Need a little weight-loss motivation? Our latest Before and After story comes from one of our own POPSUGAR Select Fitness bloggers, Katrina Elle. Read her story of how she went from "self-conscious girl" to inspiring others to commit to fitness below!
Katrina: Before
POPSUGAR: What made you decide to start?
Katrina Pilkington: I have yo-yo dieted all of my life and then finally in 2010 I realized that every quick fix I tried didn't work. They did temporarily but taught me nothing about eating or working out well. I was binge eating and then not eating, I was not eating healthy but then binge drinking. I was on the road to not having a healthy life both on the outside and on the inside. I didn't have healthy relationships whether they were romantic or friendships. I needed a change. I pretty much fell to my knees in prayer one day asking for direction of what to do to get my life on a better and more positive path. I saw a commercial for Insanity and decided to take the plunge and also focus on eating more whole food nutrition. With that combination I broke a 15-pound plateau I was stuck at (after running and being at the gym) and it forever changed my life! I met my husband and so many other positive people in my life and over the course of the last five years am now a fitness coach and instructor myself working to help others build positive and happy lives who may be in a place where I once was.
PS: What's your favorite way to work out?
KP: I absolutely love using my own body for both strength and cardio for harder bouts of work and for shorter durations, Insanity is my soulmate workout!
PS: What's your weekly exercise schedule?
KP: I usually teach eight or so classes a week myself ranging from boot camp to PiYo to Insanity so I blend in my own workouts at home in between with Insanity Max:30. I usually work out in the morning four times a week on my own.
Katrina: After
PS: How do you keep workouts exciting?
KP: I have a plethora of workouts at home that I do via DVD and then also when I teach - I get creative with bootcamps to keep class fun and it also challenges me to do varying workouts to get inspiration from.
PS: How much weight have you lost?
KP: Total, I've lost 45 pounds.
PS: What was the first big difference, other than the number on the scale, that really made you feel proud and excited?
KP: I feel that I am most proud of the fact that I've now transitioned into making fitness my full-time career. I went from being the quiet, negative, sheltered, self-conscious girl to someone who works to set the example for others.
Katrina: After
PS: How do you track your weight loss?
KP: I start with how my clothes fit and how I feel and weigh myself once a month. Inches, to me, matter more than pounds.
PS: What's a typical day of meals and snacks?
KP: I usually start my morning with Shakeology and fruit, then a morning snack of veggies and carbs mid morning. Lunch is usually lean protein with broccoli and rice, with an afternoon snack on the go between classes and then dinner! Quest bars and Happy Squeeze are favorite snacks I take with me in my gym bag.
PS: What's the range of calories you eat per day?
KP: With classes I can eat upwards of 1600-1800 and on days I don't teach I stick around 1300.
PS: What are the healthy staples that are always in your fridge?
KP: We always have seasonal fruits and veggies, prepped starches and meats for the week, and almond milk (unsweetened) in our fridge.
Katrina: After
PS: How do you strategize meals?
KP: We usually take sunday afternoons to meal prep. We cook chicken in the crockpot, make ground turkey, cook basmati rice in the rice cooker with a veggie in the steamer above, and then roast a few veggies. During the week it makes lunches and meals easier than making new meals daily with us being on the go.
PS: What advice do you have for anyone starting out on a weight-loss journey?
KP: My biggest piece of advise is to NOT GIVE UP things all up front. Take time to substitute a few foods and incorporate more water. Slowly adjust meals and focus on eating whole foods. If you deprive yourself up front and feel you're making a huge change that's intimidating, you may be more apt to feel overwhelmed. Instead, make smaller changes little by little and be sure to have supportive people around you who know your goals to keep you focused.
Do you have an inspiring Before and After story to share? Message us on Facebook, and give us a few details of your journey. We might even profile you on the site!
from POPSUGAR Fitness http://ift.tt/1A7MtVe
