Mary is a newlywed and a personal trainer who, through hard work, transformed her body. She has kept the weight off for over 6 years and has developed quite the physique!  Mary loves, “REALLY! I LOVE IT!” , lifting weights and training for life and competition in figure shows. Mary lives in the city of Minneapolis right by miles of city lakes, so she love to run those also.

In addition,  Mary also enjoys knitting and reading and COOKING! She has been with her husband about 16 months, married about 8 of those months, and has an adorable 6 year old stepson with whom she enjoys reading and drawing mazes. “He is fantastically creative!!” she exclaims! Last but not least, she has 2 cats who never pitch in and help with the dishes.

Mary writes a faith and fitness blog, Fit this, girl! and is a co-leader of the womens ministry at her church, The Exchange Church Minneapolis!  

Girl Hero Mary

Ma

You lost 40 pounds! How does your lifestyle now compare to then?  In other words how is your before weight loss story different than your after story?

I was really in the throws of depression and quite simply low self esteem and it was a spiral that took my weight and health down. I was up and down, very uneven. My lifestyle changed with my emotions and there was no consistency at all! Sticking to a healthy lifestyle took a bit to adapt to and to create habits around, but I simply kept doing the same things over and over, but this time, they were HEALTHY things. I joined a gym and made sure that I used it three days a week a the least, I had joined weight watchers and counted points day in and day out, I took advantage of those lakes and ran those when I could. But, even when I over ate or missed the gym, I STILL got back up and did it over and over again. I saw change because I didn’t give up and was consistent in what I did! 

 I used food before, to an extent we all do, but I used it and let it control me! I would eat when sad, when lonely, to celebrate. I found solace in sugar, in the foods that got me high and opted for more to stay that way when I crashed! I ate way more than I should have at every sitting and ate whatever junk I wanted to. Now, I don’t let food control me, sure I mess up, but it doesn’t dictate what I do, how I feel or to keep me happy. I use food for fuel and to keep my body running as well as I can. I would never have eaten salads or healthy foods, now I eat clean most of the time. I have the occasional treat, but I plan it and plan to enjoy it.

You say the biggest obstacle you faced was yourself. Can you expand on that?

I didn’t want to succeed. I wanted to stay at my pity party, population me.  It was scary to think that I could lose weight. If I lost weight then I was succeeding and that meant that I would have to step up and LIVE up to that. I became my biggest obstacle because I was afraid of the responsibility of success, It was easier to stay a failure than to try and succeed and then be accountable to that new level. Then I would have to examine the reasons WHY I overate and over drank, I would have to examine the reasons why I had low self esteem and fear. I would have to have an accountability, even to self that I hadn’t had before.  That is not within my comfort zone.

Do you find losing or maintaining harder?

I think losing and maintaining have many of the same elements. There is a level of sacrifice, there always is. You have to workout and eat right to lose weight. Developing new habits is essential to success. Those often take sacrifice. It’s not easy, but once you reach your goal, it feels amazing. Many times when we reach the goal, we think that the journey is over. But this road is one that once we start down, we are always on. Nike says there is no finish line, I believe that, we are not through. If you are not moving forward you are moving backwards. John Wayne says that you can be on the right track, but if all you do is sit there, you will get run over. Not that we have to keep losing, but we always strive to move forward to NEW things. Getting better and better, faster, cleaner, stronger and move on to helping others. We don’t want to stop and stay where we are and  we certainly don’t want our weight or our suceses to go backwards. To Maintain doesn’t use the same tactics, but its the same mentality in that we are not “done”, there is always more to do.

What does a typical day of food look like for you when you are off season?

You know, this is only my second season of competing in figure and prior to that I was marathon running. I don’t really want to have an “off” season, I want this to be a lifestyle of eating healthy and working out. Here is what this past 18 months did look like for me. I started eating clean, because as a trainer, I wouldn’t want my clients eating the junk processed stuff I was. I actually had a co-worker trainer call me out on eating free junk food from the kitchen at the gym (go figure, right!). A close friend had told me about Tosca Reno’s Eat Clean Diet and I looked into it. I started eating clean and lifting using a split routine and my physique changed!! I ate greek yogurt with fruit for snacks, spinach salads with chicken, quinoa, fish tacos, eggs, veggies and ALL kinds of goodness. When I met my husband and we were married, I was just 2 months out from my second show and didn’t know how to jump back into normalcy of clean eating. Contest prep diets eliminate much of the healthy fruit sugars and carbohydrates that a regular clean eating diet has in it. After the wedding and honeymoon, I slipped on even regular clean eating. Add a new step son in the mix and I was licking the tuna helper off my fingers more than once a week. What it took was willpower and God power to bring back my natural gifting for discipline. I picked another show and am now working towards being on stage in June for the third time. Some trainers and competitors will gain a lot on an “off” season and then lean out for show time. I lost my 40 pounds once and I don’t aim to do it again! I don’t see anything wrong with eating full fat, healthy fats in moderation and that is usually what I do when I am not in prep mode. 

