As long as I can remember, in my eyes and according to medical BMI charts, I’ve been overweight. The only time I looked cute in a 2 piece bathing suit was when I was a toddler. I remember crying in 5th grade because a classmate of mine called me fat. I remember not being able to perform as well as my classmates in physical fitness tests in grade school. I remember not making the cut for sports teams in middle school and high school. All through my life, I tried different diets to lose weight.

I’ve tried Weight Watchers, the Atkins diet, nutritionist visits with a diet she put me on,  Lean Cuisines, endless hours of cardio and nothing ever worked for the long run. I would achieve weight losses (which was great) then I would plateau and eventually gain it back and add more. I can distinctly remember crying in a dressing room, wishing I could look like my friends And praying that I would somehow magically be able to look different. I think it was in late 2011 where I couldn’t take it anymore. I hired a trainer, which I had for a couple of months. In August 2012, I tried the HCG diet, which in my opinion, wasn’t completely healthy and slightly dangerous. I was taking HCG drops and eating 500 calories per day. I know this sounds absurd, but I wanted SO BADLY to change my body. I wanted to see a different person in the mirror. In March 2013, I paid a hefty amount of money for an online trainer based out of California. I had seen progress pictures of his clients and I decided I wanted to see what my body would do in his 12 week program. I successfully finished the program, transformed my body in 12 weeks but still was left in dissatisfied with my final results. This trainer would avoid communication, charge for any piece of information asked of him and even was rude and talked down to me. I swore I would never again use his “services”.

Summer 2013, I started “shopping” for my next trainer. I knew what I wanted and needed the right trainer to guide me, push me, educate me and encourage me to be a better version of me. I’ve never wanted to be skinny. I just want to be healthy, fit and be happy to see the reflection in the mirror. Finding my former high school classmate and friend Lauren Austin has been my biggest fitness blessing ever. I’ve been with her for less than a year to date and I have seen and felt awesome changes in my body. I enjoy lifting weights. I love seeing different muscles and feeling them grow. She’s taught me so much about fitness and nutrition. I enjoy our workout sessions and she pushes me when I think that 1 more rep is just unreal. But it happens. Every workout, every time.

Thank you Lauren for believing in me, giving me a chance and pushing me every time. Im proud to call you my trainer. My fitness journey has been a long one and I’m no where near being done, but I’m trusting the process. It’s a slow process, but ill be patient and see how much passion, will power and drive I have.