I came across the top three photos on my mom’s computer and thought I’d share in honor of Throwback Thursday! For those of you new to my story, I gained 50 pounds in college in a matter of just 2 years. No, it wasn’t from pregnancy – this was WAY before pregnancy. I developed bad habits like eating fast food, drinking alcohol a few nights a week and skipping workouts. I was also under eating (about 1,200 calories a day).
Some women tell me their metabolisms slow down with age. Mine slowed down at age 19. Once I decided I was fed up with the person I saw in the mirror, I started out with small changes like going out to eat less and getting to the gym at least 2-3 days a week. Read more about my journey here.
It wasn’t until I took control of my nutrition that I changed the way I saw food…and transformed my body. It’s not entertainment, it’s FUEL. I started focusing on what my food would help me do and how certain meals made me FEEL. That made all the difference in my choices of nutrition. I started eating frequently to increase my metabolism.
People always ask HOW LONG my weight loss took. It took a few years because I was using trial and error to see what worked. However, after pregnancy, I practiced what I knew worked (clean eating) and dropped the weight within 6 months. A few months is nothing in the grand scheme of things.
The photo in red (bottom left) was after I hired a nutritionist and started eating every 3 hours, at least 5 meals a day (around 2,000 calories a day). Healthy calories. After about 4 months of consistency with nutrition, I went from 24% body fat down to 15%, which is an athletic range. A healthy range for women is anywhere from 20-25% body fat.
The photo at the bottom middle is me now (taken this morning). I have a visit with my nutritionist next week to check my progress. I have been eating clean meals every 3 hours- and guess what? It still works!
My body didn’t magically transform back to normal after having my baby girl. I’ve been working for months. But it’s fun to me. Have you ever noticed that you appreciate what you work the hardest for?
Just because something doesn’t come easy, doesn’t mean we can’t have it.
My post isn’t to make you feel like my body is the ideal weight or shape, it’s just where I feel comfortable. Don’t tell yourself, “I’ll be so happy when….” Find things you love about yourself at every stage. Find joy in the entire journey of life. You can love your body while working for new goals.
Even when I meet my goals, I am still finding ways to push myself. And I plan to do that for the rest of my life. Find a healthy moderation in life. Enjoy food, wine and the body of your dreams! It’s all possible.
If you need a little guidance, join me and hundreds of others in my NEW 8 Weeks to a Fit Body plan!
I’d be honored to coach you on your journey.
Funny you should mention focusing on how food makes you feel. Just today, I had Zoodles (zucchini noodles) with chicken and tomato sauce for lunch, as I'm trying to get more veggies into my diet, and comparing today to yesterday, when I had regular Chinese food (rice, chicken, etc), I feel so much more alert today. Now I'm researching all kinds of lunches with veggies to help me keep this up. I feel really good!