My Journey To Health & Happiness

The idea of a "diet" sounds like a simple and quick fix to weight loss, but I'll be the first to tell you- a diet is NOT the answer. When I was 17 years old, I weighed 180 pounds at 5'5" (with little muscle). With college just around the corner and growing concern for my physical/mental health , I decided to take the plunge and start my weight loss journey.

When I began, I researched far and wide for the simplest way to lose weight and came across a ton of diets (I call fad diets). These diets (I later learned) work in the short term, but are hard to stick to and are too restrictive for the average human. With that said, I began to work with a nutritionist and personal trainer who changed my life. I learned all about proper nutrition (macros, micros & how they work in the body) which helped me to eat intuitively while not restricting too much. In about one year, I was down to 115 pounds (super skinny), and I was on the verge of developing an eating disorder. I was so fixated on keeping the weight off and had a fear of gaining it all back. My nutritionist guided me through my concerns and I grew more confident in my abilities to look and feel my best. Although the scale was low, I still had a ton of extra skin on my abdomen, so to solve this I had skin removal surgery on my stomach the summer after my weight loss.

Fast forward to 3 years later, I am more happy and confident than ever. Although I am still a work in progress and have bigger goals for my body, I am happy with the results and effort that I've dedicated to changing my body. I lift 5 days a week and do cardio 2 days a week. In addition, I follow a strict meal plan that keeps me on track while allowing me to continue crushing my goals.

-Blake