Tasha's Journey To Fit Chick

I was slim as a teen but heavy throughout my 20’s and early 30’s due to very poor eating habits since childhood. I never.ever.exercised in my entire life with the exception of the moderate outdoor play that was forced upon me when I was a kid. I recall spending almost all of my time as a tween and teenager in the house watching television and basically avoiding the great outdoors. I didn’t like to walk anywhere and I definitely didn’t enjoy any sort of physical activity. As a teen and adult I ate very little fruit and vegetables and my daily diet consisted of pre-packaged foods, take-out, Pepsi and endless coffees with cream and sugar – there were always numerous day stretches where I didn’t even drink a single glass of water. I never ate breakfast and always ate very late into the evening, sometimes even waking in the middle of the night to snack. I ate chocolate, bread, pasta, rice and potatoes with no moderation whatsoever and very rarely thought about what I ate as a consequence. I overate when I was bored, stressed, sad and ESPECIALLY when I was tired which was obviously all the time given the lifestyle I was leading.

My weight went up and down over the years but pretty well always ended up higher than the year before. It’s funny but throughout all that I never hated my body or my looks. I knew I was overweight but I didn’t truly appreciate HOW overweight I had become. I made one or two attempts in my 20’s and 30’s to exercise or diet but always felt like a very deprived fish out of water and therefore always quit after a few months in order to revert to my comfortable old habits.

Fast-forward to 2011 - I’m a 35 year old wife of 13 years and mother to two young children ages 6 and 9, with a full-time career running operations for a national program, a four bedroom house and a live-in elderly parent. I was fully cognisant of how unhealthy I was but really felt powerless to do anything about it. The year itself was very challenging. My elderly mother-in-law, who suffers from cognitive impairment, moved in to our home and at the same time my husband and I were tearfully forced to say goodbye to his brother who diet a year after being diagnosed with Stage 3 stomach cancer. It was a very stressful and sad summer for our family.

Throughout the same year, my best friend had begun an important journey of her own and had been steadily losing weight for numerous months. Inspired by her undeniably awesome results and the fact that I had lost two friends and family member to cancer in the past two years, on October 15, 2011, I made an important decision to join a medically supervised (and incredibly expensive) weight-loss program here in Canada - a ketogenic diet. At that time I weighed 223 pounds, the highest I had weighed since having my two children, the first in 2002 and the second in 2006. I wore size 16 – 18.
After five months (March 2012) I had lost 60 pounds on this plan. Although I felt so proud to go from a size 16 to a size 10, at the same time I realized that I also felt incredibly unhealthy. The diet was a very NON sustainable 950 calories a day with no fat, sugar or carbohydrates. I was pale and gaunt – I felt jittery, exhausted and absolutely gross. After speaking to my husband, I decided that it was time for me to stop the medically supervised program several months earlier than planned.

I explained my husband that I felt highly confident that I could maintain my newly lost weight because I had just finished reading two amazing books that empowered me to begin making healthy lifestyle choices – “The Eat-Clean Diet” and “The Eat-Clean Diet for Family and Kids” by Tosca Reno. My husband immediately agreed that, despite the money we had paid, I should discontinue the program if I felt even the least bit unhealthy.
In terms of how I first heard about the Eat-Clean Diet, I had seen Tosca’s name mentioned several times in my favourite Facebook fitness group, Fit Chicks. Many people had mentioned the terminology “Eat-Clean” and recommended Tosca’s books and the magazine, “Oxygen”. Intrigued by what I had read, I bought the books and let me tell you, I have never once looked back.

Immediately I began clearing my pantry of white flour and rice as well as all forms of sugar. I bought succanat, stevia, coconut oil, almond flour, quinoa, steel cut oatmeal, chia seeds, flax and many many other items that have become staples in my happy Eat-Clean life. I bought a cooler and began diligently packing my day’s meals and eating every 2-3 hours. My husband also began eating six small meals a day and focusing on his own nutrition. He has been a rock for me throughout my journey – a supportive, loving and caring man who loves me unconditionally. I am very blessed.

At the same time, I took Tosca’s advice and began seriously reconsidering trading my long cardio sessions for free weights. I hired a trainer and he designed a program for me that focused on upper body one day and lower body the next. It surely didn’t take long for me to overcome my shyness at the gym after I discovered how much I love to lift weights, it feels so powerful and invigorating. I feel like I am a master of my own body when I lift – it is border line impossible to adequately describe the high of taking a weights workout and absolutely killing it! I embrace my DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness) like a gift from God. (laugh!!!)

