Never forget you will go as far as you believe you can so make your goals big! – Brandi

Brandi understands the challenge of overcoming bad habits and finding balance. A few years ago Brandi decided to make a healthy lifestyle change and is now a personal trainer training people out of her home.  She lives in Colorado with her husband and two kids, border collie (her running buddy!), and two scaredy cat kitties. She enjoys spending time with family and they have started spending more time traveling. They are looking forward to seeing more of the country. You can find her on Facebook at Iron Logic Fitness.

Read on to find out about how lifting weights changed Brandi’s life and set her on the course to become who she is today!

1. Was there an event that sparked your lifestyle change?

As a kid growing up I was not athletic at all! I was drinking sodas all day long I didn’t play sports. After high school and a very short lived college experience, I went to work in jobs which were very active and my weight took care of itself. I was able to get away with eating fast food lunches and hamburger helper dinners. While I wasn’t skinny or heavy and I was pretty comfortable with my body. I was a smoker and was definitely not the picture of health.

2. Tell us a little about the process?

In my early 20s I went to work in a very sedentary job as a 911 dispatcher. Between stress and ordering in food and not working in a physical setting I put on 15 pounds my first year. At 25 I had my first kiddo and luckily the weight came off fairly quickly. I was not so lucky with the second child at age 28. I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes during my pregnancy and after my daughter was born the weight did not come off nearly as quickly. I went back to work at the end of my maternity leave at 185 pounds which is far too much for my 5’5 1/2″ inch frame. After trying weight watchers I realized I was not getting the results I wanted. I started exercising and began lifting weights along with utilizing the Body For Life Program which I learned about from a coworker. My love of weight lifting was born and the weight started falling off at a rapid rate with the changes in my nutrition and workouts.

3. When did you decide you wanted to pursue a career in fitness? Are you glad you made that decision?

After doing 4 figure competitions my drive to learn grew and I read everything I could get my hands on to learn about nutrition and fitness. I had learned if I really wanted my body to change it couldn’t happen with a gimmick or a get skinny quick temporary diet. I learned how hard I had to push and what good nutrition meant. I went from believing I couldn’t change where I was to KNOWING I could change and I wanted to share that knowledge with others. There were a lot of steps in between my first certification and where I am today in fitness and my fitness drive and beliefs. I am always glad I have had the experience of getting to help others to not make the same mistakes I have made and there is nothing better than watching someone push through a stall to succeed.

4. What’s the most rewarding part of your job?

Many people come to me to lose weight. I want to ensure everyone can see their progress in more than just the scale. It is easy to see the scale get stuck and to become demotivated. I constantly track and evaluate workouts to ensure my personal training clients and measurements in my nutrition clients to ensure we are getting forward progress. We complete testing routinely to ensure the workouts we do are creating the results in strength and endurance that each personal training client wants. I love to see someone killing a skill they once couldn’t do and I love to see bodies changing before my eyes when someone is nailing their diet.

5. How do you find balance with family/work, nourishing/splurging, etc? Is that hard for you?

I am working on finding balance and it can definitely be hard. Let’s face it.. working and raising a family can be a great challenge. I work 40 hours a week in my 911 dispatcher job and another 20-30 personal training and creating nutrition plans for clients. I also teach group fitness classes 1-2 hours a week at a local recreation center in addition to the full time job of being a wife and parent. I am guilty of taking on “just one more client” when I should say no which then puts the needs of my client’s schedules ahead of my own. I love it so much it is hard to hold back when I feel like I can help someone to get where they want to go. As far as nourishing/splurging I am constantly checking myself and most of the time I eat very well. I definitely have my moments where old habits want to sneak back in and I eat more than I should or I have a sweet treat when I shouldn’t. Old habits die hard and I am far from perfect. I think that is also one of the things that makes me approachable to my clients. I truly get it when they “go off the rails”. I have lived it and may live it again. The difference between the me of 10 years ago and the current version of me is I know have a really clear understanding of nutrition and what it means to eat well and how truly important it is for your long term health to surround yourself with nourishing foods. You are unquestionably a product of your dietary habits.

6. You competed in figure completions? What was that experience like? Did you enjoy it? Regrets?

I completed 4 competitions and while I didn’t win I certainly learned a lot about myself. I learned I am no happier at 125 pounds than 140 and I am a heck of a lot stronger and more resilient at 140. Competing can be a rush and it can be a huge blow to your self esteem. It is hard to see yourself as lean enough after you have pushed to your body to levels it hasn’t seen before. I am happy to have a more balanced and healthy focused approach now in my fitness instead of being focused on a look or a number on a scale.

7. Any goals you are working towards now?

I am running a 200 mile team relay race in August and I am working on sharpening my skills in Olympic Lifts. Personally I am trying to create more work and life balance so I can spend some quality time chasing around my tween and teen as they are growing.

8. Any advice for people just beginning their fitness/health journey?

Surround yourself with people who believe in you and lean on them when you feel weak. I have had a lot of great support friends over the years in helping me to reach new goals. Never forget you will go as far as you believe you can so make your goals big!

Don’t do things that suck! If you don’t like to run, find another way to work out. Don’t be afraid of trying new things until you find your niche.

Finally, please let your focus be on eating well and moving more and creating long term health. In 30 years will you care that you were the skinniest or the fastest? Will you be in your own home because you practiced balance or in a nursing home with multiple health issues and injuries because you refused to change your bad habits today. The only person who can protect your future is you.

Thank you Brandi for sharing your story, you are a Girl Hero!

If you want to find Brandi check out her page Iron Logic Fitness.

Hugs and High Fives,
Jenn

Check out our family’s adventures at Newschool Nomads as we travel in our RV through the United States!

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Learning about how other women find balance and achieve their health goals inspires and motivates me and I can’t think of a better Girl Hero than Danny-J to relaunch the Girl Hero features!It’s always fun to connect with people who share common interests so when I learned that Danny from the Sweaty Betties was soon to be living on the road I had to know more.

Currently, Danny lives in Dallas, Texas with her husband of seven years and they are “still wild about each other”. They have two pups Peanut the Lab and Baloo “The Most Interesting Dog in the World”. Her favorite past time is just “doing whatever” and “create adventures” with her husband. Danny’s work does’t feel like work because she loves everything she does. She has created multiple streams of income through business coaching for other bloggers and trainers, online personal training, affiliate marketing and network marketing with Nerium.

