I remember the exact moment when I knew I needed to make a change in my life. People always assume that my weight loss transformation happened after I had my daughters. But the truth is, I was at my heaviest when I was in my mid 20’s. I was in college and my eating habits were horrible. I went out all the time and drank alcohol almost every night. I had zero respect for my body and it showed. Until one night when all my girlfriends were getting ready to go out and we all met at my house for cocktails before going dancing at Senor Frogs. I couldn’t find a single thing that fit me. The only clothing I had that fit me was denim overalls. No lie. Humongous, denim overalls. I’ve never felt so low in my life. I cried right there on the floor in my bedroom and refused to go out with my friends that night. How did this happen? How did I let it get so bad? I was almost 170 pounds and at 5’1, that’s a lot of weight for this little shorty to carry around. Here I was in the prime of my life (or so I thought) and I was the most miserable anyone could ever imagine. 

It was at the exact moment that I realized that I needed to make a change. Something had to change in my life or else I would remain miserable like this forever and that’s not the kind of person I am. Most importantly though, this change was about me getting happy with myself again, on the inside. Of course I wanted to look good on the outside and lose a ton of weight…but my ultimate goal was to be happy with the person I was. I hadn’t been truly happy with myself in a very long time. 

So, I set out on a fitness journey. I read every MuscleMag and Oxygen magazine that I could get my hands on. Social media wasn’t as prevalent back then so there weren’t 1000 personal trainers online offering their fitness services back then. So, I went old school. I read every magazine and every book I could get my hands on. I went to health and fitness expos and bodybuilding competitions. I taught myself how to eat properly to reach my health and fitness goals and I joined a gym because those Tae-Bo home workouts (although super cool) could only take me so far in this journey! Shockingly enough, a few months into this plan I was starting to see real changes. My body was evolving. Suddenly I was choosing healthy food options everywhere I went and never missing a class at the gym. I was scheduling my workouts into my day so I wouldn’t miss a single session. And then suddenly…I was completely addicted to working out, eating healthy and making progress! You slowly realize what kind of potential you have at creating the  best version of you possible and suddenly…there’s no stopping you. I wasn’t going to let anything get in my way again!

So…here I am, 15 years late and I continue to make positive changes in my fitness level. Since that initial weight loss transformation, I gave birth to two amazing daughters and with each pregnancy, I was always so fearful that I would revert back to my old ways after they were born. It’s so much easier to just fall back into the bad habits. Eating whatever you want, not working out and not being accountable to a structured program. But thankfully, the reminder of what I accomplished the first time really helped me visualize what I wanted for my future self. I wanted my BEST SELF. Not just for me but for my family. If mama’s not happy, no one is happy. So, I must do what needs to be done to make sure that I’m living and creating the best version of me.

It’s taken time but I have learned how to balance my fitness life with my day-to-day life. I’ve learned that balance and consistency go hand in hand in maintaining the life I love. It’s possible to have it all but you have to be willing to work and be accountable for your actions. If you can do those things correctly, creating the best version of YOU is a piece of cake. Mmmmm….cake.