Losing weight can seem overwhelming. It doesn’t matter whether you have 10 pounds to lose or over 100 pounds to lose. It’s just plain difficult, and we can come up with a million ways to sabotage ourselves. Sometimes it’s easier to do nothing, but in the end, by doing nothing, nothing will change; plain and simple. This post celebrates two women making changes on their journey to a healthier life.
View the video of the kimbentley Fitness Fashion Makeover and learn more about their stories. kimbentley was proud to celebrate these two women by giving them some new fitness gear to continue their workouts in style!
Before Photos: Ruths has lost 170 lbs and Karen has lost over 50!
Meet Ruth: I first met Ruth in a fitness class called Jam the Gym. Jam the Gym is a fitness class held at a local school and movements are performed to music. It’s great for everyone no matter what your fitness level or experience. This workout has helped Ruth lose 170 pounds! She continues to strive to lose and has a final 30 pounds to go to reach the weight she has set as her goal. Ruth will be the first to tell you she’s not a size 6 and that’s never been her goal. Even though she seems a bit shy, I believe she’s proud of how far she has come. You will now find Ruth moving to the music in the front of the fitness class and not in the back row. Most of us can’t imagine the effort that it takes to lose 170 pounds. This type of weight loss doesn’t happen overnight so how does someone stay that focused? Well, it takes effort. It takes mental toughness to get through the times when you fall off your program, and it helps to surround yourself with supportive people. Yes, Ruth has fallen off her program, and she had times when her weight crept up instead of down. The success is in the fact that she keeps going. So no matter where you are in your journey, no matter how far you have to go to reach your goal, celebrate every step because every step is worth celebrating.
Meet Karen: I met Karen just a few days before the segment aired. We met through Kelly, her nutrition coach at a local fitness center – Highland Fitness. Karen has lost over 50 pounds and went from a size 18 to a size 8! She’s now in the maintenance stage of her journey. She sent me an email to share her story of being overweight which began as a child. If you never thought that calling a child “heavy” or “fat” had an impact on them, think again. Karen remembers the names people called her and she remembers having to shop in the what was then called the “husky” section of the store when she was younger. Long story short; she remembers. At the age of 48 Karen was intimidated to join a gym but when she finally took a deep breath and walked in she was surprised to find out that all types of people workout; all shapes, all sizes, and all ages! In her words “They were rockin’ it!” She began her journey and gained her confidence which continues to blossom. She also had a strategy which I thought was pretty awesome. Every week that she completed her workouts she celebrated by purchasing a new piece of workout clothing. She now has a workout wardrobe!
Weight loss successes come at every stage of your journey. Every pound is a success and every workout completed is a success. Celebrate where you are and enjoy the journey as you meet others that want to live a healthy lifestyle. Take the compliment from a friend, enjoy the new person you’re becoming and if you need to, pat yourself on the back if no one else does. Find inspiration in the stories of these two women and begin your journey to becoming an inspiration yourself.
Here’s to finding your style,™ – Kim
