Friday Jun 6 @ 10:18pmThrough Hell and Back
For the people who do not know me personally I thought I would share my “fitness” journey with you so you can gain a better understanding of why I am who I am. My senior year of college I found out that I was pregnant by my boyfriend at the time. He quickly decided the situation was not something he wanted to be a part of and broke up with me. I was then faced with completing my senior year which included my hardest classes while dealing with an unplanned pregnancy. I had struggled with a pretty horrific eating disorder for almost 5 years prior and the thought of gaining weight and not being able to do anything about it was for me, worst part of being pregnant. I decided to give up Ed (eating disorder) for the better health of my baby and in turn gained an astounding 73 pounds. I really struggled with my depression and pregnancy but somehow managed to graduate from the USM on time in May 2010. My son Evan was born a month later. His birth was the happiest day of my life, everything I endured while pregnant was completely worth it when I looked into his eyes. Getting back in shape was always a priority for me after June. Unfortunately my plans of going back to the gym were derailed when I was diagnosed with stage one malignant melanoma on my upper left thigh. The surgery was scheduled the week after evans birth and due to the stitching and muscles removed I was not able to exercise for two months. During my recovery I decided I would go ahead and apply for medical school even though I did not expect on getting in. I began working out in September of 2010 weighing 180 pounds. By December I had received my first medical school interview. I interviewed at two schools and was accepted at one to start the following year. This was the second best day of my life and gave me the motivation to get back to my pre pregnancy weight even faster. I took a job at Hooters of Hattiesburg in December that year. During orientation I was told by one of the trainers that my midsection did not fit correctly in the uniform and I needed to reduce my food intake. (yes she seriously told me this) The biggest size in a hooters uniform is not surprisingly a Small. I began to cut back on the amount of food I was eating and also began taking diet pills. I did lose alot of weight during this time but I felt horrible every day. I had no energy and I always felt depressed. I started my first year of medical school the following year which also added a great deal of stress. My trips to the gym became less frequent and then non-existant in the spring of 2012. I noticed one of my classmates had began a weight loss journey so I started asking questions about his program. He pointed me in Jamie Eason’s direction. I started the Live Fit program in May 2012 and continued the complete 12 weeks. It was by far the hardest thing I have ever done. Eating clean and actually lifting weights was new to me and far from easy. I noticed a rapid change in my body which motivated me to give extra effort in the gym. I began posting my before and after progress photos which received a lot of support and also a little hate. Despite what some people were saying I decided to keep posting pictures in order to hopefully inspire others the way I was inspired. I am now back at my pre pregnancy weight and Ed free. I love pushing my body’s limits and seeing the results. My fitness journey has been quite a roller coaster but thankfully I am now on the right path and my hope in doing this is that someone else will be inspired and I can pay my gratitude to those who inspired me forward. #noexcuses
Monday Jun 6 @ 03:33pm“First of all, body weight is a terribly imperfect predictor of health, so the assumption that someone who is a size 14, for example, is unhealthy is ignorant and unfair. Just by looking at most people we have no way of telling whether they are healthy or unhealthy, whether they exercise or not, or whether they make healthy dietary choices or not.”
Remember what you want. Be it a toned body or a slim body. Keep your eyes on the prize.
Sunday May 5 @ 10:17pmIf you think a year can’t make that much of a difference, or that you’d better set an easy goal because you’re too far gone to be able to achieve a huge goal… I hope this changes your mind.
This didn’t start out as a progress photo, the one on the right was just a quick snap I took the other day (lens cap in hand) because I see myself more accurately in photos than I do in the mirror. Recently I’ve been trying on some clothes from the Town Whore spring collection, because why not, and I wanted to know if it was working for me or if it looked ridiculous. Verdict: some of both, yay! Not pictured: five-inch heels, also both amazing and ridiculous. Luckily I live in a beach resort area and everyone here dresses slutty all summer, so this year I’m going to join them BECAUSE WHY NOT.
I bought the dress as a clothing goal before many of you were born, and it’s been packed away for twenty years as I inched farther and farther away from that goal. I finally managed to get on a train going in the right direction, and now finally I can wear this dress.
Changing yourself is not easy, but it is worth it. Your other option is not to do anything and keep complaining about how hard it is and keep wishing that it’ll magically happen on its own someday. How well has that worked so far?
If we don’t already know each other and you have questions, the answers are most likely here, here, here, or in my sidebar, and if you still have questions after that, my ask is always open.
Social support is so important, and if you’re like me and don’t really have family or friends who understand, the fitblr community is such an amazing resource. You guys are my rock, and I love each and every one of you. When we all move to Fitblr Island I promise I’ll throw the best beach party ever for you guys. ♥
