Transformation Story of the Day: Nadia lost 73 pounds. She has struggled with her weight since childhood and tried lots of plans to lose the pounds. After using a restrictive diet to transform her body for a bodybuilding competition, the pounds came back after the diet ended. Now, lifting weights and counting macros with flexible dieting has allowed her transform her body once again. Here is what she shared with us…
I have struggled with my weight since I hit puberty. I gained a lot of weight quickly and started a cycle that had me trying every diet and weight loss fad you can imagine. You name it, I tried it: Atkins, Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig… the list seems never ending!
In November 2011, I met the man who would later become my husband and everything changed. Suddenly, I wasn’t trying to lose weight for aesthetic purposes. I wanted to get healthy so I could live a great life with this amazing guy! I started watching what I ate and working out at home with DVD workout programs. When I gained enough confidence, I joined a gym. I also started running a road race once a month. My husband even joined in and ran a few races with me.
I wanted to take things to the next level, so I hired a coach to help me prep for a Bodybuilding/Bikini competition for my 30th birthday in 2013. I went on a crazy restricted diet, consisting of only chicken, tilapia, brown rice, oatmeal, veggies, peanut butter and rice cakes. No salt and no sugar. I lost a ton of weight, but it wasn’t in the healthiest fashion. My hormones were messed up and I had binging episodes from restricting myself. I got down to 127 lbs the day of my show and was very proud of myself, but as soon as the competition ended and I went back to eating normally. I gained back all the weight I had lost and then some. I realized that I had to reevaluate my situation and get my situation back on the right path.
Since 2014, I’ve adopted a flexible diet. That means I do not restrict myself and eat whatever I want as long as it fits my nutritional goals. Using If It Fit Your Macros has helped me with my binge tendencies because I no longer crave things. If I want to eat something, I do it in moderation and make it fit.
I also am an advocate of weight lifting. A lot of women are afraid to lift heavy weights for fear they’ll look “manly” or “bulky”. Ladies don’t be afraid to lift! I am currently deadlifting 205 lbs and squatting 160 lbs with hopes to go up! Weights are your friend! I lift 5 days a week for 1 -1 1/2 hrs. I also don’t do a lot of cardio because I don’t want to lose all the amazing muscle I’ve built. If I do cardio it’s usually HIIT (high intensity interval training) and no more than 30 mins a day.
My heaviest weight was in 2010, when I stopped checking the scale, but it was upwards of 200 lbs. My lowest weight was onstage at 127 pounds. I don’t have a goal weight but am planning on competing again in 2016 using flexible dieting. I’m currently reverse dieting which means I’m upping my calories with minimal weight gain and I’m 170 lbs right now at 5’4″ tall.
My advice for others who are trying to lose weight is to remember that it’s a marathon not a sprint. You did not gain all the weight in one day and you’re not going to lose it in a day. Take it one day at a time and do your best. If you hit a bump in the road, don’t quit. Just shake it off and try to be better the next day. Find something that is sustainable for you. I was doing very restricted “clean eating” and it wasn’t sustainable. I would do well for a month at a time and then have a major binge and eat everything in sight. That is counterproductive. Now, I eat whatever I want and make it a lifestyle, not a quick fix. I currently eat burgers, cookies, pizza, potato chips and a glass of wine or two if I feel like it. I also eat baked chicken, brussel sprouts, and brown rice as well. Everything in moderation!
I’m currently studying to become a personal trainer so I can pay it forward and help others reach their fitness goals. I’m a Prosupps Transformation ambassador and I can be found on social media via Facebook at www.facebook.com/NadiaExama on Instagram and Twitter @tough_as_nads and on Snapchat: ToughNads. My blog is a work in progress but is www.nemfitness.com
Linda J. says
Congrats! You look amazing. One piece of advice, if you want to be a personal trainer, you’ll have to change your mindset about cardio exercise…it is a myth that you will lose the muscle that you’ve gained if you do cardio. I worked with a personal trainer years ago and she stated it like this: “Cardiovascular exercise sets the fire and Weight Training keeps it burning.”. Cardiovascular exercise also tones and strengthens the heart and lungs and since heart disease is the #1 cause of death amongst Black Women, we need to do at least 30 mins/day combined with weight training.