Let me start by saying that I am a bit of an extremist. I was the girl who would work out six days a week and eat a minimal amount in pursuit of my “ideal“ weight, but was never satisfied. Then there was the other side of me who would barely exercise and eat a lot of unhealthy food. This cycle repeated itself over and over again.
My bad habits really began back in 2010. In August 2010, I had a beautiful baby girl but my pregnancy took a huge toll on my body. Not only had I gained 42 lbs., but I also had to have a cesarean section which I thought was permanent damage to my abs and stomach.
I barely worked out during my pregnancy and with an infant and working full time as a teacher, I never felt as if I had time to fit it in and didn’t know how to juggle it all. I exercised here and there but was never really consistent. After having my daughter, I lost most of the baby weight but gained about 10 lbs. back due to unhealthy eating and minimal exercise.
Fast forward 16 months and I got pregnant again with my second child. In August 2012, I had my precious baby boy. During this pregnancy, I only gained 30 lbs. I lost the baby weight pretty quickly again but was still about 15 lbs. from my ideal weight and was feeling very unhealthy. That’s where the SKFitLife challenge came in.
I was contemplating doing the challenge since Stephanie first introduced it but was afraid that I wouldn’t be successful (and maybe wasn’t really ready to change my unhealthy ways). Three months after my baby boy was born, I decided I was ready to do it. I needed a push to get started, be healthier and loss weight. I needed to change my bad habits and I knew I needed support and guidance in order to be successful.
After the initial feeling of being anxious and overwhelmed, I was extremely motivated. For me, it was about feeling better and doing something positive for myself. This challenge gave me many tools to change my unhealthy habits. Most importantly, it has helped me to find balance in my life. It has taught me how to eat clean and incorporate reasonable exercise back into my life. It has given me guidance and support from other women who were fighting the same battles I was fighting.
Everything about this program has not only made me feel good on the outside but also on the inside. My mindset of being skinny has completely changed. I now strive to be healthy and comfortable in my own skin.
Now that the challenge has ended, I know that I have the drive to be successful in my journey of health and fitness. I have been given amazing tools and have achieved goals that I wouldn’t have been able to accomplish without the support of this challenge. I look forward to continuing what I have started, to making this a lifestyle change, and to keeping a healthy balance in my life for not only myself, but for my husband and my children. I am a better me because of the SKFitlife challenge and cannot thank Stephanie and the other challengers enough for all that they have done to help me throughout this journey. Here’s to a life filled with health and happiness. I look forward to what the next chapter will bring.
Stephanie
