Like most fitness journeys, it first had to start with a goal and an “All In Mindset”. At the time I was working 8-10 hours a day commuting about 45 mins to and from work. I felt sluggish and stressed all the time and I wasn’t the only one. The company I worked for proposed a “Biggest Loser Challenge” and I decided then  I was going to win it. I told myself, If I’m going to do this I’m going to do this right. That evening I drove to my local Fitness 19 and confidently walked up to the front desk and asked to sign up for personal training. I specifically requested a particular type of trainer. One that was going to challenge me and make it a sport for me. One of the trainers happened to teach Cardio Kickboxing and that was it for me. I’m all in!

My trainer sat me down  on day 1 and discussed my goals. We then walked over to the InBody which is a body composition analysis machine designed to give much more than a number on a scale. It gives you your fat percentage, water intake, calorie deficit, muscles mass, and more. 

"I look back at that moment and realized the first step to any fitness journey is the mindset."

Day two rolls around where my trainer was having me do basic workouts to see what my fitness level was at. I recalled him surprised asking “You really want this don’t you?” I replied, “Yeah doesn’t everyone?” He then replied “You’ll be surprised.”  I look back at that moment and realized the first step to any fitness journey is the mindset. I was at a point where enough was enough. I was willing to do whatever it took to reach my goals. I listened to every word my trainer said.

Because I was competing and had a timeline I worked out 5-7 days a week for at least an hour, mostly after work. I also participated in group classes that Fitness 19 offered like Zumba and Yoga.  I should also mention that my diet was on point as well. I measured my food, meal prepped and only ate lean. I also split my meals and ate 5 times a day to boost my metabolism. It’s not easy and it requires a lot of self discipline. You have to say no to A LOT of old habits. When I first started eating clean and controlling my proportions, I remembered my body was in such shock I actually bit into my fork and chipped my tooth! I was starving and I was VERY irritable. Luckily this was more comedic to my coworkers than anything. To reach your goals in a short timeline it  takes sacrifice and remembering that the “prize” will outweigh the short-term and instant gratification. 

Our “Biggest Loser” challenge finally came and it was time for weigh-ins. I lost 20 pounds in two months! I won the challenge and became a better person because of it. I actually did more for others because I was confident and happy with myself. I was empowered to do less trips from the car when carrying groceries in. I never felt so energetic in my life!

Ready for a plot twist? After the contest  I started to hit a plateau. It was hard to see any improvements. I was tired of hearing the same “That’s all your eating?” “One bite isn’t going to kill you” “Come on have a drink with us” “Can we hang out...outside the gym”. I was getting harder and harder to maintain this lifestyle and little by little I started to back slide. My once driven mentality had come to a screeching halt. I woke up one day and 5 years had passed. I was in an even worse state than I originally started! The year was 2020. Gyms were closed and ALL motivation was lost. Life was on pause so was my fitness journey. I began to accept and teach myself to love myself as I was. With every new stretch mark I gave myself some grace, because afterall I was still cute! But BECAUSE I learned to love myself as I was, my motivation shifted to get back to healthy. My couch potato body was hurting, I was sluggish and was starting to become depressed. As a light to the end of the tunnel Fitness 19 Gyms were starting to reopen!  I didn’t go back right away because I was embarrassed of how far I've fallen and seeing familiar faces would remind me that I’ve let myself down. I kept convincing myself that I would workout outside of the gym… spoiler alert, never happened! I FINALLY came to the conclusion, although I’m not new to working out I needed some accountability. 

I’m thrilled to share that it’s 2021 and I have decided to MOVE TO IMPROVE! I made the first move and signed up with a new personal trainer! I’m so excited to share with you my weekly  redemption story and  take you along this journey! Do you think I can do it again? Stay tuned!