Michele’s Magnificent Transformation!
Earlier this yea
r I decided to share a deeper and more intimate side of myself to the world on Facebook by sharing my transformation story. Many people have followed my fitness journey because of the motivational messages and posts on fitness I make and others knew part of my story. Regardless, I wanted to open up so that I may inspire even more people. Sometimes people only see those of us in the fitness world as people who have always been in shape and look the way we do year round… Not! So, in a nut shell, this is my story!
For many of us who get involved in the fitness world we all have our stories of battling with our weight. I am no different. I never really ate “bad” per se, I simply did not eat. And/or when I did, I would binge eat mainly because I was starving. I battled that for many years but the biggest and most difficult part of my weight gain was because of depression. I lost my mother at age 17 and my father three years later. It was a very difficult time for me to say the least. At my heaviest I was over 200 lbs.
I grew up in a very small town where health and nutrition was not well known and information was not readily available. At this point, all I knew was that I was first an athlete who played sports in school and I knew how to exercise and work hard, so that is where I started and it did not take long.
I knew that I was not meant to be big and once I made up my mind it was over. I lost 65 pounds in about nine months through eating healthy (mostly vegetarian by choice) and exercising, but it was not until I became a fitness instructor for LA Fitness that my real journey began. I started teaching and was certified/trained in almost every format of group fitness and then took courses in nutrition and personal training.
My biggest change was through friends who were involved in the sport of bodybuilding, which I have come to love and appreciate. My best friend J Zubire, who has been around the sport for many years, approached me on our first encounter with one another and said, “You are going to start training with me. You’re skinny-fat and no instructor should look like that.”
It was a little harsh but I am thankful that she did! I was the true cardio queen who made the mistake of doing lots of cardio and very little to no strength training. Even though I would train with her, it was not until another co-instructor mentioned doing a bodybuilding Bikini competition… for fun. Well, long story short, what turned out to be something small and not so serious, become something more than just fun for me!
I fell in love with lifting and became a strong woman. I learned proper ways of eating and balance between cardio and strength training and I learned that a person can do anything they wish no matter what circumstances they face; it is possible to live the life you want! I can proudly say I am all natural! And whatever problem areas I have, I would rather work my ass off knowing that I put in the hard work, tears, and sweat and earned the body that I have than to take short cuts to achieve what I want.
I see it as inspiration for others. You do not have to take a bunch of diet pills, g
o on crash diets or have surgery. Earn your body; it is worth the work and effort!
It takes a lot for me to share some of my story (especially the pictures), but I see how many people follow me, ask for advice and look up to a lot of us in the fitness world and that inspires me more. The most important part of doing this is the reward of seeing the fruits of my labor and living to inspire others. I don’t look for acclamations, but hope that in some way my story will motivate others to believe in their selves, accomplish their dreams and more importantly not to let anything or anyone keep them from fulfilling their destiny!
My personal motto along my fitness journey is I have nothing to prove to anyone, but everything to prove to myself. I am thankful I am not where I use to be, I am happy where I am, and I know where I am going. And through Christ who strengthens me, ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE!
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