Diligently following the program I immediately lost another 10 pounds by April, 2012. Since then, I have slowly lost a little more weight, month for month trading my fat for muscle and my body has been changing before my very eyes. My arms, shoulders, back and legs are starting to show real definition, my stomach fat is starting to recede, revealing small indentations on the sides of my abs. I am absolutely stoked to see how they will look a year from now! My husband (we are high school sweethearts!) has also begun lifting and we are both constantly discussing our fitness goals and our work-outs. We developed an excellent post-workout shake that we love and lots of Eat-Clean meals that have become our favourites (We have been loving all things pumpkin lately!) The lifestyle makes us so happy and energized and now instead of connecting over unhealthy food we choose to connect through fitness and a Clean Eating lifestyle. Our children now accompany me to our local YMCA four times a week to play sports like soccer, hockey and basketball as well as take swim classes while I sweat it out in the gym. As added motivation, we have also chosen to base their allowance around their physical activity.

Today I weigh a healthy 147 pounds (77 pounds lost), wear a size 6 and my goal is to continue eating clean, focusing my energy on strength training and losing more body fat over the coming year. I have started running and completed my first 5K in late September and already have my sights set on a 10K in April, 2013. Stay tuned, my friends, because this Mama still has lots of goals, including an intention to be featured in Oxygen one day!

Anita's Journey to Fit Chick

In 2006 I weighed over 250 pounds. I had diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and triglycerides. My diabetes was out of control. I was tired all the time. I was depressed. I didn’t exercise and my diet was full of too much fat, carbohydrates and calories. I was 43 years old and I was killing myself.

I used all the excuses in the world not to exercise. I was too tired. I didn’t have time. I couldn’t exercise in the morning. I couldn’t exercise in the evening. I didn’t want to exercise by myself and the best one, I was too overweight. Actually, I was afraid to exercise for fear of passing out or having a heart attack because I was so overweight.
Diabetes runs in my family. My paternal grandmother had it and so did my father. I saw my father die too soon because of this disease, so I knew I had to start taking control and change what I was doing to myself.

In the fall of 2006, when my daughter started back to school, she entered the 9th grade academy. The school was right beside the health department where I was working. She wanted to be at school at 7:30 a.m. and since I didn’t have to be at work until 8:00 a.m., I would drop her off at school and walk around the parking lot. I started off slow walking about 15 or 20 minutes at first. Over time, I gradually increased the length of time and distance of my walking.

I also changed my eating habits. I began to eat less fat, carbohydrates and overall calories and in addition, I started eating several, smaller meals a day. A little later, I sought the care of a diabetes specialist who got me on the right combination of medicines to get my diabetes under control.
Today, I am happy to report that I have lost over 100 pounds! My A1C (test for blood glucose) is in the normal range. My blood pressure is great and my cholesterol and triglycerides are in the normal range without medication!

During the week, I walk over seven miles each day and four miles on each weekend day. Typically, I walk for an hour in the morning before I get ready for work, and then walk an hour and twenty minutes after work. I love walking! Walking is what “I do” now. I walk in the rain, snow, hail, wind, cold and heat. I very, very rarely miss a day. I am passionate about trying to stay as healthy and fit as I can and I think my family and co- workers are proud of my commitment.

Everything I have done and continue to do can be done by anyone. You just have to get started, be committed to doing it and sticking with it. I hope my story can inspire someone to take control of their health. It takes work and time but it is well worth it!

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Ruth's Journey

 

This summer my fitness goal was to complete an Olympic triathlon. I was doing 30 mile+ bike rides and 10+ mile runs weekly. I also did the Boulder Stroke and Stride 5 times (1 mile swim and a 5k). (I also was eating high quality and high quantities of food. Did no refined sugar or flour for 1 month as well).

People say that alot of cardio makes you "skinny fat"? Well I was ok with that. I was hoping some of the benefits of my training would be minimal weight loss (about 10 lbs). I'm 5'9 and 147 lbs. I was feeling discouraged because the scale didn't move one pound! Also, my pants fit tighter right now then before. There were no visible results from all of the work I was doing.    I completed my triathlon (1 mile swim, 26 mile bike, 10K run) and did MUCH better then I was expecting. I wasn't even sore the next day! Additionally this weekend I summited Longs Peak (14,225 ft. 5,100 climb from the trail head, 14 mile hike). I felt better at the end then I have ever felt after hikes.

