Update Nov 2021: Shout out to Kendra! She shared her story with us back in July 2014. Since then, she has maintained her success and lost 7.6 more pounds for a total of 46.6 pounds gone. She found an online transformation program that gave her the nutrition and fitness guidance she was looking for.
Age 39
Height 5’5
Starting Weight: 211.6 pounds
Current Weight: 165.0
Total Weight Loss: 46.6lbs
Representing Maryland
How have you maintained your weight loss/continued to lose weight?
I have continued being consistent in the gym and with my nutrition (with the occasional cheat days). I’m particular about what I eat on cheat days because since I eliminated so much from my diet, my stomach is very sensitive to unhealthy choices. I have also added strength training to help with tightening and toning. I am really starting to see the muscle definition come in.
What obstacles, hurdles, or setbacks have you faced during your journey, and how did you get back on track?
Everyone has off days. There are days when I don’t feel like it and days that my mind tells me that I’m still the same size I was before. There are days when I feel like I’m stagnant in this journey. My mind is an obstacle I have to overcome regularly. On those days, I dig deep and remember where I came from and what I have accomplished thus far. This journey is a marathon, not a sprint. Packing your patience and consistency is necessary.
What has worked in terms of eating habits, and what worked in terms of exercise?
What works for me is keeping up with the nutrition plan provided to me by Nutritionist Guru. It has truly made a difference. I eat balanced meals and avoid pork and fast food. In addition, I limit my intake of alcohol and greasy fried foods. I also drink no less than 80 ounces of water a day.
I can also eat bison in addition to lamb. I keep all my meats lean and eat the proper serving size. The key is the water intake. My body is quick to reject anything that I put in it that is unhealthy. It’s incredible how the body works.
When I began this journey, I completely cut out alcohol, pork, fried foods, red meat (except lamb), no sodas, juice, etc. I basically shocked my system. I still have not had pork, sodas, or fast food (except chipotle) since I started this journey three years ago. However, I have eaten some fried food, but it’s cooked in an air fryer to avoid all the grease.
The Fitness on Fire” Online Training Program truly gave me the blueprint and started me on this amazing journey. It gave me not a meal plan but taught me what I should and should not eat, allowing me to create my own healthy yet delicious meals. I get bored easily, so someone assigning me a meal plan with the same foods daily would not have worked for me. I loved that I had options that I could choose from. It gave me flexibility, options and I could make the plan my own within the guidelines.
Nutritionist Guru and the trainer, Fire, become your accountability partners. They also provide a structure that’s super easy to follow. The fact that I had to communicate daily with both the Trainer and Nutritionist was a significant factor. Nutritionist Guru was able to see my eating choices and guide me in a different direction if needed or give me words of encouragement to keep making the right choices. I had to check in with the Fire after each workout as well to be held accountable.
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What lessons have you learned on this journey? What stands out the most?
Be patient! I have also learned that I can really do anything that I put my mind to. Your body transformation is not the only transformation that happens during this process. Your mind transforms, and you begin to enjoy living without pain in your back and knees and being tired all the time.
My energy levels are on another level right now! This was a huge accomplishment for me. I had no idea where this journey would take me, but I’m so glad that I am here.
At this point, would you offer any new or different advice to people who want to lose weight?
Pack your patience but stay consistent. Remember that this grind takes sacrifice. That could mean sacrificing sleep to get to the gym and a meeting by 8 am. Or I could mean sacrificing that night of alcohol with your friends, choosing the healthier option on the menu, or sacrificing the foods and habits you have come to love.
If you fall down four times, get back up five times. Find accountability partners that will keep you on track and check you when you need it. Tough love from those partners may hurt your feelings at the moment, but that love is necessary for your growth.
When you feel like you are on the edge of quitting, look at how far you have come. Remember WHY you are making this lifestyle change. Whatever that reason is, use it to keep pushing. You will not be motivated every day, but you have to be disciplined enough to keep going. Lose the fat in your mind first, and the rest will follow.
Now, I am on the next level of my journey doing strength training, but I keep the foundation Fitness on Fire gave me at all times. I am continuing to build this house daily and loving every second of it. I have bad days when it comes to confidence, like any other woman. As I said, the mind can be a terrible thing. However, when I put on that fitted dress and those heels for a night out, you can’t tell me NOTHING! HA! I look great in my clothes, and I take more risks.
When I wake the next day after a night in 4-inch heels, and my body does not feel like it’s been hit by a truck (like it used to), I’m reminded of why I did this. When I have my annual physical, and everything comes back perfect, it reminds me why I made this change and why I joined this fantastic program. When my energy can outlast my 18-year-old, that’s a reminder of why I did this. When I’m out with my 18-year-old daughter, and people think we are sisters instead of mother and daughter, it reminds me why I did this. I’m totally addicted to the results and how I feel.
Instagram: @kheckstall
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