Barbara lost 25 pounds and transformed her body

Weight Loss Transformation: Barbara transformed her body and improved her Scoliosis. She lost 25 pounds, going from a size 10/12 to a size 4/6.  Consistency, healthy eating, strength training and core workouts were key to her transformation. Now, she is a certified personal trainer. Check out what she shared with us about her journey…

My love for Health & Fitness has evolved over the years.  Back in High School, I was diagnosed with Scoliosis, which is a curvature of the spine. I was required to wear a very uncomfortable and restricting brace to help prevent the curvature from worsening as I grew. Unfortunately, the brace spent more time in my closet, than on my back. Also, I never did the exercise regimen that I was prescribed to help strengthen my core. I wasn’t active and was out of shape. When I reached my twenties, I became more active but was never consistent. I also realized that my curvature was worsening and I needed to incorporate more exercise into my lifestyle. According to my doctors, exercise and strength training could help prevent any further progression.  I also have a family history of diabetes and high blood pressure and I wanted to prevent that.  I grew up on a diet where most of our plate was filled with rice or some other type of carbohydrate.  I also was a heavy soda and juice drinker.

I joined the fitness center located in the office building where I worked and started falling in love with working out and the results I was seeing. However, I lacked consistency. I suffered from yo-yo dieting and exercising. I would go all out for the summer or after New Year’s. Then, the number and frequency of my workouts would decrease as I got comfortable with my results. When I first started on my journey, I thought that because I was working out, I could eat whatever I wanted. I would skip meals, do restrictive diets and drink sugary drinks. I would also spend hours doing cardio and obsess over the scale.

One day, I saw a pin on Pinterest that helped to changed my mindset: “When I lost all of my excuses, I found all of my results.” Something about that stuck with me. I finally made the decision that I was going to be consistent with my habits and commit to making it a lifestyle. I was tired of starting all over. I was tired of looking at others’ transformations.  I then started doing all of things that I have been hearing lead to success. I wrote down my goals. I became part of an online group dedicated to providing accountability and support. We all shared our health and fitness goals, motivational tips and supported and encouraged each other in our journeys. I was very active in the group and liked the support from others. I started learning more about the importance of proper nutrition and drinking water. I also started eating more frequently, watching my portions and reducing my sugar intake.

Instead of focusing on what I wanted my body to look like or how much I weighed, I set athletic goals, like being able to do a pull up unassisted.  I worked out 30-45 min a day, 5-6 times a week. I incorporated more strength training into my regimen and kept logs of the weights that I used so I could keep progressing and getting stronger.  Once I changed my mindset from what I wanted my body to look like to how strong I wanted it to be, the consistency and results followed. I’ve measured my transformation mainly by how I look in the mirror, through progress pics, measurements and the fit of my clothes.  Strength training and core workouts have really helped make a difference with my Scoliosis.  It’s still there but I have less pain and better posture.  The knowledge I’ve gained from my own fitness journey has helped me encourage others to start their own.  I’m now very passionate about health and fitness and recently got certified as a personal trainer with the National Academy of Sports Medicine.

I went from 10/12 to size 4/6. I’m 5’6″ tall and my starting weight was 160 pounds. My current weight fluctuates between 135-140 pounds. I’m still a work in progress and I’m constantly setting goals for myself. I’m working on building muscle and achieving a strong, fit body… one day at a time!

My goal is to teach my clients to be patient and to stick with it.  We all want quick results, but the quick fix methods are not sustainable for a lifetime.  If you are working out and eating right, but feeling frustrated and ready to give up, I want to encourage you!  Vow to yourself that it doesn’t matter if you take your progress measurements and pics and see no change yet because his is your new LIFESTYLE. This is who you are NOW. Keep doing what you’re doing because it’s the RIGHT THING to do. Once you develop that mindset, that’s when the negative thoughts and doubts go away, because that old way of thinking is gone! No matter how long it takes, know that you are on the right path, the healthy path. That is the path that will sustain you for the rest of your life and if you just stay the course the RESULTS WILL COME.

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