Transformation Tuesday: Ashley Melhouse

I can’t begin to tell you how many times I’ve made a New Year’s Resolution to lose weight or get back into shape. January 2016 was no different, and to be completely honest, I’m not sure why it ended any differently. But it did, and I’ll attempt to take you on that journey.

Ever since graduating college in May of 2011 and starting to work full time, I could see and feel my weight and health slipping. I was not paying any attention to what I was eating, or how much. When life got tough, I turned to food to comfort me. My parents’ divorce and the separation of my family played a big role in this, stressful work situations, bad relationships, you name it…I chose food. Needless to say, that added up quite quickly. I could tell, but I wasn’t in the mindset to do anything about it, and I didn’t care. I wasn’t myself.

Fast forward to the day a friend of mine and RiverPlex member invited me to WERQ on a Monday evening. I thought she was out of her mind. She pushed and pushed and eventually got me to go with her, and I’ll be forever grateful to her for that. One class led to another, and another, and I was hooked. I had gone from exercising three times a week to taking every lunch break I could during my work days to take BodyPump, and going back in the evenings to run.

A year and a half of Group Exercise classes, a fairly strict clean eating plan and all the support I could have ever asked for lead to a loss of 65 pounds, some muscle definition I didn’t think I’d ever see on my body, and a Les Mills BodyPump Instructor certification.

The mental and physical change, relationships and support I have gained since becoming a member at the RiverPlex in January 2016 are unparalleled. Whatever motivates you, use it to its fullest advantage.