Sharing my Personal Progress Story

I thought long and hard about whether I wanted to share my progress pictures.  It made me feel vulnerable for showing a side of me that was fragile (before getting my dream body).  But then I smacked myself for even thinking that way!  I am imperfect and that is how God made me! Be Confident in your skin!  I never want to be content. I always want to improve and change for the better.  So here I am, being vulnerable, and sharing with you my journey…with the hopes of clearing the air about a few common myths and to inspire you on your walk of life. Healthy is Happy!

In the beginning….jk….in August 2012 I realized I had to do something about my body. Like most people, my weight has fluctuated over the years.  In 2005 I was stick thin, then I gained the freshman 10, then I lost it plus more and was super thin by 2008, then I gained it back during grad school in 2010, and finally landed in 2012 at an all time high. I was unhappy and had to do something about it.  I no longer wanted to base my progress on my weight because I realized the importance of body composition. So I decided to set the goal of competing in a Bikini competition in 2013 in order to get my butt in gear.  I began a nutrition program and training program that I personalized for myself and modified as needed (with the help of my amazing nationally qualified NPC Physique competitor boyfriend♥).  I monitored by progress by taking progress pictures every 2-4 weeks and measuring my body fat & inches (not so much my weight on the scale).

What I am most proud about is I made this progress in a 100% healthy way.  It was not done by starving myself. In fact, I ate more and more often than I ever have in my entire life!  It was not done my spending hours upon hours on the treadmill.  Instead, it was done the safe and healthy way- little by little.  Learning how my body works and reacts to certain foods/exercises was such a great learning experience!

So I share my progress pictures below to prove a few things:  1)  Even if you aren’t losing tons of weight on the scale, you can still drop body fat drastically due to change in your body’s composition. I maintained weight until the last 2 weeks of training because I was losing fat but gaining muscle.  2) A slow and steady change is healthier and will last more long term than a fast fix.  3)  Your body greatly impacts your happiness and confidence.  4)  Your abs are made largely by a clean diet…mine didn’t come in until the last week before the show!  5)  Everyone is unique and your training/nutrition should be treated so accordingly.  6)  It is a hard and grueling process, but it is so worth it!  7) Use progress pictures and how you feel to determine your success, not the scale!  8) There is no better day than today to start making healthy lifestyle changes…GO FOR IT  🙂   *click on picture to enlarge*