You’re a personal trainer and you also teach group fitness classes? Can you tell us a little bit about all that!!!!

In the past I have really enjoyed teaching bootcamps, kettlebells and TRX classes, currently I teach Spin!! I enjoy small group or one on one training best, because I can focus my attention on the needs or one client making sure their form and technique is proper, it makes ALL the difference to see results and gains in strength! I have worked as a personal trainer for 3 years now and it is a dream I saw come to be after a long hard road to my own health and wellbeing. 

Has getting physically stronger impacted you mentally or spiritually?

A spiritual leader in my life once told me that I had an anointing for discipline. I believe I do. Body building and weight lifting is my gifting so it helps that I excel at this. I haven’t had anything that I have felt I did as well as this or enjoyed as much. In gaining physical strength I had to dig into my will and my spirit. As a Christian and someone who walks by faith, my emotions don’t really get to play a part in this, which is a 180 from my days of emotional eating and drinking. I bring my thoughts and emotions before God and give them over to him in all their weakness and imperfection and He replaces them, He becomes my strength. I believe also that in order to train the way I want, I rely on God for strength to get through, he provides the gifting and the strength to bring me all the way.   I have gotten stronger by going to Him in my weakness and time of need: When I don’t want to go to the gym (it happens, sometimes), when I am eeking out those last few reps and sets, I do it because He has called me and equipped me. 

How do you stay motivated?

I try new exercises and even work with trainers, this way I stay excited about my plan and my muscles enjoy a new program periodically too. Same with eating, new recipes are always popping up on my pinterest and on the table. Seeing results is a big motivator and I chose performance based results often: can I lift heavier, can I run faster. When you see strength and growth that way, it really propels you forward. As a trainer I am inspired by my clients everyday and they motivate me. They work incredibly hard and I would be foolish to think that they are the only ones benefiting from the relationship, I learn so much from them and am challenged to be better.

What does a typical week of workouts look like for you?

I lift split body routines which is back/biceps, chest/triceps, shoulders and legs. Mostly because they are primary and secondary muscle splits and they will get full rest if you do it this way. So 4-5 days of lifting and 4-5 days of cardio as well. I do change it up sometimes and do push/pull days or all upper body to just spice it up. To fatigue a single muscle group and the secondary muscles with a hard and fast 40-45 min weight routine creates the perfect burn for me.  

What is your favorite exercise?

I could work shoulders ALL day. I love it. Presses, overhead or arnold presses are great and a single arm push press is a  great challenge.

Any advice for people looking to lose weight or just beginning an exercise program?

Start where you are: join a program that is easy to follow, like Weight Watchers. They teach you how to eat differently and make better choices overall. Too many drastic changes at once can leave people open to failure early on and often. Programs like Weight Watchers meets you where you are and moves you forward from there, no guilt. Join a gym and get a buddy and then stick with it! 8-12 weeks will pass before you will see true results in the direction you want, but in 6 months or a year, you can create a new person with new healthy habits and lifestyle! 

 You’re a personal trainer. How do you respond to the question, “How do I get abs?”

Diet! Build them in the gym, grow them when you rest and eat clean so they show up! Having “abs” you can see means you are eating and living lean and mean. Go after it!

Just for fun…if you could have any super power what would it be?

Maybe when I snapped my fingers, I had a Starbucks Coffee in hand? Or the ability to just beam anywhere, here in MN, it’s cold. Flying is out of the question, so beaming up, for sure. 

Thank you Mary for sharing your story with us!!!

You can connect with Mary on Facebook, Twitter, and her blog, Fit this, girl!

Hugs and High Fives,
Jenn

Keep up with my kettlebell workouts, real food recipes, and more in one of three ways! 1. Sign up to have posts emailed to your inbox. 2. Subscribe to the RSS Feed or 3. “like” Girl Heroes on Facebook. Simple dimple!