Get to know Danny as she shares her lifestyle tips,what she learned as a figure competitor, and even what she would say to her daughter who she lovingly placed for adoption when she was 15. Her honesty and energy is contagious and you won’t finish this interview without feeling like you too can tackle life with a smile!

What inspired you to start your site, The Sweatie Betties? And what is your mission for the site?

​I was in the fitness industry; doing bikini and figure competitions. I really wanted to be an inspiration to others, to show what someone can do, but at some point it became all consuming and I realized that the picture of ‘health’ a lot of these fitness pros put on wasn’t the whole truth. I wanted women to know that they could be fit without having to spend 7 days a week 2 hours a day at the gym. They could have a life, maybe some stretch marks and not perfect bodies and still BE fit and feel amazing and have fun and not take life so seriously!​ My mission for the site is to provide non-BS information, ideas, motivation and education on fitness, lifestyle, leadership and self-esteem.

Do you have a favorite exercise? What does a typical week of workouts look like for you?

​Hmmm I LOVE Crossfit but I haven’t done it in so long. My favorite exercise, not to do, but my favorite for RESULTS are walking lunges. Such a great booty lifter!!  A typical week, sad to say, lately has been no workouts at all. I have been very open with my struggles with adrenal fatigue and metabolic damage after competition. I started working out 4 days a week at the beginning of the year but recently had a major relapse in symptoms. As I start to feel better, I always go back to my 12 week lifting program though, its solid and keeps me sore. You can download it HERE. 

What motivates you to take care of your body?

​I have a family history of obesity. My grandmother and uncle both had gastric bypass surgery. My parents have always struggled with their weight, my aunts and uncles have weight problems. I just don’t want to have my life always dictated by diets. I’ve been witness to it my whole life. It takes up space in my brain that I should be using to help others. ​

You used to compete in fitness, figure, and bikini competitions. What was that like for you and what did you learn from those four years?

I have great memories and not so great.

I learned that I have amazing discipline and I can do anything I set my mind to and focus on. I loved having a goal to train for and an “excuse” for going to the gym. I also learned that I have more to offer in life than just a hot body and that I really wanted to focus on more experiences. Competing can put you in a very eating disordered mindset (especially after already struggling with that for years). I learned how to manipulate food and exercise very well, I learned a lot of science, but I also learned that life has so many more things to offer. While I don’t regret competing, I do wish that I hadn’t done it for so long.​

You mention in your about page that you were a suicidal teen and experienced an unplanned pregnancy at 15 years old. What would you say now to your teenage self?

​Wow. I do think about this often as my daughter now is past the age that I had her. I know the way I look at her pictures and love her so much without ever having met her. I am always out here silently cheering her on.. and I think now.. there must have been people out there cheering me on when I was that age, wishing that I could see my own potential, wishing that I wasn’t hurting. I think that the only thing I would tell myself back then would be… “this too shall pass and you’re going to be amazing and fine”. I think that angels and divine intervention come in many forms and there were circumstances and people who did say the right things to me at the right time and for those reasons, I am still here.

The Sweaty Betties site oozes positivity! How do you stay so positive and how do you deal with life’s downfalls?

​I have my moments. I have to work hard on not being a pessimist and I’ve gotten a lot more open minded. I don’t believe the internet or social media is the place to complain and I really believe that what you think about/focus on, grows. So even if I’m in a funk, I try and look for the good in the situation because I literally have no control over anything else but my own thoughts. Sometimes I worry too much, I hate letting people down and I sometimes put other people’s feelings over my own. Luckily my husband is a great sounding board and will tell me when I need to stick up for myself or value myself more.Surrounding yourself with good people who want you to be better is key.

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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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For as long as she could remember Katie struggled with her weight but in 2009 she made the choice to “get healthy once and for all”.  Almost a year and a half later ,Katie had lost 125 pounds! What I appreciate most about Katie’s story is her honesty and down to earth attitude. She openly shares about everything from her “ever constant battle with binging eating” to worrying about her kids being overweight to buying clothes at thrift stores on her blog Runs for Cookies.

Not only is Katie an inspiration to her blog readers but she is a wife and stay at home mom to two boys and four cats.

Girl Hero Katie

In 2009 you “decided to lose the weight and to get healthy once and for all”. Was there a catalyst for this decision? How long did it take to lose 125 pounds?

My elder son, Noah, wanted to take the training wheels off of his bicycle, and he wanted me to run alongside his bike while he learned to ride the two-wheeler. I barely made it down the street before I was gasping for breath; I physically couldn’t do it! I felt like a terrible mom, and I vowed that when it was my younger son’s turn to learn, I would be ready. I started calorie counting, and eventually, exercising. It took 16 months to lose 125 pounds.

You counted calories right? Do you still count? I hear a lot of people talking about counting calories as if it’s this horrible thing. (I don’t think that.) Do you feel that way?

I switched back and forth from counting calories to counting Weight Watchers’ Points (which is essentially the same thing). I think calorie counting is a great way to lose weight! I didn’t have to eliminate ANY foods from my diet; I could eat anything I wanted, as long as I planned for it and counted it. In the past, I’d tried all the fad diets, but they were impossible to keep up with for the long term. Counting calories/Points is something I can do forever without feeling deprived.

How did you family and friends respond to your decision to change your lifestyle?

At first, I think my family and friends thought it was “just another attempt” that I was making, so nobody took it too seriously. It wasn’t the first time I’d tried to lose weight! Once my results became visible, and they saw that I was sticking to it for the long haul, they were very happy and encouraging for me. My sister called me every week to ask how it was going, and when I reached 100 pounds lost, she treated me to a makeover. When I reached my goal weight, my parents gave me $5 for every pound I’d lost, and I used the money to fly to Minnesota to run a race with my brother. I have a pretty awesome family!

Do you find losing or maintaining weight more challenging?

Honestly, it’s pretty much the same. Losing weight was slightly more challenging because I was eating a little less than I am now, but the only thing that changed from weight loss to maintenance was the amount of calories/Points I was eating. Right after I lost the weight, my weight bounced up and down with about 15 pounds, because I had a very hard time adjusting to maintenance–I kept trying to eat “intuitively”, where I didn’t measure my food or count calories. But that just didn’t work for me. I need more structure than that. Now, I finally feel like I have the hang of it!

Can you tell us a little bit about how you took up running and why you love it?

