Heather lost 60 pounds

Weight Loss Transformation of the Day: Heather lost 60 pounds and has been transformed by fitness. Over the years she’s faced ups and downs and relationship stress, but she’s also found a love for fitness. Now, she is a personal trainer and helping others to transform their lives.  Check out her meal plan and the advice she shared with us…

My fitness journey started in 2003. I was 205 pounds after having my daughter and I lost 55 pounds in one year on Weight Watchers. Once I started losing weight, I got addicted to fitness! I then started working out more and more and I that felt it wasn’t enough. I wanted to be skinner. The pictures on the right side are from when I was married. I lost massive weight under stress and it wasn’t healthy. I got addicted to doing just cardio and I would do it two times day!

Then I got divorced and discovered weightlifting. I fell in love with it right away and that’s when I decided that I wanted to become a personal trainer. Now, I’ve inspired so many people to live a healthy lifestyle. Its all about clean eating not just dieting. I teach a 5 AM class at a fitness facility called The Max. I have 25+ people in my class every morning. For me to wake up at 3 o’clock: it’s not a job, it’s a passion I love what I do. My dream is to inspire as many people as I can to be fit and healthy. I’m also taking that next step and I’ve decided to compete in my first physique competition next year. I’m very excited and looking forward to it. My current weight is 145 pounds and I’m 5’5″. Instagram: @fittchick12

Eating Habits: Clean eating – six small meals throughout the day.

• My first meal is at 6 AM – I have a Herbalife shake oatmeal
• Meal 2 is at 9 AM – I have eggs & oatmeal
• Meal 3-  12pm I have protein with a vegetable and carb
• Meal 4 – 3pm protein with vegetable meal
• Meal 5 – 6pm protein and vegetables
• Meal 6 – 9pm I have Herbalife shake.

I stopped eating a lot of unhealthy carbs. Believe it or not, mashed potatoes are my favorite and that’s a cheat meal for me. I can’t have any sugar at all!

Exercise: I workout six days a week and follow a specific workout because I plan on competing in my first fitness competition next year. I start with fasted cardio and do 30 minutes of cardio five days a week. I’m strength training 6 days a week. I incorporate two leg days, one heavy leg day the other plyometric leg day. I separate my arm workouts and I do abs every other day. I teach 5 AM fitness classes Monday through Friday. On Mondays and Wednesdays it’s HIT cardio and on Tuesdays it’s upper body. On Thursday it’s lower body and on Friday it’s kickboxing.

This is the same saying I use for my clients: “Rome was not built in a day.” It will take time for you to reach your goal. Take it day by day because you’re only human. If you have cheat meal one day, just make sure that the next day you stay on track. Sometimes starting out with a friend can be a little easier. That way you’ll know that you’ll make it to the gym. Plan ahead and Meal prep. Put out your gym clothes the night before so that when that alarm goes off you know that you’re going regardless, if you have to work out in morning. If you have to go workout after work, make sure your gym bag is packed and in your trunk so you don’t go home instead.

This is my most important tip: keep a journal of your daily food intake, even if you already do My Fitness Pal, and write down your workout activities so that you can look back a month from now and see your achievements. Also, take your measurements. I find taking your measurements is better than weighting yourself every day. The scale is always going to go up and down, but your measurement will change!