Journey with our family on the road at Newschool Nomads as we travel fulltime in RV through the United States!

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Josie is a wife, mother to four, and writer of the blog Yum Yucky.

Six years ago Josie found herself overweight, tired, and unable to play with her kids. She began a journey to get healthy. Overtime, Josie lost about 40 pounds showing us that it is consistency not perfection that counts. Personally, what I love most about Josie is her playfulness, quirky sense of humor, and her confidence to be who she is. She owns it! She is not afraid to admit that she occasionally indulges in foods that many health nuts shun or post pictures of herself with a pumpkin (or any other food for that matter) on her head. Yep, Josie is a one of a kind and she rocks!!!

Girl Hero Josie

1. How does your lifestyle now compare to your lifestyle before?

 I was a slim chick in my younger years (always called “skinny”, which I HATED!); it was that whole high metabolism thing. But once I started popping out babies, I added a little more weight with each pregnancy. Then one day I look up and I’m almost 190 pounds. Had no energy, couldn’t run and play with my kids, tired and run down, muffin top galore. Not active at all and eating WHATEVER I wanted. But now? I get up at 6am workout, I eat clean and try to move as much as possible throughout the day despite having a desk job. I allow myself a greedy treat maybe once per week. I don’t workout at the gym. Everything is done at home. I love strength training, plyometrics, and HIIT. I run occasionally (although I have a broken toe right now) and love speed rope!

2. What is the story behind your blog’s title Yum Yucky?

 The original name as supposed to be “Taste Buds”. OMG! Thank God that domain was already taken because Yum Yucky turned out to be sooo much better. So I’m taking a power walk, all bummed out about Taste Buds being taken, when I start thinking about how the whole fitness thing has it’s ups and downs. That’s when “Yum Yucky” popped into my head. Meaning, all this fitness stuff can be both Yum AND Yucky. You have good days and bad. One day you’re motivated, the next you might be feeling blah and don’t wanna workout. You wanna be greedy one day and the next, you’re back on track and doing awesome with your diet. It’s YUM YUCKY!

3. What helped you to “find balance between fitness and your greedy side”?

It happened over a period of several years. Getting things right takes practice — at least for me. I’ve had a lot of do-overs and screws up in between some very good days of fitness and healthy eating. It’s been a slow process of doing better over time and becoming more consistent that helped me find balance. I also refuse to get down on myself for loving the delectable foods in life and indulging at the right times. I actually had a big azz slice of cheesecake about an hour ago, but I won’t indulge again for probably over a week from now, and will be back at my strength training tomorrow.

4. Do you think blogging has helped you on your fitness journey? If so in what way(s)?

Blogging has helped me stay accountable to my goals. It’s also great because we have such a great community of other bloggers people that we can lean on for support and inspiration. Blogging is also a cherished hobby of mine. It’s helped me to stay laughing and has contributed to me developing disciplines that have spilled over into other areas of my life. It’s also helped me to become more goal oriented.

5. You “dedicated yourself to clean eating” in early 2011. Clearly the physical results speak for themselves how has that been mentally? Has it been a challenge?

Clean eating does wonder for speeding up your fitness progress. I didn’t realize how much I was trainwrecking my fitness effort (by only counting calorie and NOT eating clean) until I switched to clean eating. Clean eating was also a progressive thing. I can’t go back to the way I used to eat, not only because it will ruin my efforts, but also because I’m well aware of how I feel after eating certain foods. For instance, too much red meat and I feel bogged down and sluggish. Too much dairy or bread and I’m bloated. Too much sugar and I’ll get a fever blister. Too much packaged/processed foods, and I’m hungry again really fast, resulting in greater calorie intake.

6. Does your family eat the same things you do? 

The Greedy Family turns up their nose at a lot of stuff I eat. Greedy Baby actually eats healthy compared to the others, but I do get teased in fun. I introduce healthy foods to them very slowly so there’s less resistance. They tend to get a little snarky when I make a separate dinner for myself but it doesn’t bother me. I recently gave up pizza temporarily in an effort to get lean faster. They were totally bummed that I didn’t join in on the Friday pizza ritual for awhile.