 

Whats the point of my post? After both my tri and my hike I felt an amazing sense of accomplishment and felt a feeling of pride towards my body. I just felt like "wow! my body can do that. That really is amazing!" This thought is so rare because my thoughts toward my body are almost ALWAYS negative, skeptical, and judgmental. My epiphany was this: My hard work DOES PAY OFF. Even if it isn't visibly obvious to me or others. I AM becoming healthier and more in shape by exercising and eating well. My body is strong and impressive in others ways then JUST how it looks.

I hope that some of you who are judgmental of your body like me can take from this that your hard work IS WORTH IT and looks are only skin deep.

 P.S. I have started a strength training program to continue striving toward excellence in my fitness and appearance

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Esther's Journey to Fit Chick

"I ain't where I want to be but thank GOD I ain't where I used to be!!"

 I am 40 years old today and although almost 2 years ago I vowed to be 140lbs at 40 and I am NOWHERE, near that weight, and probably never will be. But I have come to terms with that and realized that the number on scale means nothing, but how I look, feel and carry myself means everything. I've had problems with my weight for as long as I can remember, and with 5 siblings who were always relatively fit' I always felt out of place, loved, but out of place.  Over the years, slowing metabolisms and life caught up with my siblings too and in February of 2011, we all embarked on an 8 week fitness challenge. We all put in $100 to join and over the course of the challenge decided to have a cheat pot. If we slacked off one day or ate something we shouldn't $5 was added to the pot. By the end of the 8 weeks, 3 siblings had dropped out and took there $100 with them. But there was still $430 up for grabs. I being the competitor that I am, came out the winner and lost the most weight (21.8lbs).

By July 2011 I was back at my starting weight, and by January 2012 I had surpassed it. A series of events had got me to that point, but then I realized "there's ALWAYS going to be a series of events, there always have been!" But HOW I handled them was what was going to be the secret to my success. I knew that I was not a big eater, I didn't sit around and gorge all day, so I needed to look at what I was eating and WHY I chose to eat what I ate. Once I realized I was an emotional eater and what my triggers were, I could stop myself before a bought a chocolate bar. I am a single mom of FOUR kids so I knew I had to get healthy for me, but also for them. I was worried about not being here for them, but more than anything teaching them my bad eating habits and causing them the same struggles I have dealt with.

So March 26th, 2012, I woke up and decided today everything changes. I hit the gym everyday, sometimes twice a day, but more importantly I ate better. A recurring hip injury slowed me down, then it was summer and with 4 kids, the summer did not belong to me. I think I made it to about 3 5am workouts all summer, but staying busy with them all summer maintained the weight I had lost. So as of last Tuesday, I'm back at it. And embracing my 40th with grace and dignity. I am not dwelling on the things of the past, but enjoying my present and focusing on my future.


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Bridgit's Journey to Fit Chick.

 I have not had to deal with weight issues throughout my entire life like some of you have, but  I have still dealt with my own issues because of weight. I have dealt with confidence issues, and depression from it. I know what it's like to let your emotions get the best of you, and turn to food for comfort. I also know what it's like to not be truly happy with what you see in the mirror, regardless of how often you hear how beautiful someone else thinks you are. But, within the last year, I know what it's like to take control of food, rather than let it control me.




I am a mother of two precious boys. During my 1st pregnancy, I gained 55lbs, putting me at 205lbs. From the time I delivered our first, until I got pregnant with our second, I lost 25lbs, bringing my weight to 180lbs. I really didn't lose much weight, and really didn't try hard to. It wasn't until my second pregnancy that I decided I needed to do things differently. I gained 29lbs,and my weight when I delivered was 209lbs. I was determined to get the baby weight off, for good. I joined the Weight Watcher PP program, in May 2011, 3 weeks after delivering our second son. I wanted to not only be a healthier mother, so that I was better able to keep up with my children, but just a healthier woman in general. To me, being healthy=being wealthy.


Im sharing my story, to not only be an inspiration, but to also seek inspiration from others who are on the same journey. I am not a trainer, or nutritionist. I am simply someone who is on a journey to not only better myself, but my health. I am not only in this for me, but for my children and my husband, and for you. I am a firm believer that if you don't give 100% to yourself, you can't expect to be able to give it you anyone, or anything else.

