My "Transformation"

When I say my "transformation", I use the term loosely because I didn't really didn't have a lot of body fat to lose. When my husband left for his summer deployment in 2012, I set some goals to eat healthy and work out hard to keep myself busy. It just so happened I lost a few pounds and gained some lean muscle along the way. 

Was it easy? Heck no. Temptation was everywhere. It still is. We live in a society where we are surrounded by unhealthy food choices. We are constantly bombarded by tempting treats.  

The secrets for success are really no secrets at all: hard work, dedication, commitment and sacrifice. Anything short of that is a compromise, and you're only cheating yourself. What it comes down to is, how bad do you really want it and are you willing to do what ever it takes to accomplish your goals?

Over a four month period, this is how my "transformation" went down: 

I kept a journal of everything I ate. 

I measured and prepared every meal.

I ate 5 to 6 small meals every 2 1/2 to three hours. 

My meals consisted of: 

Protein (fish, chicken, extra lean ground turkey or egg whites), green veggies & complex carbs (Yams, brown rice, or rice cakes). 

Healthy fats such as almonds, avocados, peanut butter, olive oil. 

Fruit and a shit load of green veggies! 

To drink, I had green tea and I would have a gallon of water everyday. 

I did have a cheat meal once a week, and there was a time frame where I would only allow myself a cheat meal once every two weeks. I'm not gonna lie, I did have a soda from time to time. :) 

My Workouts:

I worked out 6 times a week. They weren't half assed workouts either. When I worked out, I would go all out. I went above and beyond my comfort zone. My focus was on HIIT (High intensity interval training) and weight lifting. 

For the first month of my journey I went to the gym Monday, Wednesday and Friday. My schedule looked like this:

Monday- Legs, Glutes, Abs & HIIT 

Tuesday- Bodyweight exercises

Wednesday- Biceps, Back, Abs & HIIT 

Thursday- Shoulders

Friday- Chest, Triceps, Abs & HIIT 

Saturday- Full body-weight exercises

Sunday- Rest

Months two and three I was in California visiting family where I didn't have gym access so I did a lot interval training. I ran sprints on the track, ran up and down stairs, I ran HILLS. In between intervals I would immediately do body-weight exercises (push ups, squats, lunges, burpees etc.), and I took very little rest in between sets. 

There ya have it, that's how my "transformation" happened. Now the hard part is maintaining this lifestyle. I'm not as strict with my workouts and diet now but I do eat healthy. It's a lifestyle that I have adapted to and would like to keep it for the rest of my life. 

I live the fit life not only for myself but for my children. Just think how many lives, how many generations even, one mom can affect by taking care of herself by healthy eating and exercising. Every time I run in a race, the look on their faces is priceless. As if they look up to me and are proud of what I do. It makes all my hard work, worth it.

Fitness is a lifestyle that is consistent day in and day out - not something that is thrown off to the side when the going gets tough. Before you make an excuse of why you can't, stop and remember those who succeed to find a way so that they can. Be strong, stay consistent, push through the bad times and you will emerge stronger than ever! (That goes for anything in life).