7. Do you enjoy working out or is it just something you have to do? If you do enjoy it how did you get to that place?

I look forward to every single one of my workouts. Fitness has its place for my health, of course, but it’s also a hobby and an outlet me for. It’s my “me” time. On the days that I maybe wake up feeling sluggish, I push through it anyway. If I wake up late, I find SOMETHING shorter to do  – even 10 minutes or maybe some Yoga. One the days that my workout is derailed for whatever reason, I’m extra sure to eat clean throughout that entire day. It was harder to enjoy fitness when I was heavier. Progress happened very slow for me in the beginning, and it can be discouraging when results aren’t coming quickly. Just had to push through it.

8. What sort of encouragement would you offer to someone who has trouble finding balance?

Don’t overwhelm or pressure yourself. Start small by incorporating one or two small healthy changes to create a good foundation. Then, in 1-2 weeks time, once those changes are habit, add one or two additional changes into the mix. For example, I didn’t give up fast food or sugary snacks right away. But I did start counting calories to become more aware of the “cost” of food, and also gave up soda immediately. That was the foundation that led to all the other healthy changes in my life. It was a process!

11. If were stuck on a desert island (sorry for the cliche;) ) what greedy item would you bring and what healthy item would you bring?

The healthy item would be a banana and the greedy item would be pie. I don’t even really like the taste of bananas, but they’re so important to my diet and a staple item in my smoothies! The pie must be apple, pumpkin or sweet potato. Preferably, can I bring all three to the island please?

Thank you Josie for sharing your story with us!

You can find Josie on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and her blog, Yum Yucky.

Hugs and High Fives,
Jenn

Keep up with my kettlebell workouts, real food recipes, and more in one of three ways! 1. Sign up to have posts emailed to your inbox. 2. Subscribe to the RSS Feed or 3. “like” Girl Heroes on Facebook. Simple dimple!

Journey with our family on the road at New School Nomads as we travel full time in RV through the United States!

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Ashley, is a wife, mother, preschool teacher, and a girl who is “surprisingly okay” with her skinny jeans getting tight. She has been married to her husband for five years and they have two handsome boys ages 4 and 18 months.  After giving birth, Ashley decided she wanted he pre-baby body back began a quest to lose the 60 pounds she had put on while pregnant. She started with running and Pilates. Not long after her second son, she got hooked on CrossFit and hasn’t looked back! Ashley proves that there are no secrets to getting strong and lean. It’s all about a lifestyle of hard work and eating clean.  Along with CrossFit, Ashley enjoys going to the movies, photography, shopping, and concerts. For more inspiration visit Reborn Fitness!

Meet Girl Hero Ashley!

How does your lifestyle before you lost weight compare to your lifestyle now? In other words how does your before and after weight loss stories compare?

Before losing the weight I didn’t put my health and fitness as a top priority. Growing up I was always an athlete but once I got married and had babies I became inactive and gained weight! My husband and I joke about when we first got married all I would make for dinner was pizza, fish sticks and sloppy joes! Now that I healthy and especially now that I have small children to feed I am a lot more aware of the food I prepare and keep in the house. I also want to be an example to them, I often talk to my oldest about healthy food choices and getting exercise!

What does a typical day of meals look like for you?

A typical breakfast for me is a few eggs, wheat bagel thin with peanut butter, banana and a protein shake. I’ll have veggies for a morning snack like peppers or cucumbers. Lunch is a chicken salad with more veggies or leftover grilled chicken from dinner. Afternoon snack is something like nuts, veggies, or protein shake. Dinners are made at home – our favorites are chicken fajitas, grilled chicken and fresh veggies, steak, and chicken stir fry with fresh veggies.This is where we also enjoy some carbs like whole wheat pastas/rice. Basically a lot of veggies, meat and LOTS of water throughout the day.

Does your husband and kids eat the same way as you? If not how does meal time work?

We all eat the same. The kids know mommy’s rule: what mommy makes for dinner is the only option! My boys are great eaters and 95% of the time love mommy’s food! It’s important to me to give them healthy option but never do I withhold pizza, chocolate milk or cake if it’s a special occasion or party! I’ve seen kids who have never get to have sweets and then when they do get some they go crazy!

Do you still get cravings? If so how do you deal with them? 

Of course I do, I’m human!! I LOVE sweets and Coke! So I know if I buy it and keep it in the house then it’s for sure going to get eaten. I don’t even want to give myself that option so we never have pop, cookies or ice cream in the house. For a chocolate fix we love dark chocolate Hershey kisses. It’s a healthier option that is still delicious!