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Aly Butler's Journey

Me and my son Kyndel

 For most of my adult life I have been an athlete. I started off at an early age taking Karate and dance classes. By the time I got to high-school I decided I would try out for the track team. I did very well at track and it wasn’t until my sophomore year that I realized I needed to change my body a bit to help me win the shorter races. With the help of my coach I lost ten pounds and my speed tremendously improved. Although this was my first attempt at losing weight, it wasn’t something I was unfamiliar with, as close family members had struggled with weight for as long as I could remember. I competed in track & field through high-school and into college. After graduating college I settled into the routine of adulthood . . . work, work, and more work, with very little “me”. By 2006 I had topped the scales at a 176lbs. To some of you reading this, 176 may not seem like much, but coming from a smaller athletic physique that my sport allowed me to maintain fairly easily, up to this weight, was quite a jolt for me.

I had been working as a Fashion Designer sitting at a desk all day everyday sketching and creating. Loving my job, but hating what I looked like. I was unhappy and when I left work I had no energy so I ate and went to bed. Late in 2006 I picked up my first copy of Oxygen Magazine, a fitness magazine I now live by and strive to grace the pages of one day. It was the Special Edition, “Fat Loss” with Jennifer Nicole Lee on the cover. The picture of her before and after was amazing! I couldn’t believe this woman who had given birth to two children was able to look so incredible! I thought to myself, “what is your problem? you haven’t even had kids.” That’s when I got motivated. I joined a gym and a boot camp class the next day. After about a month at the gym and in boot camp a trainer who had become a friend started to talk to me about competing in fitness competitions. I was still looking in the mirror at all of the “problem” areas, though I had lost about 10lbs of fat and gained some additional muscle. He encouraged me to learn more about the competitions and see if I’d like to give it a try. I had already been gobbling up every oxygen magazine I could get my hands on, and if they had published 5 a month, I would have purchased all 5 monthly as well. I had seen some of the competitors in oxygen magazine and learned that Jennifer Nicole Lee, my initial inspiration, actually won Ms. Bikini Universe. After gaining that knowledge, in my mind, it was a done deal. I was ready to get serious and give it a go. I was also dating someone at the time who trained figure and fitness models and when I told him I wanted to compete his response was, “You’ll never be able to do it.” I think this is definitely part of my personality and I know now that he knew this about me, but if you tell me “I can’t” do something, then I’m more likely going to do it, and do it better than anyone expected.

Over the following 4 months I ate a very strict competition diet that consisted mostly of chicken, green beans, and brown rice. I followed a very strict 2-a day workout regimen and before I knew it I had gotten down to my smallest adult size and weight. I was a size 4 and competed at 142lbs. I didn’t place well in my first competition, something like 23rd out of 130, which to some that’s decent, but for me it wasn’t what I had set my sights on. I wanted to win! I continued to compete the rest of that year before deciding to take a break. Eventually, I quit my day job and got certified through the National Academy of Sports Medicine, and began my own personal training business. Over the course of 2 years I had changed my body, changed my career, and met my husband.

When my husband and I met, I was a personal trainer in great shape but not planning on competing. I was ready to start a family, so we got married quickly and soon thereafter I was pregnant. Although I continued to workout while I was pregnant and I ate healthy, I still managed to go from 155lbs to 223lbs by delivery day.

I was an absolute marshmallow. My family and I laugh now because I’m just not a good pregnant person. I was miserable and uncomfortable the entire time. I was swollen and puffy for the latter half of the pregnancy. Even my OBG made a comment about my water retention near the end. The last thing I could think about was trying to lose this weight once he was here because my husband and I had been going through major difficulties in our marriage that required Christian counseling. I simply was not in a good place. Nevertheless, my little bundle of joy arrived on March 10th, 2010.

After Kyndel was born the condition of my marriage continued to decline. I had gotten a desk job Fashion designing again when I was pregnant because my husbands business was failing. During that time he became emotionally and verbally abusive and progressively got worse, which ultimately led to my divorce. Because of my stress level of being a new mom, working full-time and supporting my family, and dealing with an abusive spouse, I was unable to lose much weight. I had gotten back down to 176 by the time my son was 6 months old but I was still very “fluffy” and not liking anything about my body. As a matter of fact, I had sort of resolved to the fact that I would NEVER look like a fitness model again. I would tell myself, “well, you’ll never have a flat tummy because you had a baby.” There is a whole list of negative self talk I could post, but I won’t because it’s not who I am today.

In late April of 2012 I ran into my old friend, Jerome Givens (owner of Jerome’s Gym in Richardson, Texas). This is how God works. My divorce was in the court system and still pending and I had praying diligently for help with my body and my overall health and fitness. Then God brought Jerome to my path unexpectedly. We talked briefly and he told to come work out at his gym. That was the beginning of my 2nd journey to fitness model physique as I call it.

