My Transformation Story

I just want to take a few minutes and share with everyone my personal fitness story.  It's not very dramatic, but I hope someone can relate to it.  Each month I want to feature someones personal story.  So...if you have a story you want to share just post a comment and I will contact you.

So...I'm going to go back a little ways.  Growing up I had always been active.  I was a cheerleader for 8 years (that includes 5th and 6th grade).  It was something that I really enjoyed doing.  It was easy to stay active.  Once I graduated from high school my activity level dropped.  I married my best friend one year after high school graduation.  My active lifestyle combined with eating low fat foods and diet soda went to a non-active lifestyle  and eating twinkies and drinking regular soda filled with sugar.  At first I didn't notice much change.  It was when I stepped on the scale on day and saw that I had gained nearly 20 pounds in a short amount of time.  I didn't even notice the changes.  It didn't make me change though.  This was me making a bad decision and I kept repeating it.  You don't notice the changes after one day, or two.  It took me months before I noticed the bad change.

After being married for a year in a half I got pregnant.  We all know what happens.  You eat what you want and gain "baby" weight.  I gained an additional 42 pounds.  I was already about 25 pounds overweight at that time.  Once my son was born I started exercising at home.  I also started drinking slim fast.  It didn't taste good, but I lost all my pregnancy weight in a few short months plus another 5.  I quit working out after that.  I got bored with the same workout and I really didn't like the taste of slim fast.

My weight stayed where it was at for the next few months until I got pregnant with baby #2.  This time I didn't eat as much.  I gained 35 pounds.  That is the highest recommended weight.  But this time I couldn't drink slim fast.  It grossed me out.  So...I didn't really change my eating habits.  I started working out at Curves.  This was a great way for me to start working out.  I went for 30 minutes and started at anytime of the day.  I would usually go up there when my mom went.  It was helpful to have someone to talk to when working out.  Time would go by much faster.  Now I think Curves is great, but after a while it was still the same thing over and over again for me.  I get bored very easily.  So...after a two years I quit my membership.  I didn't really go much after the first year either.  I did lose all of my "baby" weight again plus an additional 5 pounds, but I quit working out again.

So...now on to baby #3.  I know if I don't exercise I'm going to regret it.  When I was six months preggo with him we decided to join the local YMCA!  I started my doing 5 minutes on the elliptical, 5 minutes walking on the treadmill, and 5 minutes on a bike.  For me I felt like I had a good workout.  It wasn't bad, but I needed more.  Eventually I built up to 20 minutes on the elliptical and did some light weight training.  I thought that was all I needed.  I wasn't seeing to much progress though.  I did feel better and knew it was good for my pregnancy.  After my 3rd son was born I went back to the Y and continued the same workout schedule on and off for about 9 months.  When he was 9 months old I took my first group fitness class there  (I had some previous group exercise experience since my mom use to teach group fitness).  Once I started taking classes I got hooked.  I loved it.  I lost all my weight plus more and continued to work out.  I found something I enjoyed and I was making friends too.

My daughter after she was born.

By the time I got pregnant with baby #4 (last one) I was a fitness instructor.  I really loved working out. I exercised throughout my pregnancy.  I was at a healthy weight for the first time in all of my pregnancies.  I gained 30 pounds.  Teaching classes was a great tool for me.  I knew I couldn't miss class.  That was motivation for me.  I thought if I didn't start teaching then I would get busy and quit again.  I have followed the same pattern for years.  I wanted something that was going to stick.  After my daughter was born I continued exercising.  It still took me a little bit of time, but the weight came off through exercise.

My last child is now 2 1/2 years old.  I have been working out on a normal routine for 4 years now.  Sometimes I still fear slipping into my old ways.  It is easy to do nothing.  It is also easy to set some time aside to make yourself healthy.  It's not just about being skinny.  It's about being strong, taking care of your bones, lungs, heart.  Exercise helps prevent many cancers and diseases too.  No one should ever feel selfish for taking a small portion of their day to better their bodies.

I still work on my eating habits.  I do eat much better than what I used to.  I am eating more fruits and vegetables (which is good for me because I am very picky).  I don't eat as much sugar either.  I have cut out most soda.  I do still have a soda about once a week.  Drinking Shakeology has really helped my cravings for sweets.  It fuels my body with a lot of nutrition. It is also great for a meal replacement for those on the go days.  Which for me are all the time.  It saves me money too because I am spending less on a shake than I am for a fast food meal.   For more information about shakeology check out www.shakeology.com/gloriajonesfit .

I still have areas I need to work on.  I will always have a treat from time to time.  It just has to be in moderation.  I have learned how to read nutrition labels.  It starts with baby steps.  You can't get up one day and change completely.  Take one thing and master it.  Once that is mastered pick something else.  I started out with 5 minutes at a time.  Took breaks.  Now I have built up to running marathons.  Maybe a marathon is not your ultimate goal.  That's okay.  You need to have a goal in front of you though.  Write it down.  Put it in front of you.  Have a date to reach that goal by so you have to start working towards it.  Make it a SMART goal.  Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-Bound.

Earlier I said I had made a bad decision, and repeated it over and over.  You don't always notice at first.  It may take years before your health crashes down and you are diagnosed with diabetes.  Luckily, that didn't happen to me.  But I made the change.  I started small.  I made one good choice everyday.  I kept making better choices.  Over time my health improved.  I was losing weight.  I didn't notice right away.  It was a process.  It took time.

I want you to know that it is not too late.  If your still breathing you still have a chance to change your lifestyle.  Baby steps.  A baby doesn't give up trying to walk after falling down.  It gets up and tries again, and again, and again.  Then in a couple of weeks they are up and running.  Don't give up.  YOU CAN DO THIS!!!  I am here to help you.  Leave a comment and I will get back to you.