How do you fit in fitness with two young children? 

When I lost weight after my first son I did it all from home, not once did I step foot in a gym. When my son would go to bed I’d do a workout dvd and run a couple miles outside or on the treadmill. Then in the mornings I would run another mile or two and do pilates. After I had my second son I just couldn’t workout at 8:30 pm anymore, I was exhausted!! So I started working out straight after work when I still had some energy left in me! We also love to go on family walk together.

“At first you feel like dying. Then you feel reborn.” – Ashley

How did lifting heavy change your body?

Lifting weights definitely gave me some muscle definition! Sure, I lost weight, was down to 130 lbs but I had no muscle to show for it, just skinny arms and legs. Now that CrossFit and lifting is a part of my routine I am seeing new muscles every week it seems! I never wanted to “tone up,” I wanted MUSCLE! I am still working hard but I’m happy with the progress I’ve made in less than a year’s time. It’s getting more difficult to squeeze my thighs into my skinny jeans but I’m surprisingly ok with that!

Any current goals you are training for?

Nothing inparticular, just life and whatever comes my way! A couple weeks ago I entered into my first Olympic Lifting Meet at my CrossFit box, CrossFit Hydro. I honestly thought about backing out but I stuck to it and ended up finishing 4th out of 15! I even got a medal! So, without a doubt, I would love to compete in another! It’s been a goal of mine for the past couple years to enter into a fitness competition, that will take a lot more work though before I feel prepared for that.

What motivates you?

My reflection looking back at me in the mirror. ….is that selfish!? It’s just motivating to see how my body is changing over time.

You clearly have an amazing outter transformation! Did you notice an inner transformation as well?

Oh without a doubt! This is not a phase or a fad for me, this is my life! Sure, I have my slip ups, my binges and days where I flat out don’t feel like doing another burpee or push up!But eventually I get over it and push forward onto what I want in life. Being fit, healthy and strong is more important to me than cheeseburgers, Coke and ice cream cake! This truly is a lifestyle change for me. I make it a priority to get my butt to CrossFit, to keep healthy food in my kitchen, and keep my mind healthy at the same time.

Thank you so much for sharing your story Ashley! You are an inspiration in many ways!!!

Hugs and High Fives,
Jenn

Keep up with my kettlebell workouts, real food recipes, and more in one of three ways! 1. Sign up to have posts emailed to your inbox. 2. Subscribe to the RSS Feed or 3. “like” Girl Heroes on Facebook. Simple dimple!

Journey with our family on the road at New School Nomads as we travel fulltime in RV through the United States!

The post Girl Hero Ashley appeared first on Girl Heroes.

Kerri is a wife, homeschooling mother, and fitness fanatic.  She is the writer behind the blog FitViews where she talks about fitness, food, fit fashion, and life.  Not long after turning 30 and having  her third child, Kerri felt like her body wasn’t her own and decided to do something about it. She embarked on a healthy living journey that lead her to running, lifting heavy, and paleo.

Recently, her husband quit his job and they are pursuing their dream of creating a self sustainable farm.  They are facing many challenges but reaping even more rewards. They even have goats!!!!!! Their 4 Acres Farm blog has me thinking about what we might do when (if) we decide to stop traveling in our RV. Check it out!

Meet Girl Hero Kerri!

How does your lifestyle now compare to your lifestyle then? In other words how do your before and after weight loss stories compare?

Wow, how much time do you have?! 

I’m a different person. Completely. My husband will tell you the same. I’m not a different person because I wear a different size jeans. I’m a different person because it took changing who I was to get to the smaller jeans. For me lasting weight loss took a lot of mental and emotional work.

I used to be very negative, always expecting the worst. I hated myself. I was ashamed of myself. There was much more going on than just needing to lose weight. Food was my crutch, my medication, where I turned to numb my feelings. It was my drug, my compulsion. For me, the weight was more of a symptom of deeper problems.

I also never paid attention to myself. To how I felt. How foods affected me and made me feel. To what I needed. Beginning to pay attention was huge.

Today I’m more positive and my entire outlook on life is different. I’m more calm, confident, and peaceful. I like me. Yes, I’m more active, I eat better, I feel better, and my relationship with food is healthy, but it goes so much deeper. I’m happy.

How did you overcome your struggle with binges? Do you ever still get the urge to binge? If so what do you do with those feelings?

