Monica lost 39 pounds

Transformation of the Day: Monica lost 39 pounds. During the summer break, this Educator and Zeta Phi Beta soror decided to focus on fitness and healthy eating habits. With the support of her CrossFit friends, she showed up, put in the work and got results. Check out her story.

What was your motivation?
I have always been motivated to work out, but I wasn’t consistent. One day, over summer break, I told myself that all I wanted to do for the summer was work out and relax. #Goals! I made that promise to myself, and it wasn’t easy. I weighed 242 pounds at the time. Over time, I found that I became more excited about working out and showing up at the two exercise classes I dedicate myself to.

Now, as of November 18, 2018, I weigh 203 pounds at 5’7″! I am obsessed with my love for my two gyms; @CrossFit_Ex is my first love and my second love is @Effectfitness, both located in Atlanta, GA. I love the challenges that both give me!

I am not at my target weight of 180 pounds, and my challenge is not over! I started in June 2018, so it’s been 5 months now. This has become an ongoing journey. It’s honestly a lifestyle now!

What was your workout routine?
During the summer, I worked out 4 days a week. On Sundays after church, I would go hiking with friends. Outdoors activities are not my favorite, but I’ve learned to love hiking up the mountains!

Now that the Summer is over and I am back to work, my workout routine is still 4 days a week. However, I have meetings and tutoring, so I can’t always make 4 days, so sometimes I can only do 3 or 2 days.

How did you change your eating habits?
I’ve learned to use portions control. I do not deprive myself of the things I like. Learning how to cut down on certain foods is the key!  I’ve also increased my vitamin intake and learned to say NO to many happy juices (i.e., alcohol). I still have wine here and there, but those empty calories really add up.

What inspired you to keep going when you wanted to give up?
What inspired me to keep going was my friends from my CrossFit gym. They really encourage me to keep up the good work. When I wasn’t able to make it to the gym, they were also the same people who pushed me to go hiking with them. They were always pushing me and encouraging me to remind me of the goals I was trying to reach. Also, putting on clothes that I wore a year or even six months ago, and finally revealing a shape feels pretty good. Believe me, the transformation and the decrease in measurements makes you feel like you’ve hit the jackpot!

What is the biggest lesson you’ve learned so far?
The biggest lesson I have learned on this journey is you can’t live life just to live. You need to have a spiritual, physical, and mental balance to succeed. Life comes with a lot of ups and downs. While you are living, control what you can by internally living your life in the healthiest, most faithful, and most peaceful way that God has granted us with.

What advice would you like to share?
I encourage others to get the “Just Do It” attitude (credit to Nike) because nobody is going to live for you! You have to live for yourself! As long as God has you breathing and walking on this Earth, then that means you have a purpose here! You’ve got to believe that you are worth it, My Queens.

Instagram: @Monica1920