MY FITNESS TRANSFORMATION STORY
We all struggle with body image, tracking calories, working out, and even just knowing what we should or shouldn’t do to get results. I’ve been there and here is my complete fitness transformation story…
16 year old me in high school weighed 104lbs. As a teenager I was not happy with how my body looked. I know, crazy. At one time I would run miles and do ab exercises after school.
I married at age 17 and started birth control, I gained up to 125lbs in 6 months
After high school graduation at 18 years old I moved to Fort worth with my husband. So from 18-20 years old, I gained up to 145lbs. I realized how much I gained and I started trying to lose weight.
From 20-22 years old, I would yo-yo diet and do some kind of home circuit workouts. I never stayed consistent but was able to maintain a weight of 125-135lbs.
In 2012-2013, Husband was arrested overseas (NAVY) for raped, convicted and sentenced to 10 years in Japan prison. Lost down to 120lbs due to lack of eating.
In 2014 I started eating “clean” and doing circuit workouts at home. I lost down to 110lbs. I felt good and thought I created a lifestyle.
In 2015 I had a new boyfriend (bad relationship). I gained all the weight back up to 150lbs (the before photo shown above). In May 2016 I decided it was time to fight for me again.
From May 2016 - July 2017 I lost down to 123lbs on my own eating in a deficit, new to macros, and started lifting weights in the gym. I realized I needed accountability because I would over eat on the weekends. So I hired an online coach. He helped me stay consistent with macros and training losing down to 105lbs from July 2017 – November 2017.
I continued with this coach until August 2018. I was still eating in a deficit with a re-feed once a week trying to lose a few more pounds but I was tired and could not stay consistent and started having periods of overeating. Because of this my weight maintained and I never lost the few pounds I was trying so hard to lose. In August I decided to part ways with my coach because I felt he didn’t understand where I was mentally (not to say he wasn’t a good coach. He was, I just didn’t express my needs enough) and I so badly wanted to build muscle, I had always been trying to lose fat. My body was tired and mentally it was messing with me.
August 2018 I decided to loosen up on my nutrition, I did not track most of the time and gained about 2.5lbs a month. I trained the best I knew how and just went with the flow. I gained 10-11lbs from Mid August – Mid January 2019. I honestly think most of that was fat gain. I was experimenting on myself and it was worth the process of learning new things.
In Mid January 2019 I started a cut on my own at a very slow pace. From Mid January – May 2019. I got back down to my previous weight of 105lbs without doing tons of cardio and restoring my mental state.
In June 2019 I started a very slow reverse. During the summer months with family and friends… I loosened up on being 100% and I allowed myself to have alcoholic drinks and untracked meals. The reverse was not perfect at all but I did the best I could to get my calories up slowly.
In August 2019 I hired a coach that could guide me through a muscle building phase and then coach me through a contest prep. We started with continuing to increase my calories. Same as I was already doing except under the guidance of a coach.
In December 2019 my calories reached the highest they had ever been with little increase in body fat weighing 110lbs.
In January 2020 (currently) I am now in contest prep.
My 12 year journey has led me here. It has been a hell of a ride and well worth it. I promise you this, if you never give up you will evolve and then not only will you be better, you will feel absolutely amazing.
If you’ve ever considered hiring a coach or a personal trainer I will say, do it. Having a good coach can do wonders on your adherence to training and nutrition. Even if you know what you’re doing, a coach can be supportive and help keep you accountable. They are the outside eye looking at the things you can’t see for yourself. A coach is worth the commitment if you value your physical and mental health. I’ve been there, I’ve debated and finally I committed. It took me to the next level of ME.
Share your transformation stories in the comments, I would love to hear how far you’ve made it in your own fitness and/or mental health journey.
With love, Cass