I never imagined that I would one day call myself a runner. I was making a bucket list near the beginning of my weight loss, and I put a very ambitious goal (at the time) to enter a 5K race and RUN it. I’d never even run a mile before, so a 5K seemed nearly impossible. My friend Renee helped me get started, and she signed up for a race with me. She kept me encouraged to keep going, and somewhere amidst the training, I became hooked on running. I loved the way it made my body feel! I ran a 10K after that, then a half-marathon, and now, I’ve run two full marathons. Every time I get done running, I feel like I did something amazing for my body. And it allows me to eat more!

Getting fit clearly changed you on the outside. Has there been internal changes as well?

I always thought that if I ever got thin, I’d be very fun, loud, and outgoing; in reality, I’m still the same shy, introverted woman that I was before–but setting and reaching goals has made me see a whole new side of myself. I have much more confidence in what I can accomplish now, and I step out of my comfort zone all the time to do things I never would have before. I’ve even been on national television twice (The Dr. Oz Show in 2011 and the Today Show in 2013), which is something I never would have had the courage to do before I lost the weight! I also used to be terrified of flying, and after I’d lost 100 pounds, I faced my fear on a tiny little, two-seater, open-toppped, airplane. I almost threw up before getting on, because I was terrified, but I was SO excited afterward when I did it!

You have struggled with binge eating. I particularly enjoyed this post. Is binging still a struggle for you? Can you share a little bit of your experience in overcoming binge eating?

Binge eating is something I’m probably going to have to deal with forever, unfortunately. I’ve had long stretches of time without a single binge, but I’m always fighting the urge. Binge eating is something that relaxes me when I feel anxious or stressed, so I’ve had to find other ways to deal with that. I’m a much happier person when I’m staying binge-free, so I’m always trying to find ways to replace the binge eating. Right now, I’m six months binge-free, which I’ve written about here!

What motivates to continue of this health journey?

My blog readers! My blog readers continue to inspire me every single day. I recently started a series on my blog called “Motivational Monday“, where my readers share what they’ve done in the previous week that made them feel proud. People have shared everything from walking their first mile to running marathons, to reaching weight loss milestones… and reading all the things they are doing makes me want to set and reach more goals for myself.

Any advice for others who are starting their own journey to improve their health?

My best advice is to only make changes that you’re willing to live with forever. Don’t give up your favorite foods to lose weight, because you know that you can’t do that forever; likewise, don’t vow to work out six days a week for two hours a day–that’s unrealistic to maintain forever. I made changes that were do-able, and I just kept at it every single day! The persistence is the most important thing.

Thank you Katie for your honesty and sharing your story!!!!

You can connect with Katie on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, and her blog, Runs for Cookies.

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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After 5 years of shuffling papers and sitting at a desk answering phone calls, Suzi decided to follow her heart and make a career change. She left here job as an insurance agent to pursue her passion as a fitness instructor and hasn’t looked back!

But perhaps what makes Suzi’s story especially inspiring and unique is her determination to not let Fibromyalgia define her life. That’s right, Suzi is a fitness professional who battles chronic pain but still comes manages to see the bright side of life!

Suzi is married to her best friend and they have two furbabies. Suzi describes herself as “an avid movie watcher, an obsessive reader, a Downton Abbey addict, a cheese loving fool and unfortunately for me probably the biggest klutz and the person with the worst “unfortunate” luck you will ever meet!” She chronicles her adventures (and misadventures) on her blog, Confessions of a Fitness Instructor.

Meet Girl Hero Suzi

1. Your blog is called “Confessions of a Fitness Instructor” with the tagline “because being fit isn’t about being perfect”. Love it! Can you share a little more about the name…why you chose it and what it means to you?

I chose the name of my blog for two reasons, the first being a nod to one of my favorite authors (Sophie Kinsella – the author of “Confessions of a Shopaholic”), and the second because I felt my fitness class participants had a distorted view of my life.  I would hear them talking about french fries or something, and as I got closer they would say, “not that I eat french fries,” as though I would disapprove.  I started my blog as a way to show people that while I live a life as a fitness professional, I still enjoy “bad” foods and I don’t always want to work out.  At the time most of the healthy living blogs I knew about showed a very unrealistic version of a “healthy life” and I wanted to bring some realism back to the virtual table.

2. You were diagnosed with Fibromyalgia over 10 years ago. Can you tell us a little bit about Fibromyalgia? How does Fibromyalgia affect your life on a daily basis?

In a nutshell, Fibromyalgia is a disorder that causes widespread body and joint pain.  Many patients (myself included) also suffer from sometimes debilitating fatigue, insomnia and unfitful sleep.  There are many other conditions and symptoms that one with Fibromyaliga can experience, but those are the two big ones.

I am fortunate that I have been able to manage the worst of my pain through fitness.  Staying active really helps to diminish the symptoms considerably, but it never goes away completely.  Because of my disorder, I require more hours of sleep than the average person (9-10 hours/night) in order to function well, and because of my job I sometimes need more sleep than that in order to have enough energy to carry out my classes.  If I have a bad night’s sleep, or am having a bad day/week due to joint pain it is hard to focus in my classes and I will make a lot of mistakes in choreography I’ve done hundreds of times before.  Fortunately, I generally only suffer from a bad flair-up 2-3 times/year.

3. Did you diagnosis affect your lifestyle choices regarding food and fitness? 

Shortly after being diagnosed I started seeing a Naturopath whom I credit with saving my life.  I walked into her office a zombie, for well over two years I visited her at least once/month.  Near the end of my treatment with her I was seeing her only once or twice/year.  It was a miraculous change.  Anyway, during those years I moved from eating a diet of largely processed and packaged foods to one that consists of mainly whole, unprocessed foods.  I discovered that my body doesn’t function well on a diet heavy in animal proteins (though I’m not vegetarian, I generally eat meat only 1-2 times/week).  I also discovered I have a serious intolerance for MSG and that I cannot handle eating spicy foods.

As far as fitness goes, she was the one who encouraged me to start exercising.  I started off walking and doing workout videos at home, then moved into a “learn to run” program.

4. Have you always loved fitness? If not how did you discover your passion for fitness?

No.  Not in the slightest.  In fact I hated gym class.  The only exercise I enjoyed was swimming and tennis (and unfortunately I’m a terrible tennis player).

