Growing up a thin young woman, I never struggled with my weight until I got into college. At age 19, my metabolism changed drastically along with my eating habits. I started staying out late, drinking alcohol and eating fast food. Within a matter of two years I put on about fifty pounds. No one stopped me and said, "Kelsey, you're getting chunky." No one warned me that I was heading down an unhealthy path. The weight snuck up on me. One day I went through my closet and had a size four on one end and a size fourteen on the other. That's not a fun reality check. Nothing fit. I worked part time in college and started spending most of my paychecks on new outfits to try and make myself look thinner, always searching for that "perfect outfit." By the way, it doesn't exist.
One night, hanging out with a guy friend, I overheard him checking his voicemail on his cell phone. I heard the familiar voice of a "friend" say, "Hey man, where have you been? Have you been hanging out with that WHALE again?" I confronted my guy friend, asking who in the world he was referring to. My guy friend admitted, "He was talking about YOU."
Man, talk about a HUGE reality check. When you grow up thin, you aren't used to insults about your weight. At that moment, not only was I unhappy with the woman in the mirror, I realized that other people noticed my weight as well. I decided I wanted to lose the weight for ME, but I used the "Whale" comment as motivation to drive me.
It took me about five years to lose the college fifty pounds, simply because I had no idea what I was doing. It was all trial and error. I started by only doing cardio and avoiding eating at restaurants and drinking alcohol (as much as possible). I met my (now) husband and he encouraged me to start weight training, insisting that women do not have the testosterone to bulk up the way men do. He was right! My body started toning up and I got down to a healthy size eight, around 24% body fat (healthy for a woman).
It wasn't until I hired a nutritionist a few years later that I realized that nutrition determines 80% of your results, exercise being 20%.
If you are starting in a place that you are not proud of and you feel like you've hit rock bottom, have no fear! I believe that it sometimes takes you getting absolutely 100% fed up before you'll make the change you need. At least that's how it happened for me. I was desperate for a change.
Start here > Focus on nutrition. You will be shocked at how much it makes a difference. Start by eating small meals every three hours, five to seven meals a day. It may seem like a lot of food at first, but stick with it. Within three months of eating like this, my body went from 24% body fat, down to 15%. With the help of healthy nutrition and weight training, I created the body of an athlete.
Focus on choosing a lean protein, complex carb and veggie at each meal. Add in healthy fats in moderation. I hope this helps you get started. It really is simple, it's just not easy. Cook your meals in bulk and stay prepared.
Just know that this is NOT a diet, it's a lifestyle change. How long do you have to eat like this? Well, it all depends on how long you want to look and feel fabulous!
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