Transformation Tuesday: Jenn Smith
Weight has always been a struggle in my life and at age 45,soon to be 46 it’s been even more of a struggle.
Fitness & healthy eating has always been a part of my weight loss journey . Seventeen years ago I decided to get my group fitness & personal training certification to help keep me accountable. After FINALLY reaching my weight loss goal at age 43 my husband and I found out we were expecting our “blessing” baby. Due to a complicated pregnancy I was placed on modified bed rest, could not workout & gained 75 lbs. My motivation after having our 9 lb 10.5 oz son was that I didn’t like the way I felt and what I was seeing in the mirror. My abs were covered with a few extra layers that weren’t there before and I had to continue wearing my maternity clothes. I also wanted to get back to teaching but I didn’t feel confident with my weight to get in front of others. So back to the “dieting” I went.
This time around the weight wasn’t coming off quite as easy as it did in my 20’s & 30’s. Barriers for me this go around was my age. The fact that I had a baby to care for along with my 4 other children; so time was not on my side. I made excuse after excuse why I couldn’t make it to the gym and why I wasn’t ready to jump back into teaching my classes. I overcame these barriers by first finding a friend and a group that helped keep me accountable for what I was eating and how much I was exercising. I journaled my food and workouts using My Fitness Pal & my Apple Watch. I then decided it was time to jump back into teaching my classes. My participants count on me to be there for my classes and this is just what I needed!
One of the things I am most proud of is my persistence to get the weight off. I lost a total of 60 pounds. Do I struggle still to this day? Yes, it’s always a struggle. My body is not back to where it was but my lifestyle has changed. Clean eating, holistic health options & making better choices for my family is now where I’ve put my focus. Patience is one thing that I’ve had to learn . The weight may not come off as fast as it did in the past but I feel great and I’m a work in progress.