Tranformation of the Day: Livey-Ann lost 27 pounds. She became ill and lived in pain for a year before being diagnosed with a chronic bladder disease. During that time, she put on weight. Once she felt better, she decided to celebrate her health by training for a bikini fitness competition. Check out her journey.
What was your motivation? What inspired you to keep going when you wanted to give up?
Motivation: In August 2017, I became ill. For almost a year, I lived in pain, until I was diagnosed correctly with Interstitial Cystitis [also known as painful bladder syndrome]. I was given the right medication in April 2018.
While dealing with my illness, I put on weight. I realized that I had taken my health and wellness for granted, so when I was better, I wanted to celebrate. I wanted to feel healthy in my body again. I didn’t give up on my goals because… How could I complain or give up when I had been in such a dark place before?
Now, I am healthy and managing my chronic disease with exercise and diet. As a form of celebrating getting my health back, I decided to train for my first bikini fitness competition which I participated in this month.
How did you change your eating habits?
To prepare for a bikini competition, you have to eat clean. I had a trainer who created custom meal plans for me. I learned how to eat clean, and how to eat often. Before this process, I would skip meals (mainly breakfast), but my trainer taught me that skipping meals was not beneficial for weight loss. In fact, it could be harmful to my efforts.
In the beginning, I ate five meals a day and had a protein shake before bedtime. I would eat sweet potatoes, or brown rice for a carb instead of white potatoes, white rice, etc. Fried foods had to go. I mainly ate chicken and fish. Sometimes, I would have red meat. I ate clean six days out the week, and on the 7th day, I could have a cheat meal… not a cheat day.
What was your workout routine?
In the beginning, I worked out three times a week with my trainer and did cardio for 30 minutes 6 times a week. At the height of my training, I worked out four times a week with my trainer and did cardio twice a day, six days a week. My morning cardio was always fasted HIIT cardio.
What was your starting weight? What is your current weight?
My starting weight was 178 pounds. By competition time, I weighed 151 pounds. My height is 5’7″.
How long did your transformation take?
It took me about four months to transform.
What is the biggest lesson you’ve learned?
TO BE PATIENT. Weight loss doesn’t happen overnight, and we can’t see the change taking place right away, but it is happening. I plan on doing another competition, and I think I will do better this time because I now know I can.
What advice do you have for others who want to lose weight?
Keep going after your goal. Even when you have bad days and fall short of your eating plan, pick yourself up and start again. When you don’t want to go to the gym to work out, make it a point to go anyway.
Find support. If you are able, find a trainer who you like and connect with. Also, get used to being uninvited to social events.
Visit my website www.liveyann.com. There you can read the complete story of how I went from illness to fitness and hear about bikini competition prep.
Instagram: @liveyann1
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