Aside from Fibromyalgia, I also have a lung condition.  I’ve experienced a number of partial pneumothoraces (collapsed lungs) due to a soft spot on my left lung.  My doctor told me it was unsafe for me to fly and I didn’t want to live my life forced to only travel to places I could drive.  As I mentioned, I started exercising at the encouragement of my Naturopath, and I started running to try and strengthen my lung so that I would be able to fly.  Somewhere along the lines I discovered that when I exercised regularily I didn’t need my medications for Fibromyalgia, and I started going longer and longer periods between problems with my lung.  It was after that realization that I knew I needed to make fitness a total priority.

5. You used to work a traditional 9-5 job. What made you want to switch to a career in the fitness industry?

I worked as an insurance agent.  The first problem was – I’ve always hated the phone.  And here I was talking on the phone all day long.  The second problem was I wanted to help people with my life, and being an insurance agent didn’t make me feel like I was helping anyone.  The people I worked hardest to help were the people who were the most angry, and the people who deserved to be angry about something that happened were always the nicest.  There came a point when I simply couldn’t handle it anymore.  Being stuck in an office all day on the phone listening to people complain about things that weren’t even a problem was driving me mad.

It was one of those small windows in life where you have the opportunity to make a complete change.  I could stay in the room I knew or I could jump out the window into an unknown world.  I chose to jump.

6. What is your favorite part of being a fitness instructor?

There are two things that really stick out for me, one is seeing and hearing the difference I’ve made in someone’s life.  When they tell me that after coming to my classes for 6 or 8 months that they are off their blood pressure medication, or they’ve lost 40 pounds it really validates that what I do is important.  And then there are the changes that only I see.  Standing in front of everyone I get to observe how everyone acts during class and can see the inward changes that have happened – people who are more outgoing, more self assured, more positive, and happier.  It really makes my heart smile.

The second thing I love is pretty superficial.  As a Zumba instructor I create a lot of my own choreography and there is something so magical about seeing an entire room full of people busting out choreography to a song that I made up one day while driving in my car, it’s really pretty awesome.

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

Well, I teach on average 12 classes/week.  My class schedule looks something like this:

Mondays: 2 Zumba Classes, 1 Strength Training Class
Tuesdays: 1 Seniors Fitness Class, 2 Zumba Classes
Wednesdays: 1 Zumba Class
Thursdays: 2 Zumba Classes, 1 Stretching Class
Fridays: 1 Zumba and 1 Zumba Gold Class
Saturdays: 1 Zumba Toning Class

On top of those, I try to fit in a few strength workouts of my own (generally Physique 57 DVD’s), yoga and the occasional run.  Honestly though, this past week or so I’ve done nothing outside of my own classes.

8. What does a typical day of eats look like for you? Have you found any particular foods help with your fibromyalgia

Because my day it sort of upside down (I usually don’t teach in the mornings, will have a class in the afternoon and then 1 or 2 classes in the evening) I normally sleep late (remember that 9-10 hours of sleep thing…) get up and have breakfast which is usually cereal or greek yogurt topped with sunflower, pumpkin and chia seeds.  I eat lunch around 1, and it often consists of homemade soup or pasta.  Then depending on the day I will either eat a snack late afternoon or have an early supper.  If it’s one of my more busy nights, I will often not get home and be able to eat supper until 8 or 10 pm, at which time it’s a free for all.  Basically anything I can find goes into my mouth at that point.

I find that a diet high in fiber and whole unprocessed foods help with my Fibromyalgia.  If there is a day or week where I find myself eating a lot of processed foods I can certainly feel the difference.

9. Are you working towards andy goals right now?

I have a few goals, one of them is to rebuild the strength I’ve lost these past couple years teaching so many cardio based classes.  It’s really difficult to make myself to more exercise on top of my already crazy class schedule, but it’s something I need to do.  Another it to rebuild my yoga practice.  That goes hand in hand with building strength, but I know I also need it from a health perspective.  Yoga is a magical thing, and anyone who does it regularly knows what I mean.  I miss that magic, I need it back – plus my hamstrings need the flexibility.

With both of those goals in mind, my current physical goal is to be able to do an unassisted handstand.

10. Just for fun…if your life was a book what would be the title?

Misadventures in Unfortunate Luck.

I don’t believe I have truly bad luck, but I instead “unfortunate luck”.  If you were to divide the world into people who always have good luck, and those who always have bad luck I would fall into the bad luck category. However, if you were to then look at everyone in the bad luck category I would have the best of the bad luck. My lung collapses a number of times – but only 5% so they don’t need to do anything scary to me.My car blows up on the highway – but just as I am slowing down for an off-ramp so it was very uneventful

I’ve got a million and one examples of my “unfortunate luck,”  but I think this post, Remember That Time I Went to Newark Airport, I wrote about when I went to BlogHer last year really sums up how my life generally goes!

One of my friends is always eager for me to go on trips because I always come home with crazy stories.  I’ve tried to tell her I would LOVE to come back sometime without any crazy stories, but that never seems to happen!

Suzi, thank you so much for sharing your inspiring story with us!

You can connect with Suzi on Facebook,  Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube, Instagram, and on her blog, Confessions of a Fitness Instructor.

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!

The post Girl Hero Suzi appeared first on Girl Heroes.

Melissa is a contract administrator for an oil company in Alberta, Canada. She wakes at 4:30 AM nine days in a row to work eleven hour shifts yet still finds time to workout. She has been married to her soulmate and best friend for a year. She loves to  love to travel, to read, clean healthy cooking, lifting heavy, and recently developed a love for writing her blog, Fit Girls Rock.

Girl Hero Melissa

Have you always exercised or did you discover your love for fitness later in life?

I played team sports in high school, starting running in university but I got more serious with the lifestyle about 2 years ago.

Why do you train?

I train because I love it, because I like to challenge and push myself outside my comfort zone. I like to see what my body can do.

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

A typical week usually involves an hour (sometimes and hour and a half) training session everyday except Sunday’s (and even then I sometimes do cardio). I have a trainer that I train with a couple times a week and I do the rest on my own. Lately most of my workouts are full body/cross fit type workouts and I am loving it.

What are your favorite exercises and why?

I love deadlifts, pull-ups and squats because doing them makes me feel powerful and like nothing can stop me plus they are great exercises for strength.

What sort of meals do you eat on a typical day?

I am following the Paleo diet, however right now during the week I eliminate carbs other than from veggies and then on Sundays’  I have a carb re-feed day (oatmeal, rice cakes, rice, quinoa, fruit). I also have experimented with Intermittent fasting and have found it to be beneficial for me so I include one fast day per week.

Do you have cravings? How do you deal with them?

