Mind Over Matter

I’m being vulnerable by sharing some personal information about my past, but my objective is to inspire anyone who feels stuck on their weight loss journey. This is me, circa 2008.

I was the heaviest I had ever been because of my awful habits. I wasn’t on a normal sleep schedule, I was drinking almost every night and was constantly eating out. I didn’t take the time to cook for myself (I honestly didn’t really know how). It was not a flattering time in my life. I truly despise that picture above (besides my Dad and sister, of course)…

In 2009, I made a big move in my career, which completely changed my lifestyle. I moved away from my friends and was running my own business. I was constantly working, I didn’t eat very often, and because I didn’t know anyone in my new area, I figured I would obtain a gym membership to stay busy. I made time to go to the gym before I started my day, around 5:30am. I lost about 15 lbs that year.

In 2010, I was introduced to “Adderall”, a prescription medication that helped me to “stay focused”. I stopped going to the gym because this medication caused me to lose my appetite and when I tried to workout I became really dizzy & got awful chest-pains. This medication caused me to lose another 10-15 lbs. Even though I knew it probably wasn’t good for me, I continued to take it.

This was me in 2010 & 2011:

I heard from people really close to me that I was “too skinny”, but I also heard that I looked great. Of course I loved being the smallest I had ever been in my adult life, it was really freaking cool.

In 2012, my boyfriend at the time (my now husband and business partner with KW Fitness) found out that I was taking Adderall and immediately encouraged me to stop taking it. He knew it wasn’t good for me and insisted that I didn’t need it.

I was really stubborn about stopping and got annoyed that he even asked me to. I didn’t realize I was addicted, so it took a while. With his encouragement, the power of prayer and my own will-power, I was finally able to get rid of it.

In a few months, I gained another 10 lbs back. This happened to be the year we got married.

The following year, I changed careers completely. I took a work-from-home position, in which my lifestyle became very sedentary. Even though I worked out a few times a week, I wasn’t consistent with my fitness & nutrition habits. I ended up gaining 15 lbs over the course of 2014. I was back to my “heaviest-ever” weight.

In January 2015, I was fed up with it. I hated the way that I looked and felt!! I kept telling my husband (who is a fitness professional, mind you) that I “couldn’t get skinny again without Adderall”. Of course, he said it was ridiculous and helped me to get into a healthy workout and eating routine. I started following a consistent workout program, working out during my lunch breaks, in February 2015. I also stopped eating sweets, watched my pasta & bread intake, and I substituted 1 meal a day with a meal replacement shake. From February to August I lost 30 lbs- the RIGHT way. I’ve maintained my weight since, I have more energy and focus than ever, I’m STRONG and I feel AMAZING! I’m NEVER going back because I have developed awesome, maintainable habits. I actually eat MORE food now than I did before!

There are ALWAYS excuses to make. In fact, I’ve made them myself. Here are some of my favorite excuses:

“I don’t have time to workout”

Really?! You don’t have time to sleep, watch Netflix, read this blog, stalk strangers on social media, etc? The busiest people MAKE the time to workout. It’s one of the most important appointments you can make for yourself!

“I can’t stop eating (insert favorite type of) food! I grew up eating it!”

For real?! Do you have any idea what the human brain is capable of?! Your mind is RIDICULOUSLY powerful and you can do ANYTHING if you want it badly enough.

“I can’t afford to eat healthy/workout”

Interestingly, my husband and I have spent less on groceries than we did before we started being more health conscious. We aren’t going out to eat as often or making tons of trips to the grocery store because we plan ahead. I look at it as a transfer of funds. Not to mention, it’s inevitable that if we don’t invest in our bodies now, we end up paying for them later. You’re either going to spend the money now on your health and wellness or you’ll spend it later on medications and hospital bills. Which would you rather invest in?

AND My recent favorite one is “you’re lucky, you’re married to a personal trainer”!

FYI, I AM lucky. I’m extremely blessed. I have an amazing husband. And without his guidance with a fitness program I probably wouldn’t have hit my goals. However, we are really only able to workout maybe once a week together- and even that doesn’t always happen because of our busy schedules. My progress was made because I chose to make the time in my schedule. I chose to be conscious of what I put into my body.

The point is, I’m a pretty stubborn human being. I’ve always fluctuated with my weight, so the fact that I have been able to maintain for almost 3 years now says a lot! The point is… if I can do it, anyone can do it. The tools and the resources are out there! We live in an amazing time where any knowledge or help that we need is right at our fingertips. People have already figured out what works. We all know what’s good for us and what’s not good for us. It’s all about making the decision to change, planning what we need to do (if you don’t know how to plan it out, find someone who does!) and putting that plan into action.