly fat or small love handles.  And that is exactly what I had.  A pudgy belly and love handles that I learned to mask with the right kind of clothing.

My REAL journey started almost 2 years ago!  Right around the time I started this blog and when I was getting ready to start modeling.

I use to have the WORST habit of consistently being in the gym for several months, and as soon as winter time came around I got lazy and just slacked off for a month or so.  I was always around 155-160 pounds.  2010 is the year that I started to get stressed from school/graduating, working several jobs, and everything else life decided to throw at me.  At this time I think I weighed around 165-167  pounds.  I am 5’10 so this is not “obese” by any means BUT my body fat percent was VERY high compared to what I was use too.  It was getting higher, more than it ever has been.  I had began to develop a small “pudgy” belly, my thighs rubbed together, and my jeans were fitting WAY too tight.  I just did not like what I saw when I looked at myself in the mirror.  I could see the belly I had grown sticking out in my shirt, I could see the small love handles I had also grown,  cellulite that was developing on my thighs was becoming more and more noticeable, and I was just noticing all of the other things that had developed on my body that I was NOT happy with.

That is when I decided to make a LONG LASTING change.  I wanted to be healthier…I wanted to be more fit…I wanted to work hard CONSISTENTLY to achieve the body I always wanted.

I have a degree in exercise science and a minor in health science.  So I had/have a good idea of the kind of workouts that I need to do to get into shape.  The problem was, when I wanted to start my hardcore fitness routine it was January 2012 and I had not worked out since October 2011! So yes,  I was OUT of shape!

In January 2012, the first thing I started with was Insanity.  I had several friends who had tried it and gotten good results so I decided to give it a try.   It was a GREAT workout plan for me to get started on.  I actually have Insanity to thank for the start of my clean eating!  I did Insanity TWICE (yes two whole cycles).  I was VERY consistent and stayed with the scheduled program and suggested diet.  After completing Insanity for the second time I was FINALLY in shape to start the kind of cardio I wanted and needed to do!  So it was at that point I started to create my own fitness plans and I started to work out again at the gym.  By this time is was July of 2012.

I wanted to train to stay in shape, but to be honest I am a competitor.  I wanted AND needed to train towards a goal.  I was already slimming down and starting to look more lean and muscular.  But I wanted to kick it up a notch   It was at that time I was lucky enough to meet a few gals who were into competing for NPC/IFBB bikini and figure contest.  After speaking with them and doing more research I found that it was a PERFECT match for me.  I can pick and choose when I compete and there are always competitions that I can train to compete in.  Competing would allow me the opportunity to work towards my own goal AND if I got good at it I could possibly travel and compete in other states!

I started officially training for my first Bikini competition mid July of 2012.  I had my first competition planned for October of 2012 Halloween weekend.  I did great and placed in the top  5 (I got 4th place) in both classes that I competed in.  It was an amazing experience and I knew that I wanted to compete again sometime in 2013.  I had my second bikini competition mid March of 2013.  I only entered into one class because it was a bigger competition (and slightly more expensive).  I did not place in the top 5 at that competition BUT that was OK!  I knew that I still needed to do some more work in the gym and that is why I am currently training to compete in another competition  in June 2013.

Here is a visual timeline of  how I looked:

Freshman year Spring Break: March 2005 (weight around 155 pounds)

March 2008

2010 – 2011 was the year of me getting the heaviest I have ever been. 

This was noticeable when my jeans (and summer shorts) were tight, my belly sticking out, and weighed the most I had ever weighed at 167 pounds (this was in late 2011)

March 2010

August 2011

January of 2012 is when I started committed to be fit.  (weighed around 160)

April 2012 Miami Vacation

My 1st NPC Bikini Competition October 2012 (weighed around 150)

So there you have it!  I was never “obese” but I was NOT happy with the way I looked.  I set a date and I set a goal and I stuck to it.  I created this blog to provide health and fitness knowledge and advice to people.  I was a recent college graduate and I wanted to be able to use the degree I had worked so hard to earn to help other people .  Needless to say, creating this blog helped me more than I ever imagined.  It allowed me the opportunity to practice what I was sharing with those who read my blog.  This blog (and the followers) helped to keep me accountable for my health and fitness actions.  The motivation, health tips, recipes, and other information I shared on this blog I used in my own health and fitness journey.

And the best past is that my training has only just begun!

I have been consistent with my training and healthy eating for over a year now.  I have become a personal training, being a fitness and health coach, and recently started my own health/fitness business.   I hope to continue to learn and grow.  I hope to help and coach those who seek to start their own health and fitness journeys.

I want to help motivate and educate people on ways to improve their lifestyle.  So many people want to live healthier but they just need the help from someone (possibly me) sometimes to help hold them accountable and to help motivate them on those days that they need it!  I would love to just be able to help educate them on the importance of staying away from unhealthy habits.  I want to guide and lead them as well as teach them proper health and fitness habits so one day they will be able to hopefully inspire and motivate someone else to start making positive lifestyles changes.

My overall goal is to inspire people so they will want to be better.  I want to inspire someone to stop making excuses as to why they can not workout or why they need that candy bar everyday at lunch.  I want to teach them how to listen to their body and how to appreciate all aspects of their body.  I want them to grow not just on the outside but on the inside as well.  Starting a health and fitness journey is more than just getting physically healthy.  You have to also learn to love the person you are and to love the body you are given.