Of course I have cravings who doesn’t? There are a number of ways I deal with them; I don’t buy food that can tempt me, I talk myself out of it by telling myself how crappy I will feel after I eat what I want in that moment, I drink lots of water, if I am in a position to; I do something active and there are also times that I just allow myself a treat. This is a lifestyle for me not a diet so therefore I do give into treats now and again just in moderation.

Has working out changed you on the inside in any way?

Yes for sure. It has made me more confident in myself and in my abilities, it has given me a more positive outlook and it has taught me to never give up because I can do anything that I set my mind to.

How do you stay motivated?

There are a few things that I do for motivation: I have a vision board which keeps me focused, I have a great support group who keep me going as well and I think about how good I feel on the inside and outside by eating clean and working out.

What accomplishments are you most proud of?

I am most proud of taking my fitness to the next level in the first place, inspiring and motivating others to do the same and of my 7 pull-ups in a row.

Are you working toward any goals right now?

I am always working towards goals. Some may only be small like adding an extra 10lbs to a lift or an extra pull-up, etc and some may be bigger like a fitness competition. Currently my main goals are aiming to compete again in May, getting 10 pull-ups in a row, completing a mile run in 6 minutes and getting certified as a personal trainer.

If you could go anywhere tomorrow where would it be and why?

There are 2 places. One would be my home in Newfoundland Canada, all my family are there except my husband, of course. The other would be Paris. I have always wanted to go there but have not lived that dream yet.

Thank you Melissa for sharing part of your story with us! I’m motivated to work on my pull ups now!!!

You can connect with Melissa on Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube, and on her blog, Fit Girls Rock!

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!

The post Girl Hero Melissa appeared first on Girl Heroes.

Although Lori lives and breathes fitness she says, “it isn’t my whole life. I have a wonderful man in my life that enjoys fitness as much as I do.” They enjoy traveling whenever they can, and when they can’t, Lori enjoys reading, hiking the local parks, and painting. By day, Lori is  a Residential Appraiser and by night she is a student currently studying to get her degree in Nutrition, a stepping stone to becoming a Registered Dietitian. In addition, Lori also writes her blog Get-Fit-Naturally.

Girl Hero Lori

Can you share with us a brief history of your fitness/health journey?

My journey is one that stretches over many years. I began working out in my teens, strictly for vanity reasons, LOL. But as I got older, working out became my stress relief. As I became more knowledgeable about how the body works, I feel working out is a key component in being truly healthy.

 I  love the title of your blog “Get-Fit-Naturally”? I’m assuming it reflects on your personal fitness philosophy. Can you share that with us?

A few years ago I wanted to try and do a figure competition. I didn’t get to compete, but I did learn a lot about nutrition. To be at its best, your body must get the proper nutrition, from real food. While I was training, I had to eat 7 meals a day – none were from fast food or processed foods. I soon realized I had never felt better! There is a huge misconception that you must restrict calories or buy supplements in order to lose weight, which usually comes from companies trying to sell your products. A friend of mine asked me to help her lose weight. I taught her how to choose her foods more wisely and plan her meals. Along with this knowledge and an exercise plan, she lost 40 pounds. She is the one who kept encouraging me to start my blog.

 You say on your blog, “exercise does not have to be a chore”. Can you expand on that statement? What do you mean and how would you encourage someone to find a different mindset? 

Many people think that exercise has to be a structured routine or that you have to spend an hour in the gym or hours on a treadmill. Exercise can be any physical activity that allows you to use your muscles and works your lungs. Find something that you enjoy doing and do it as often as you can. Play sports, hula hoop, turn the radio and dance, jump on a trampoline, play with your kids on the playground equipment, hike, bike – fly a kite – anything that makes you move!

I happen to enjoy pushing weight around in the gym – I enjoy it – so it works for me.

What is your favorite way to exercise and why?

My favorite form of exercise is resistance training – weights specifically. I like pushing myself to become stronger – to see what my body can do. However, I do like to be challenged with different forms of resistance training because it keeps me from getting bored. Once a week or so I will try a new routine or piece of equipment. Right now I’m enjoying kettlebells, but I also like using the TRX system and the new punching bag they put in the gym.

How do you stay motivated?

Sometimes, that can be a tough one! When I’m able to be consistent with my routine, it’s easier. When I’m thrown off by travel or work, it can be a challenge. Some days I have to remind myself how much better I’ll feel if I can get to the gym. Other days, I have to be tough on myself and pull out an old “before” photo – LOL – that usually gets my butt to the gym! I also keep motivational photos on my wall in my office.

Your goal is to become an RD. Very cool! How is that coming? What caused you to move in that direction?

I am just so fascinated by how food can affect the body in so many ways. Our food sources have become more complicated over the years. When manufacturers began using so many preservatives and additives to lengthen shelf life of packaged foods, there wasn’t enough long term data to know how they would affect people’s health. Now the data is being collected and the results are downright scary. Our bodies depend on wholesome food to function properly. The more I researched, the more I discovered, the more I talked all my friends to death about it, the more I thought about making it a career. So I jumped in with both feet and went back to school. It’s a little slow because I work full time, but that’s ok. It’s what I love.

Who have been some of your fitness (or any other kind) role models?

Oh my, there are many! Tosca Reno, because she lost so much weight and became her fittest in her 40’s (she’s 52 now), as well as my coach Christy Allen. But mostly, the people that have lost 50+ pounds and made amazing transformations. When I read their stories, it always humbles me and inspires me to do my best.

Both your mother and aunt have beaten breast cancer. Has that had any effect on your lifestyle choices?

Both developed breast cancer after menopause, and both are survivors (Yay!). It has definitely had an effect on my lifestyle choices. I try to eat a well-balanced diet that includes variety of fruits, vegetables, lean protein and whole grains. I tend to stay away from soy because the research is so “undecided” – one day it’s ok, the next it’s not. Research shows that exercise lowers your risk – so I get some form of exercise daily. I try to stress less about the little things and get plenty of sleep. Last year I got a “call back” after a mammogram screening. Although it turned out to be nothing, it was scary and made me even more determined to be as healthy as I can.

What is one of your favorite quotes and why do you like it?

“You must do the thing you think you cannot do.” – Eleanor Roosevelt

It takes away the words “I CAN’T”.

Thank you so much Lori for sharing your story. Your balanced approach to fitness and desire for knowledge is inspiring….you are a Girl Hero!!