I signed up for Jerome’s boot camp and one on one training twice a day 6 days a week. I would work out on my lunch hour and then go to boot camp in the evenings and was even able to incorporate my 2 year old into the boot camp workouts so that I wasn’t losing time with him completely. I listened to everything Jerome told me to do, and did it, even if I thought I couldn’t. The times I didn’t believe in myself, he believed in me, and told me so. So I would stop and say a prayer for God to help me to get through the workout that he was leading Jerome to help me with. Every time I prayed I could do anything Jerome asked me to do at least once.

For 17 weeks, with the help of God and my amazing trainer Jerome, I worked out harder than I have ever worked out in my life. I sweat more than I ever have, I cried, and I laughed and then I made it to the competition stage once again. On 8/17/2012 I competed in the bikini division at the Europa Supershow. As I stood backstage I began to realize my physique wasn’t quite soft enough for the division, but I was having a blast anyway. I rocked the stage proudly and thanked my trainer and God for giving me the strength to transform my body again.

Although I didn’t place, I tell people I still won. I won my self-confidence back. I won amazing friendships with new women at the gym. I won a body I’m proud of. I won healing for my soul and I won a deeper relationship with God through this process.


If I could do it again, I wouldn’t change a thing. I’m setting a new goal to compete in a crossfit competition and continue to compete in the bodybuilding arena as well. My ultimate goal is to inspire others to achieve their fitness goals with the help of Christ. If you believe, and you ask for his help, you can achieve anything that’s in his will. It is in his will to heal your soul. My soul desperately needed healing and this external transformation changed so much more internally than anyone could ever imagine

 

 

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Melissa Kuroda's Journey To Fit Chick

 I cant remember a time in my life that I wasn't overweight. From kindergarten all the way through senior year I was "chubby". Turning 18, moving away from my parents and "finding myself" meant going out with friends, binge drinking and eating greasy food at 2am followed by getting a few hours of sleep to get through the next day. I found myself always feeling "snacky" rather than hungry so I grassed through my days - filling open time with food. I was also always sluggish, tired, and unmotivated to work out.

My Moment

 Three weeks after the birth of my child I realized that I had no clothes that fit...and that I was so big I wasn't able to shop outside of the plus section. All of my favorite stores were out of reach and I had to do the walk of shame into Torrid and Lane Bryant at age 24.

I wanted to set the right example for my son. I didn't want him to go thru life with the mommy who was "big" or "fat" or any of those hateful words people use. I first came to terms with some underlying demons - sought medical help for depression and anxiety and pushed myself slowly out of my comfort zone. I utilized YouTube and fitness blogs (livestrong, bodybuilding.com, and lisamarie bodyrock) to get started-and a rocky start it was.

My Workout and Diet

 I start every day off with yoga - it helps me set my head straight. I get to work 45 minutes early and walk around the city with my morning protein, take the 11 flights of stairs to the office and any time that I can pull away I keep moving. When I get home I spend at least an hour performing active play with my toddler (he loves to dance so we usually blast the music in the living room and work up a sweat to whatever is on the radio), eat dinner, get him ready for bed and then unleash my workout fury with Lisa Marie and her body-rock challenges for a warm up, I then move onto weights or my heavy bag for about 15 minutes and end with a solid 20-25minutes on my elliptical.

 I do my best to take in at-least 160 grams of protein a day so generally 3 shakes a day + lean clean food. note: I am human, I break down every once in a while - but I have noticed that as long as I stay active my weight generally stays the same


Lessons learned on my Journey

My insecurities would (and still) get the best of me at times when I can not perform a rep the way an instructor does and I have to modify it to my strength level. I would feel embarrassed or inadequate at times to the point of wanting to shut down and quit. It took a motivational statement from a close friend to set my head straight...she told me "you do not have to be the best or finish first at everything - at the end of the day its the not quitting and giving it your all that makes you a winner". I tell myself this every time I get discouraged and it makes me push through.

 At the end of the day I am the only person reporting to myself. I have to live with myself for the rest of my life and I want to be happy with not only the person I am but the person I am becoming. Even now I still have many insecurities; my body is not perfect...but I now know I have the ability to focus that negative energy on something positive and make the change rather than wallowing in sorrow about it.

My Advice to You

You're going to hit a million plateaus, some for a few days, some for a few months - don't let them discourage you or hold you back from your goal. I went from being 5'10 280lbs in a size 20 at my heaviest to 154lbs and a size 4. I am the happiest and healthiest I have ever been and I want everyone to feel the joy that I have in my heart right now. You are the only one who can hold yourself back from achieving greatness - never let anyone tell you that you cant...not even yourself


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