Rachael’s fitness journey

Hey guys! It’s me again!

In my last post, told you that I would be sharing my weight loss story with you, so today is the day!

It’s a New Year and with a new year seems to comes New Year’s Resolutions. And what is the most common New Year’s resolution?? Yep. You guessed it. To lose weight, get more fit, exercise, yadda yadda yadda. Here’s the thing. A diet won’t work. A couple of months of half-hearted effort won’t work. A pill won’t work-sorry Dr. Oz. It’s a lifestyle change. It all comes down to hard work, exercise and good choices. Trust me. I’ve been there. Standing in the dressing room in tears because the size you thought you wore won’t go over your jiggly thighs and sure as heck will not zip. Crying over the muffin top that can only be hidden by your husband’s sweatshirt. I’ve been there.

Let me tell you my story. First, I am NO expert. I am NOT a certified trainer or nutritionist. I am a woman, in her thirties, with two kids. I was tiny in high school. I was fit. I was a lifeguard, swimmer and dancer. And then, well, life happened. I started putting on weight in my twenties. I got married. I endured three and a half years of fertility treatments. I had my son and then was pregnant with my daughter when my son was 15 months old. So, I essentially was choked full of hormones for literally 6 years between treatments, pregnancy and breastfeeding. My tiny 5 foot frame was carrying around 172 pounds at my heaviest and I was wearing up to a size 14, depending on the brand. I was MISERABLE, but it took me years to finally say how SICK of it I was. I had to realize that I was no longer 17 and couldn’t eat like the active 17 year old I once was. It was time for my lifestyle change.

By the time my daughter was 3, I was ready. I started with making healthier food choices. Swapping out little things. Brown rice for white rice. Whole wheat breads. More vegetables. The big thing? PORTION CONTROL. I know it sounds so easy. It’s not. I also made the decision that I wasn’t going to completely cut everything out. If I wanted to make brownies with the kids, I did. But I only had a tiny piece. I got the taste of the brownie and yet didn’t ruin myself for the day. I adjusted my calories and my other food intake. It slowly started to come off. Pound by pound. I started dropping size by size.

I decided I was also going to get moving. Little changes moving up to weight lifting.

I am now a year and a half out and I am down 65 pounds and down to a size 0. I feel better now than I have in years. I’m in better shape now than I ever was in my twenties. And not just because my pants fit, but because I’m so much healthier. I have more energy. I’m stronger. And one of the biggest things? I’m a better influence on my kids. My kids love getting on the ground with me and doing a plank or grabbing my small weights and doing rows and curls. I love it. I’m teaching them young that it’s not just about the size of your body, but making your body strong and healthy.

I am working for a Fitness, Bikini Competition. It’s my big prize. It’s not my prize for the trophy. It’s my prize to myself for my accomplishments. I know I won’t be the fittest woman up there. Or the prettiest. And definitely not the youngest. My goal is to walk on that stage being the best me that I’ve ever been. That, my friends, is what this lifestyle change is all about. Being the best you, you can be and being a shining example for your children.

Again, I’m proud of these “after” photos, but I’m not satisfied. I have much more work to do. Id rather consider them “Progress” photos.

Do you want to join in this journey with me? I’ll post some at home workouts, recipes, workout gear fashion, tips and tricks I’ve learned along the way and I’m sure you’ll hear me venting, whining, excitement and trials and tribulations along the way.

Trust me, if I can do this, so can you! Rock it girls!

Follow me at @rachael_glamorouslymommy on Instagram or email me at Rachael@GlamorouslyMommy.com! Id love to hear about your journey, your stories, your questions and concerns!!

I’ll see y’all Friday for a Friday Fashion post!

Love,

Rachael