You can connect with Lori on Facebook, Google+, Pinterest, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, and, of course, her blog, Get-Fit-Naturally.

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!

The post Girl Hero Lori appeared first on Girl Heroes.

As a mom to an 8-year-old daughter, Suzanne has a laser-like focus on setting a good example and being healthy into old age. Her passion for weightlifting began over 15 years ago after teaching herself at home using a Dummies book and a couple of dumbbells. In 2002 she was in a car accident that left her in constant neck pain and fearful of reinjuring it. Slowly she regained more strength and confidence with weights along with discovering how clean eating could dramatically increase her energy and health. Suzanne started her blog Workout Nirvana in 2010, which led her to leave her job as a technical writer and become certified as a personal trainer in August of 2011. She now writes fitness articles and provides both virtual and in-studio personal training. 

Meet Girl Hero Suzanne!

1. Getting strong has clearly had an effect on your body. Has strength training changed you on the “inside” in any way?

I credit weightlifting with changing my life and I love sharing about it in my blog.  Owning your power in the weight room increases your self-confidence outside the weight room. There’s something about allowing yourself to feel physically strong and capable that gives you a “bring it” attitude in life. Lifting weights makes you push your limits and continuously surprise (and please) yourself! And if you train primarily around guys in in a gym you start to own your space and be proud of your strength instead of feeling self-conscious. Weightlifting makes you feel like a badass – something we can all use when life gets us down!

2. What does a typical week of training look like for you? 

I train four to five times a week using a body-part split. Each muscle gets trained once every four to five days. My split has been legs/chest, shoulders/triceps, and back/biceps, but I’m thinking of changing that soon. Abs get trained twice a week.

3. What motivates you?

I love weightlifting so I’m compelled to do it. I love the way it makes me look and feel. I love spending time at the gym. I love planning my workouts (and other people’s). I suppose that’s the typical answer from a personal trainer!

4. What do you like about being a personal trainer?

Trainers have the ability to make a profound impact on people’s lives. We push clients beyond their self-imposed limits while at the same time standing nearby as steadfast support. It’s a meaningful career with aweing responsibility.

 5. What is the most challenging part of being a personal trainer?

When you give someone the tools they need to succeed and they don’t use them, it can be frustrating and sad. You know they’ll get substandard results when they could be getting killer results that would change their life. But if someone won’t follow through and show up 100% for training, there’s only so much we can do.

6. I know you love strength training, how do feel about cardio?

I’m not a cardio freak, haha. It’s not that I hate cardio, it’s just that with my weightlifting schedule I don’t have time for it. Couple that with not needing to lose weight and I’m very unmotivated! However, I know I need it for cardiorespiratory health so I’ve started leaving 20-30 minutes for cardio before weightlifting. In the warm weather I do a lot of power walking but that doesn’t increase endurance quite as well as cardio.

7. What does an average day of food look like for you?

I follow clean eating principles and write about this in my blog frequently. One of my tenets for good health is to eat the same basic foods all the time, making small changes for variety. This allows me to control my diet (and calories) quite well. I eat a big breakfast (such as Greek yogurt with toppings and oatmeal), snacks, and lunch and dinner. All meals (including snacks) include lean protein and complex carbs for energy and satiety.

8. Do you get cravings? If so how do you respond to them?

I’m proud to say I don’t crave food of any kind! I quit sugar and sweets a few years ago when I adopted the clean eating lifestyle. I believe that “cheating” encourages cravings and I follow the 90/10 rule so no cheating is necessary. Ninety percent of the time I eat clean and the other 10 percent I let it go for whatever comes up – holidays, special occasions, an occasional dinner out. I feel that keeping junk out of the house and minimizing dining out makes it much easier to maintain a healthy weight.

9. Any advice for new lifters? 

Practice with light weight first. Condition your body to get used to weightlifting then slowly progress. Study and focus on form, first and foremost. When you’re confident your form is good then start increasing the weight – and never stop increasing it. Weightlifting works best when there’s progressive overload; that is, continuously adding more resistance to stay ahead of your body’s adaptations.

10. And just for fun…if you could have any superpower what would it be and why?

Ha! I’d have the ability to make anyone laugh at any time. I don’t take myself very seriously and I love seeing people smile and lighten their load. I have what I like to think of as a highly honed sense of humor but sometimes it’s rather dry and hard to “get.” My superpower would make me funny anyway.

Thank you so much Suzanne for sharing your knowledge and life with us. I know I’m motivated to lift some iron! You are beautiful inside and out !!!!

Connect with Suzanne on Facebook, Twitter, and her blog, Workout Nirvana.

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 Suzanne appeared first on Girl Heroes.

I’ll admit when I first came across Adrian’s blog, Chase Fear, it was her before and after pictures that caught my eye. It didn’t take much reading to see that her blog was about so much more than weight loss. It’s about perseverance and overcoming fears. Adrian knows what it’s like to over eat and under eat. After a long journey she has come to a place of peace with her food and has run two marathons in the process. Find out how Adrian found peace with food, overcomes depression, and why she loves to run!

How is your lifestyle now different to your lifestyle before?

Before: For me, food wasn’t a means of survival. My life became evolved around food. When I think back to my relationship with food, it’s actually quite alarming how common it is amongst today’s society. It’s no surprise to me that I often ate because I had “nothing better to do,” but I believe the root of the issue was much deeper than keeping myself busy for several moments. Recently, I came across a quote by Ann Wigmore; “The food you eat can be either the safest and most powerful form of medicine or the slowest form of poison.” I read this quote dozens of times because it’s as if Ann knew me herself. You often hear about individuals who are addicted to drugs, alcohol, etc., but you rarely hear about food addictions. Food is cheap, easily accessible, and will always be legal, no matter the age of a person. Why? Well, we need food to survive. What we don’t need is excess. Too much of a good thing can be bad. Unfortunately, these thoughts never crossed my mind every time another morsel of food made its way to my mouth. Food was my drug of choice, and it gave me intense feelings…almost like a high. It helped to fill an empty void. What I didn’t know is that I was slowly killing myself.

