You wanna
know what my secret to being thin is? Knowing what it’s like being fat! Now, I
am not talking obese by any means, but fat, out of shape, and down in the dumps
– yes. Those of you who know the current
me, are thinking, “What are you talking about you little size 4 twit? You don’t know the first thing about being
overweight.” (I actually had a personal training client mutter these words in
the midst of her say 20th rep of jump squats; I think it was the
jump squats talking). Well, contrary to
what you see today, that was not the case for a brief and hope-to-be-forgotten
stage of my life in my late 20’s. I
breached the scale, pushing past 200 pounds and topping at a size 16. Almost to the point of no longer being able
to shop at regular clothing stores, I finally said “enough is enough!!!” I am
tired of being tired, lazy, sluggish, and overweight. And so my journey began….
Now there
are those people who love to exercise and those who HATE to exercise. I am
fortunate to be one of the people who love it.
I simply had a period of time in my life where it, among other things
like my waistline, went AWOL. I was one
of those kids and teens who could eat whatever I wanted, ran cross country,
tried every sport out there and maintained a 5’7” frame around 100 lbs of sheer
lean, muscle. Then came love, and
marriage, and then you guessed it, 2 baby carriages!! I had my kids back to
back, 13 months apart, but still managed to lose all the weight I gained with
both minus about 5 pounds, got back to running, the gym, even got my Pilates
certification and starting teaching.
Life was good and all were happy.
Over the course of the next 5 years, life happened. We moved, I changed jobs to cover the new, big
house we bought, our kids were busy with activities and life, and so was I. I
committed the cardinal sin, rule #1, that I preach to my clients: TAKE TIME FOR
YOU. The only time I took time for was
crashing my head on the pillow at night.
How could I have 2 babies, work full time, and manage to work out and
now 3 years later it doesn’t seem feasible?
So I did what anyone would do with no time on their hands: EAT! I didn’t
just eat, I ate!! I baked, I consumed, and I barely lifted a finger
fitness-wise. This downward spiral took
place over about a 2 year period, making me more fat and more miserable with
myself as the days went on. When Lane Bryant and Jenny Craig starting
called, it was time to make a change.
I started
first with getting my butt moving again, dusted off the old treadmill, and away
I went. I signed up for boot camps,
classes, 2 gym memberships, and a personal trainer. The pantry got a major overhaul, no more 10pm
brownie baking, and the chips went bye-bye. Over the course of a year, I had
lost about 40 of the 70 pounds I had gained but still had a way to go. Life started to get easier; we dumped the
new, big house for a smaller one, in an awesome neighborhood conducive to
walking and fitness. My kids were
regulars at the gym day care, they watched Blue Clues while I ran on the
treadmill or lifted weights beside them, and joined us for walks and bike
rides. The weight slowly started coming off again,
and 3 personal trainers, many boot camps and classes later, I hit my goal
weight.
After going
through a very pivotal moment in my life, I really wanted to be able to help
people overcome the same issues I dealt with.
I got my personal training certification and did just that. I know what its like to get obsessed over
food, to have life take over for you, and to put yourself last. I will say that what makes me a better
person, mom, and wife now, is putting myself first. As you know, “if Momma ain’t happy, nobody
is!” Now a believer of 90% clean
eating, 10% indulgence, I can say I feel very complete in the food realm, even
without my weekly brownies. I was able to lose another 10 pounds through
teaching 4-5 Barre Fusion classes, 3 boot camp classes, and walking/running
weekly. I lift weights, I love to box,
I love to dance, and I try to find time to do it all. Do I
wish I never had gained all that weight? Sure I do. I wish I didn’t have the extra stretch marks,
not-so-taut skin, and the extra spider veins. But being overweight taught me
what I have to do the rest of my life to stay healthy, in shape, and proud of
the body I live in. I keep moving every
day to keep myself doing just that. Do I work my ass off (literally) to stay
thin?? You betcha. Is it worth it? Every
second J
My 5 Mantras for Life & Fitness
· Move your ass every day – it will thank you
later!
· Don’t drink your calories, unless it’s
Friday.
· Step away from the ab machine and hit the
floor – your own body weight gets the job done just as good.
· Do something every day for yourself, even if
it’s taking a longer shower or the long way home for some extra “me” time.
· Love the body you have, it’s the only one you
are going to get
xxo,
Rachel
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