As I was growing up, I didn’t know much about health and fitness. I was pretty young and more focused on having fun in school and doing cool projects. Back then I didn’t really know that I was overweight, but I was, and had been almost my whole life. What made me come to this realization was other students in school calling me names and doctor visits that never turned out well.

Other than my appearance, my past isn’t something pleasant to think about. I frequently struggled with my mental health, and I eventually hit rock bottom. Most of the time it was because I was insecure, and it came to a point where I didn’t even want to leave my house. Being surrounded by negativity, I turned and these comments ruined my mentality. I was left with no confidence because I let the discouragement control my life. I wouldn’t wear any other color than black, and I refused to expose any of my skin. I even pushed my family away and lost valuable time with them because I spent most of my days trapping myself at home, worrying about what I looked like.

It hurts to think about sometimes, because I still can’t believe I used to feel like that every single day, but at the same time, it’s amazing how much I’ve progressed over these few years. I am thankful for my past because it taught me how to be patient, and I realized that I only get what I work for. During this experience, I’ve learned the true concept of consistency. I realized that I can’t be 100% perfect, and neither can anyone else.

I personally chose to lose weight because I felt like I really needed to, and I did. It got to a point where I had fatty liver disease and almost every bone in my body would hurt, especially my knees, back, and breasts. Back in 2019, a friend of mine had mentioned the Keto Diet, and my mind was set on giving it a try.

I began my journey on February 10, 2019. The first step was to shed all of the extra fat on my body, so I did the keto diet (fat shredding diet) which lasted until February 10, 2020, excluding exercise of any kind. During that year, I was 279 pounds and lost 99. It was terribly hard in the beginning because the diet almost completely cuts out carbs and sugars. The goal was to consume mainly protein and fatty foods like eggs, red meat, avocado, cheese, olive oil, nuts, ect.

After that year, I eased myself out of Keto and just maintained a “healthy” diet. My portions were still too big, though. It’s true that even too much of something healthy can be bad for you.
I still wasn’t confident, even though I had lost 99 pounds. I wasn’t happy, and I wanted more. I spent a while trying to figure out what it was that I needed to do to make myself happy. I was wishing instead of doing.

I wasn’t active at all. I was still stressed out and confused. Towards the summer of 2020, I came across multiple videos on Instagram of these men and women strength training. I found it really interesting, and it was something I definitely wanted to try. I also came to a decision where I wanted to have a fit physique. I decided to give strength training a go. I started off with just a 10 lb. dumbbell and a yoga mat, then worked my way into getting more equipment once I was fully committed to the process. I had no idea what I was doing, so I just followed videos on Instagram. As time went by, I educated myself on workout splits and full body splits. I worked on myself for seven months with no help, spending all of my nights and weekends training.

It was important for me to trust the process and stay positive, because I was trying to better myself as a whole, including my mentality. After eight months of training, I accepted the fact that there’s nothing wrong with needing help, and I wanted a trainer. Because of the high prices, I train at home all week and go into the gym on Fridays, and I still do. Going into the gym was one of the best decisions I’ve made. My trainer helps me with full body workouts, and mostly my form, because it’s all about quality over quantity. I am also maintaining a 1,400 calorie diet, and eating

in portions that will help me reach my goals. The best thing is looking back at how much I didn’t know versus what I know now. Learning and experiencing are two of the most important things during journeys like these.

Not only did I find a hobby, I found a way to get rid of my stress. Once I reach my goals, I want to help others reach theirs as well. Training is my passion and what makes me happy. Back then I used to force myself to get a workout in, and now it’s all I look forward to at the end of the day.
All I need to know now is that positive thinking and consistency is the key to reaching my goals.