The biggest changes happened when I went paleo. Overall the urge just seemed greatly diminished. I think it helped that I was totally committed to eating 100% paleo the first 30 days. It’s not like I binged on meat and vegetables. 

I definitely had certain trigger foods. Eating paleo these foods no longer live in my house. I also noticed that when I was over-tired I would crave carbs and binge. I’m very protective of my sleep now. I seriously get 8 or 9 hours every night. It’s been a long road of learning to take care of me.

Now the urge is rare and much less all-consuming if it does show up. It’s more just dealing with my feelings before it gets that far. My friend Carla, aka, Mizfit, talks a lot about replacement behaviors and self soothing. I have two things I do when I start feeling stressed, sad, angry, or just upset: I make fashion sets on Polyvore or I clean (which normally I despise). Vacuuming is entirely therapeutic. I have no idea why those two things help, but they do. I can sort of just go into myself. 

Also, running keeps me sane and helps me de-stress, sometimes there’s just nothing like a good run to burn the junk out of my head. 

Again, it’s just learning how to take care of me and what I need to stay well.

You found your “I can” through running. Can you elaborate on how running changed your life?

6+ years ago I was entirely negative and down on myself. I did not believe in myself or my abilities. I didn’t view myself as capable. 

Originally I started running as a means to lose weight. Cut and dry, it was a means to an end. But then my sister in law talked me into running a 5k with her. My only goal was to run the whole way. The entire race I didn’t believe I could. The negative self talk kicked in big time. But I did it. I ran the entire thing, and that finish line forever changed me. Changed how I viewed myself. I went on to train for a marathon. Now I pretty much think I can do anything. World domination is going on tomorrow’s to do list.

You also became a fan of lifting heavy!  Yeah yeah!!! How has that affected your body?

Huge changes. Mentally and physically. I have muscle, I feel strong, I feel capable. Darran is entirely sick of my flexing.

You follow a paleo diet. Are you strict paleo? How does that work when you go out or go to dinner at a friend’s home?

I’m actually going back strict paleo for a month or so, just for a little re-set. Generally though, I do a little whey protein, some grass fed butter or half and half. Otherwise, yes, strict paleo.

For me paleo was, again, more about paying attention. I never realized how certain foods were affecting me. Dairy causes me to break out. I struggled with adult acne for years and had no idea it was my diet. Wheat and sugar make me feel like crap. Who knew?! Paleo is what works for me; I have more energy and I overall feel well eating this way.

Eating out I don’t find problematic at all. I can always find something on the menu that works. It might not be perfect, but it’ll be passable. When I go to a friend’s, or a BBQ or something it’s generally not a problem either. There’s usually meat or vegetables or fruit somewhere. I like if I’m bringing a dish, that always helps. I don’t make a big deal about it. I’ll do a bunless burger or lots of salad, whatever, to make it work. I try not to do gluten or soy at all. But if there’s ice cream for dessert, well, wouldn’t want to insult the hostess...

You love fitness fashion. What are some of your favorite brands and why?

I do. I’m sort of obsessed with fitness fashion. I’m pretty smitten with DA Active lately. I love the colors and the fabric. The quality and the fit. Oh yes, and there’s thumb-holes I’m a sucker for thumb-holes.

You and your family have recently taken on a major sustainability experiment on 4 acres, growing your own food, and raising animals. Amazing! I’m so intrigued by this idea. (It’s what I secretly want to do when we decide to go off the road.) Please tell us all about it and how is it going? Are you enjoying it? Is it hard?

My husband and I made a decision in 2011 to quit dreaming of the ever elusive “some day” and live our lives the way we wanted, now. He quit his job at the end of 2011 and we began our little experiment. 

I’m calling 2012 our practice year. We’ve had our share of failures. What can I say? We’ve learned a lot! I killed a lot of expensive heirloom seeds and got blasted by the south end of a northbound chicken…good times. But really, it’s been amazing. Sustainability will take a few years, but we are having the time of our lives on the way. Homeschooling our boys, learning about things like compost and how to feed chickens well without feeding them soy, and spending time (real time) together as a family. It’s more about the lifestyle for us.

I’m enjoying the heck out of it, and yes, it’s hard! Physically (Darran is a tinkerer, his latest thing is a pump we hand pump to water the garden. I’m going to be hugely buff soon) and every once in a while mentally. I was so hoping we’d be able to grow a lot more of our own food this first year. For a bit, I was discouraged. But then, I took a look around at my happy boys, my ornery goats, and my peaceful chickens and realized life is good and we aren’t doing half bad. 

