Ashley B.'s Journey to Fit Chick

The picture on the left was taken four years ago. Four years ago, if you were looking at my life from the outside - everything was fine. I wasn't considered obese but I never felt quite comfortable with my body, whether it be in pants or a bikini - I had no confidence in my physical appearance. I did what alot of people do when they are looking for a quick fix: fad diets and diet pills. Eventually I figured out that it wasn't healthy, and it didn't work long term so I stopped.

 My first step

 I started making changes in my eating habits. Before, those fad diets and counting calories made me obsess about food and my weight so much that I would end up messing up my progress. I feel that it was just to much pressure, it overwhelmed me and became a chore. I know that it works for some people but for me I just didn't like focusing on it too much.  I decided to just made healthy food choices.

 I also stopped weighing myself all the time. I committed to NOT worrying the number on the scale. Instead I focused on how I felt, how much energy I had, and how my clothes fit.  Life is to short to worry about petty things like a number!

Eating and Working Out

  I only drink water or coffee (mostly water).  Although for the most part I practice a clean eating lifestyle, I don't believe in deprivation. If I want chocolate, I eat it.  The trick is moderation.  The way I see it, if you don't deprive yourself of things you like, you will be less likely to binge or have those slip ups we all hate! It's okay to enjoy ourselves once in awhile.

The truth? I honestly don't have a specific workout. I do something different all the time. I feel that doing something different keeps your body from hitting a plateau. I love tagging along with my guy friends and my boyfriend trying their workouts.  The basics of what I do is: running for cardio and either weight lifting or crossfit style workouts for muscle building. I never run more than 2 miles though. I like muscle so I focus more on high intensity workouts and weight training.  My workouts never last longer than an hour.

My Advice to You

You have to  have a support group. Groups like Fit Chicks and so many other fitness pages have helped me a great deal.  Don't let your friends and family bully or pressure you to stray from your healthy diet and workout routine, stick to it, no matter what!  Consistency, determination, and having a positive attitude will get you to your weight loss goal!

My Motivation

You know, I absolutely hate seeing old pictures of myself. I know that sounds horrible, but it's true. Even though I don't like looking at my old pictures,  those pictures motivate me to keep my good habits. They remind me of  how hard I worked to change my lifestlye. My goal has always been to just be healthy and feel good in my own skin and I feel like I've reached my goal. I'm super proud of myself and I feel like it has paid off!  If I can do it- so can you! You can do anything!


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