After: This question is going to take me into the 2^nd leg of my journey…my 26.2 mile long journey. Upon losing 110 pounds, I was suddenly faced with a huge wall of fear, which was constructed with bricks depicting failure, depression, bullying, and a strong sense of worthlessness. My caloric intake started reaching dangerously low levels in the summer of 2010, and I was confronted by concerned family and friends on more than one occasion. I was in denial, my life near the point of jeopardy…until I met a runner in October of 2010, which I will explain in more detail below. Running has saved my life and allowed me to view food as fuel for my performance. I depend on proper nourishment in order to feed my passion. Since becoming a runner, I’ve stopped daily weigh-ins, I’ve gained 14 pounds of muscle, I consume twice as many calories, and I’ve learned to love healthy, natural foods. Food gives me the energy that I need during my training cycles, and it’s a constant learning process. And, when I do treat myself, it actually feels like a treat. Cake tastes so much better when you don’t eat it often!

You seem to have a lot of discipline! How did you develop your discipline?

When it comes to my running discipline, it’s simple. Running is an amazing sport for many reasons. You just never ever know what’s going to happen, and something about that notion drives me. You have good days, and you have bad days. The bad days allow you to appreciate the good days. I also love being able to catch a glimpse of the world by foot. It’s miraculous how much I’m able to see/take in during a run, many things that I couldn’t possibly experience otherwise. 

I also love what running has done for me. I run to challenge myself. I run to be fearless. I run to clear my my wildly rampant thoughts. I’m a runner, and I love every painstakingly triumphant moment. I sometimes think, “Why do I do this to myself?” But when I reach a new personal best or cross another finish line, that’s when I get my answer. I love the feeling of the ground pounding beneath my feet. I love the wind blowing through my hair and the sweat pouring down my face. An overwhelming sense of pride rushes through me every single time I lace up my shoes. Running doesn’t define me. I define running. I gained so much insight from running. I’ve developed new outlooks, built numerous friendships, and created lasting memories because of running. Running is an adventure, and I’m always up for the challenge. I’m chasing every fear that I’ve ever possessed, and I’m using these fears to drive me forward on a daily basis.

When it comes to leading a healthy life, I like to compare my body to a car, my internal structure the engine, and my stomach the gas tank. You wouldn’t put regular fuel into a diesel engine, would you? That’s how I feel about poisoning my body with unhealthy foods.

You say depression runs in your family and I gather from your blog you have dealt with some depression yourself. (Me too.) What have you found helps keep those dark days at bay?

An overwhelming feeling of hopelessness still strikes me at random moments. Often times, I can’t even explain why I feel sad. However, I can say without any regards, that I’m the happiest I’ve ever been in my whole entire life. When depression lands on my plate, I’m MUCH more open about my feelings and the things that are bothering me. In the past, my book was closed and left on a shelf to collect dust. Now, I often open up to my mom, my loving boyfriend Sean, or my close family-like friends. For the most part, they are able to lift my spirit enough to get me through my brief bouts of sadness. When that doesn’t work, I turn to running. A lot of people say that ‘running is cheaper than therapy.’ That’s because it’s true. When I run, it’s my own personal time to reflect upon my life. Sometimes, I even zone out and completely forget about whatever is stressing me out at the moment.

How did you start running? What kept you running?

Running. Just the idea of running made me cringe. In the past, I never viewed running as a sport. I viewed it as a form of torture or punishment. All I had were painful memories from gym class where I could barely run for short bursts without being struck with fatigue and shortness of breath. Running always made me feel completely weak and defeated. I’ve even heard chuckles and rude comments from fellow students. I dreaded every single second of gym class, never hoping to run again. It wasn’t until I met a runner myself that I changed my outlook. He already had ultra-marathons and the Pittsburgh Marathon under his belt and I often thought, why? Why does he run so much? “It’s not fun,” I thought. The more I heard him talk about it and reveal his passion for running, the more intrigued I became. I started reading about running on the internet and came across the term most runners are familiar with, “runner’s high.” I didn’t get it, and for some time, I don’t think I wanted to understand it. Although, reading stories about this notion left me with a sort of empty feeling. I ultimately ended up wanting to experience this feeling for myself, so I could understand why people run, and more importantly, why my friend runs. I did a lot of research on my own through magazines, websites, and asking my friend for a few pointers here and there. I began testing my limits on the treadmill in January of 2011 and once I discovered how quickly I was progressing, I didn’t want to give up. I became my own motivator. Once I showed a genuine interest in running, my friend convinced me to sign up for the Mt. Summit Challenge. The rest is history. I still don’t see running as a sport. I see it as a lifestyle. It’s what I do. This friend I’m referring to is no longer a part of my life, but I’ve learned that people come into your life for a reason. Perhaps I was born a runner, but I just needed that extra push. He was there to open the door and for that, I will always be grateful. 

How do you stay motivated?

I love every “I want to quit” moment because it drives me to push harder and break through my barriers. Even I have days when I don’t want to do anything but sit on my couch and watch television. It’s especially true now that I work 40+ hours per week. When I find myself in a running funk, I just imagine the 230 lb shy, awkward girl. I think about how far I’ve come, and that’s what motivates me to lace up my sneakers and get my butt out the door. That’s definitely the hardest part of any run. I’ve certainly been at this for way too long to give up now. I constantly want to prove to myself that the little voice inside my head is a liar for ever telling me that this is impossible. It’s not. And once I found that motivation to become the best version of myself, I refused to let go of it. It’s astonishing of how much your body and mind tie into one another.

Did your weight loss journey change you on the inside?

Yes. I feel like I was in a coma for the last 20+ years, and I’m finally waking up. I think the best reward of this entire journey is being able to say “I’m happy” and truly mean it 100%. After losing the weight, my silence was still something that needed to be worked on. I had no other choice but to find the volume button and start living. Now that I’ve discovered my identity and found happiness, I can finally speak now and not forever hold my peace. I think losing the weight was my first speak now moment. I trusted my journey. I conquered what seemed like an endless battle, and I’ve gained so much insight as a result. Life is a crazy, beautiful ride, and I want to experience everything that I possibly can since I missed out on so much in the past. I feel like I’ve been given a new lease on life, and I’m not about to waste another given moment.

 Any advice for people beginning their own weight loss journey?

We were all given 24 hours in a day. The gap between success and failure in life is dependent upon how a person chooses to use their time.

Get your mind ready for the battle. Your greatest opponent is yourself. When your mind tells you that losing weight is “impossible,” use that as a dare. Dare yourself to become a better you. Say to yourself, “I’m not going to disappoint anyone except for that little voice inside of my head telling me I can’t.” Next, slow and steady wins the race. Just like a marathon, it’s important not to start out too fast because it will lead to burn out early in the race. They key is to avoid feeling overwhelmed. Document everything in a food journal, and hold yourself accountable (find a support group). You run your body, nobody else, so take good care of it.

