3 Years & Still Going Strong

Today is June 1, 2014 & this is my 3 year anniversary of my journey to a healthier me. 3 years ago today, June 1, 2011, I started my weight loss journey. I signed up for weight watchers. I had done weight watchers in high school and lost some weight before college, so I decided to sign up online. I didn't tell anyone what I was doing, not even my closest friends and family. I didn't want to hear or see the looks (come on people you know those looks) others would give me. Or the eyes rolling like what is she doing. I am a very private person, it may not seem like it by the fact that I do post a great deal about myself on my instagram, twitter, facebook, health and fitness page, or blog. But I have and always will be introvert.

I was unhappy at 220 pounds (and yes I have never really said publicly how much I weighed). I was short of breath, miserable, when I looked in the mirror (and WHEN was a big IF) I hated everything I saw. I hated the person I was becoming, I hated me because I was not happy. I needed a change. Because I am an introvert, I kept my start of weight watchers again. My family is my biggest supporters but they are also my biggest critics. I didn’t want to me the talk of everything, I didn’t want to hear all the negativity, I didn’t want to see the ones I loved most roll their eyes at me or get those looks that I always got when I would walk in the room. (and I don’t mean good looks from others, it was like looks that made you feel worse about yourself). 

When you first start something new, there is always the fear of the unknown. The fear of “will I fail”. For me, as I look back at my beginning, I don’t remember being fearful. I kind of just put my head down and just went for it. Go big or go home right? Well my journey hasn’t been all gumdrops and lollipops. There have been some uphill climbs and some downhill rolls.

I followed the weight watchers point system and thank goodness for having an iphone and the ww application because that was perfect for me to keep track of what I was eating and making sure I was on track. I went to the gym 6 out of 7 days a week. I would work out on the stair climber and elliptical as well as spin class. I would spend on average probably 45 to 60 minutes at the gym each day. I made it a routine and habit.

Over the course of the next 6 months, the pounds started to just melt off. I was really focused but just wanted to feel better about myself. By November 2011, I had lost 50 pounds. My goal was 50 pounds! I had hit my goal, now it was time for a new goal. My next goal was to maintain my weight. Now at 170, I was petrified of gaining weight. I had lost weight previously and never kept it off. So now I was on a mission to continue this healthier lifestyle I had created for myself. Yes, I CREATED FOR MYSELF. I did it for myself. I didn’t let anyone bring me down and I didn’t want to fall off the path.

While my goal was to maintain my weight loss of 50 pounds, another goal I had was I wanted to compete in a triathlon (swim, bike, run race). Now running was and is not one of my strong suits. So I started to run with my dad. My dad is one of my biggest supporters and the best running/workout partner ever! We trained for the running portion. Swimming was always one of my strengths! I was continuing spin classes and outdoor cycling. While I was training for my first triathlon, I lost another 20 pounds. So now you are probably doing the math…that is 70 pounds! 70 pounds lost, 70 pounds gone, 70 pounds I NEVER want to see again.

In Sept. 2012, I competed in my first triathlon. It was one of the most exciting experiences of my life. I have to say that not in my wildest dreams did I ever think that I would have come so far. After I ran across the finish line, I had that racers high and I wanted to compete in another triathlon.

Over the course of the next three quarters of a year, I was training for my second triathlon and I wasn’t seeing the results I wanted. I had continued with the weight watchers point system. I was working out like crazy but just wanted more. The goal had been a constant, I wanted to maintain my weight loss.

I competed in my second triathlon in May, 2013. This triathlon was a longer distance on all legs of the race. I thought I was in great shape, I had trained hard but on the run, I struggled! So after the race, I did my research, I had seen all the infomercials of p90x and I wanted to try it.

June 15, 2013, just two years after I had started my weight loss journey, I became a beachbody coach. I drink Shakeology daily, do those workouts such as p90x, t25, insanity, 21 day fix, and brazillian butt lift. I had never seen such amazing results in such a short amount of time. I was hooked. There is nothing better than when you look in the mirror and love what you see. For so many years, I didn’t even look into the mirror, I didn’t love the person I was or the person I saw staring back at me.

I was selected to run in the Nike Women’s DC Half Marathon at the end of April, 2014. Man oh man, have I come a long way from that unhappy and unhealthy 220 pound girl, just struggling to get by. Now as you all have read and heard, running is not my thing but you know what you can do anything if you just put your mind to it. You can achieve anything from here to the moon and back with a little hard work, dedication, determination, consistency, and motivation. I even worked out with Shaun T, yes THE SHAUN T! It was probably one of the hardest workouts I have ever done in my entire life but I LOVED every minute of it. Oh and I get to work out with him again at the Beachbody Coach Summit in Vegas in a few weeks, as well as Tony Horton, Chalene Johnson, Leandro, and Autumn Calabrese.  If you told that 220 pound girl that she would compete in two triathlons, a half marathon, and workout with Shaun T, and would have the opportunity to work out in VEGAS with the top trainers, she would have rolled her eyes, said something like you are out of your mind, and would have went right for the potato chips. But this girl 3 years down the road of leading a healthier lifestyle, says bring anything on! I am up to the challenge. Every day is not easy, every day is not a successful workout, but every day is a new beginning, a new day to get it right, a new day to continue to be healthy.

 

Now 3 years down the road and 3 years still going strong, I may have packed on a few pounds here and there but I have also gained muscle from doing various programs but I am happy. I love myself. I love the person that weight loss has made me. I love that I see my potential and all that I have to offer. I love that I dream a little bigger. I love that I am not afraid of the unknown and that I live my life fearlessly and to the fullest. I surround myself with people who boost me and make me better person. I realized in the past, I didn’t have the best friends or the friends that had my best interests in mind. I realized that people used me. But now, with a new found me, it’s a totally different story!

While I have lead this healthy lifestyle, my family has picked up on the lifestyle that I live. Its great that my weight loss journey had such a positive effect on the ones that I love the most! 

So you might be thinking, what is your new goal, now that you are 3 years strong? And my current goal, is to help others achieve all their health and fitness goals. While my journey in my mind wasn’t that hard and I always think that it really wasn’t much but looking back it was. I overcame so many obstacles. I found out what I was made of. I wanted to help others to find themselves and to lead healthier lives. I want others to experience what I have experienced. I want others to say I am a half marathoner and I would have never thought I would get here.

No matter where you are in your life, I want you to know you are not alone. You have me, you have other weight loss survivors and those on their own weight loss journey to be supporters!  You will have your good days and bad days but remember: food never tasted as good as healthy feels. Stay strong!

See you in a year for my 4 year update because I WILL BE HERE IN 1 YEAR AND I WILL BE ACHIEVING ALL MY HOPES AND DREAMS! But between now and next year, I look forward to helping some of you lead healthier lifestyles! 

Have a Happy & Healthy Day

Love, Nicole

nkeating24@comcast.net