Thank you Kerri for sharing your story with us! You are amazing and I hope you have space for an RV on your farm! I don’t mind getting dirty!

Hugs and High Fives,
Jenn

Keep up with my kettlebell workouts, real food recipes, and more in one of three ways! 1. Sign up to have posts emailed to your inbox. 2. Subscribe to the RSS Feed or 3. “like” Girl Heroes on Facebook. Simple dimple!

Journey with our family on the road at New School Nomads as we travel fulltime in RV through the United States!

The post Girl Hero Kerri appeared first on Girl Heroes.

Cherie is a personal trainer with a infectious can-do attitude. She is on a weight loss journey to lose 100 pounds and almost there!  She loves all things fitness and works out in her home gym. Cherie also enjoys thrifting, coffee, and people watching. She blogs about fitness, food, and and random things at Cherie Runs This.

Girl Hero Cherie

How much weight have you lost and how long did it take you?

I have lost 85 pounds. I began in January 2010, so a little over 2.5 years…I believe slow is the way to go!

How does your lifestyle now compare to your lifestyle then? In other words, how do your before and after weight loss stories compare?

I’m A LOT more active now. I also make healthier choices such as taking the stairs vs the elevator or choosing grilled items vs fried. I’m more carefree and not always worried about something like, are my clothes going to fit, is someone taking a picture of me and posting it on Facebook and if so what will I look like, are my shirts sticking to my rolls, am I going to run into someone and will they see how much I’ve gained… Before the weight loss, there was constantly something related to my weight running through my mind. Now I just don’t think about it. I eat right and work out and that’s it.

Do you find having your own weight loss story helps your clients to be be able to relate to you?

YES. They can see that I’m a real live person that they know {as opposed to someone on The Biggest Loser or in a magazine} and it CAN be done.They can also relate to me because I’m empathetic of their situation and they understand that.

You workout in your home gym. What sort of equipment do you use?

I use all of this in my home gym: a treadmill, a power tower, a punching bag, a stepper, free weights, curl bar, standard plates, resistance bands, resistance tubes, toning bands, weighted ball, stability ball, yoga mats, DVDS, Pilates ring, Pilates ball, jump rope, ab wheel, ankle weights, BOSU ball, kettlebell, foam rollers and an inversion table.

What is your preferred type of exercise?

Running. I used to hate it, but now I love it. Go figure!

Any advice that might help others to stay motivated?

YOU have to make the decision that getting healthy, losing the weight and making this a life change is MORE IMPORTANT to you than being unhealthy, continuing to be overweight and staying the same.

I wish I could do it for you, but I can’t. No one could do it for me either. Until there was something that sparked within me that said, “Okay, I’m ready now–let’s do this. I’m all in,” nothing was going to change. You’ll know when you’re ready because nothing will get in your way. Not chocolate cake, a buffet, laziness, sleepiness, a holiday, chores– nothing.

If it helps you to make a vision board of quotes, mantras, pictures of clothes you want to wear, the body you want to have, go for it. Do it. I personally had to keep staring at the “Before” picture of myself and look at it often–it helped! But along with this vision board, set clear, specific goals on there and work toward them. Don’t just say, I want to wear a size 10 again someday. Make it attainable, but set a time/date to work toward.

You lost your mother to cancer. I’m so sorry. You say on your blog that it changed you. Can you elaborate on that?

Thank you. Yes, in one way it changed me because I promised her on her deathbed that I would lose the weight. So that promise {along with a teacher’s comment} helped to physically change me. Other ways were non-physical. I was a total Mommy’s Girl. I ran to her for everything. I had to finally grow up, yes, in my 30s, and learn to do things on my own. I matured a lot in those past few years. I also started to work on being the woman she would have been proud of…I think I’ve succeeded in that.

How do you keep adventure in your life?

I try new things now. I was very set in my ways in all aspects. I used to immediately say no to this, or no to that. Now I just put myself out there and give anything and everything a shot. Learning to adapt to change and not being so afraid of it keeps me adventurous.

Thank you Cherie for sharing your story with us! You are beautiful inside and out!

Hugs and High Fives,
Jenn

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Journey with our family on the road at New School Nomads as we travel fulltime in RV through the United States!

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