Also, weight loss involves behavior modification. Poor habits didn’t develop overnight, so in contrast, they won’t disappear overnight. Trust me when I say this: changing habits isn’t easy, but if you’re aiming for positive changes, I can guarantee the worth. With a triple D effort, dedication, discipline, and determination, you’ll soon find yourself heading in the right direction. The key to permanent success (keeping the weight off FOREVER) is finding the best way for you to stay on the path. Key word: YOU. What works for someone else may not work for you, vise versa. Sure, there will be wrong turns, dead ends, and unknown paths, but as long as you’re willing to find your way back, you’ll keep traveling along the road of success. You have to trust your journey.

Can you share one of your favorite quotes with us?

“Greatness. It’s just something we made up. Somehow we come to believe that greatness is a gift reserved for a chosen few for prodigies, for superstars, and the rest of us can only stand by watching. You can forget that. Greatness is not some rare DNA strand. It’s not some precious thing. Greatness is no more unique to us than breathing. We are all capable of it, all of us.” -NIKE

Adrian, thank you so much for sharing your journey with us! I know you given me a lot to think about! You didn’t send me this picture but I found it on your blog and I think it encapsulates the reason why you are a Girl Hero!

You can find Adrian on her blog Chase Fear, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

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 Adrian appeared first on Girl Heroes.

Dannii is proof that small changes can have real lasting results. Three years ago Dannii began a journey to lose 98 pounds. Not only did she reach her goal she has maintained for over two years!

Danni lives in the UK with her husband.  She works from home as a freelance writer and an online researcher. Despite her sometimes 10-12 hour work days she finds the time to cook healthy food and workout. Dannii also writes her blog, Hungry Healthy Happy. Like the title suggests her blog is full of tips to reach your goals without losing your mind in the process!

Girl Hero Dannii

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

They are drastically different. My lifestyle before my weight loss was mostly sedentary and revolved around junk food. Constantly thinking when my next chocolate bar was going to be or what day we would be having a takeaway. It was a time filled with negative body image and a lot of unhappiness. Fast forward a few years and I am happier than I have ever been. I am active and I still love food and I still eat a lot, but I am eating things that are better for my body and most importantly I have found a balance. A balance between doing the things that I know will help me live longer and doing all the things that I enjoy too, like ocassionally eating cake and drinking wine.

What was the catalyst for your journey to health?

I got the kick I needed when I had a health scare in 2008. I was unable to breathe properly and my heart was skipping a beat often (sometimes 10 times a day) and causing me to have huge panic attacks. After having several heart monitors fitted, I was told that I did have a “normal” mild heart condition that caused my heart to skip sometimes, but my weight was likely making it worse. I knew that I was slowing (or maybe even quickly) killing myself and I knew that I needed to change.

You started with gentle yoga, then swimming, and zumba. What do you do now for fitness?

Now I do a little bit of everything. To be honest, I am not one of those people who always loves working out, but I do always love how I feel after it. I get bored very easily, so if I don’t change it up all the time, I probably wouldn’t work out. So I usually do a different workout 6 days a week. I still do yoga, swimming and zumba, but I have also started running and I love doing kettlebell workouts. I also found a love of kick boxing – it is a great stress relief.

Did you hit more than one plateau on your journey to lose 98 pounds? If so how did you overcome the plateaus?

Yes, I hit several plateaus – some were a few weeks long. There are perfectly natural and I think they are your bodies was of preparing you for maintenance. I got through them by mixing things up. I did a few different workouts, ate some new foods, even upped my calories for a while and it got things moving again. Your body gets used to a routine, and you need to keep it guessing.

You’ve maintained your weight loss for almost 2 years. Many people find maintaining harder than losing. Any advice for maintaining?

I really do feel that for me, maintenance is harder than losing the weight was (not that that was easy at all). My main piece of advice would be to remind yourself that it is an adjustment. Your body has gone from you teaching it to lose weight, to you know trying to keep your weight the same. You might initially gain a little weight, but it will regulate itself again, just be patient. Maintenance is how your life is going to be, so you have some time to get used to it. Also, remember that once you reach your goal, you can’t just go back to making the decisions you made before you started. There is not end point.

What motivates you?

My health is my biggest motivator. Feeling better about the way I look is an added bonus, but being able to do so many things that I couldn’t do, like run up some stairs and feeling myself getting stronger every day makes it so worth it and it motivates me to keep going. I am also motivated to inspire others and show them that they can do it. The people that follow me on Facebook motivate me with their amazing achievements every day.

You discovered you love to cook! Do you have a favorite recipe you could share?

A favourite recipe? That is like asking someone to pick their favourite child haha. I think it would have to be my healthy chicken tortilla soup. I made it recently for the first time and it was a bit of a revelation. I LOVE Mexican food, and soup, so this was a big hit. 

You’ve clearly changed on the outside but I’m curious if your journey affected the inside? In other words, did you change on the inside as well?

Changing on the inside is possibly the biggest change for me and one that not many people notice. People are wowed by the before and after photos, but if only they could see the change to my health and the change mentally, that would be what really wowed them. Apart from my improved health (lower blood pressure and cholesterol), I am just a much happier and positive person. I was the girl who always saw the worst in every situation and I would put myself down all the time and thing that I wasn’t worthy of anything because of my weight. But, the truth is, I was worthy then and I am still worthy now. I am more than my body and my body is capable of more than I ever gave it credit for. It sounds cheesy, but I didn’t change as a person when losing weight, I just discovered the person I really was.

From your blog, “I’m not going to say it will be easy, but it WILL be worth it.”  I love your honesty. In what ways is it worth it?

In what ways isn’t it worth it would be the easier question (the answer to that would be financially, I buy too many clothes now haha). To be able to wake up every day and not get out of breathe by just getting out of bed or putting socks on and to finally have found a balance in my life. For me as well, it made me find direction. Inspiring and helping other people on similar journeys is my direction and I never would have found that is I had not of done it myself. It is hard work and you will be challenged every day and you will have some bad day, but at the end of it when you look at how far you have come, there are no words to describe how incredible that feels. I can wear any outfit I want, not just the one that covers me up the most and my heart and head are much healthier.

Thank you Dannii for sharing your story! You are an inspiration!

You can find Dannii on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and of course her blog, Hungry Healthy Happy!

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 Dannii appeared first on Girl Heroes.