My Story!

My Story-

When I was younger, before kids and marriage, I LOVED my body.

I was going out for 6 mile runs around Delray Beach daily, wearing nothing but low-cut leggings and a sports bra. Life was easy. I was in college, no kids, no husband. I ate what I wanted, drank what I wanted and ran it all off the next day. I was 117 pounds and I LOVED it.

I fed my body unhealthy things. Fast food, sweets and candy was all I ever ate.

I’ve never been the chicken and rice kind of eater.

Meal prep- not my thing.

I enjoyed when people would see what I ate and ask how I stayed so skinny.

Eating healthy never crossed my mind. If you asked me, I would tell you I hated the gym. I would much rather go outside for a run, and I couldn’t imagine working out inside at a gym.

C’mon we live in South Florida- go outside!

Lifting weights was not for me, I didn’t want to “get big”, I enjoyed being super skinny and having no muscles. I did want to have abs. I remember as far back as high school; I’ve always said I wanted to have abs and be a MILF!!

Nice goal, right?!

Maybe someday soon!

I no longer look in the mirror and love the body that I see.

It’s probably been 5-6 years since I have looked in the mirror and felt happy with the body that is being reflected.

Now don’t get me wrong, I love myself. I don’t look in the mirror and hate the person looking back- I’ve never disliked WHO I am.

This body of mine created and gave birth to two healthy babies and has given me the ability to live a healthy life, I should be taking care of it like it has taken care of me for the past 34 years.

In late 2017, when I got pregnant for the first time, I watched the scale go from 117 to 210. I didn’t even care. I absolutely loved being pregnant. From the moment I found out I was pregnant the food cravings started. I was so excited because I could eat and eat and eat and never have to suck my stomach in! It was going to be amazing.

So, I did just that, I ate!

I would go to 3 or more fast-food restaurants in one day. I wasn’t working so all I did was sit around and eat! It was awesome.

Until it wasn’t.

My body became something that I no longer recognized. I didn’t even realize how big I was until I started looking at photos after Ella was born.

Now, I know I was growing a baby inside of my body and I needed to eat, but I ate in excess. It was very unhealthy.

In May 2018, when Ella was only 3 weeks old, Marc (my husband) was diagnosed with stage 4 head and neck cancer. I became a robot. I learned how to be a first-time mom while watching my husband deteriorate. It was awful. My weight was not something I ever thought about. I had a job to do- I had to be the strong wife my husband needed me to be, and I had to be the mommy that my brand-new baby needed. There was no time to think about what I needed during that time, and that was ok.

September 2018, my sister-in-law told me about this 12-week Transformation program for woman at a gym nearby.

I got super motivated to start a weight-loss journey and I needed to start it ASAP!

So, I did.

It was intense. I got a meal plan, and I was going to the gym 5 days a week.

I lasted about 5 weeks and gave up.

I used the excuse of wanting another baby to justify quitting. Why would I give it 100% when I knew I was going to get pregnant and fat all over again?

Here are my before photos:

In December 2018, Marc was declared cancer free. Thank God.

I was unhappy. I neglected myself and because of that I hated the body I was living in. I was so disappointed with myself for allowing this to happen.

Throughout the next year I lived unhappily with myself and randomly yo-yo dieted. I was sitting around 150-160 pounds.

March 2020, I found out I was pregnant with baby #2. I tried hard not to gain a ton of weight with this pregnancy.

November 2020 Taylor was born. I gained 40 pounds and left the hospital weighing 200 pounds… again.

When Taylor was 4 months old, I decided to try the 12-week Transformation program again and this time I was going to give it 100% because I was done having babies and I wanted my body back.

I didn’t give it my all.

I lasted about 8 weeks and gave up. Again.

March 2021- Here are my before and after (about 5 weeks) photos:

Since then, I have tried so many fad diets/workout programs to lose weight:

Intermittent Fasting

Nutrisystem

Beach Body

Optavia

Starvation

Isagenix

Nothing/no fad diet made me lose weight as fast as I wanted so nothing ever stuck, and I always gave up and disliked my body even more.

I wanted immediate results, and I didn’t want to have to work too hard to get them.

A fad diet that said I didn’t have to work out- count me in!

At this point, I was back to 155 pounds.

I would go back and forth between getting super motivated to start losing weight and just being okay with being fat for the rest of my life.

“My husband and kids love me just the way I am.”

“I can’t lose weight so I might as well be okay with being fat.”

These were excuses that ran through my head because I didn’t want to have to work hard to lose weight, and I knew it was going to be REAL hard.

I was uncomfortable in my own skin, and I wasn’t happy. I know my husband and kids love me no matter what, but I didn’t love me. I hid under baggy clothes and my light was dim. I missed the old me, I longed for my light to shine bright again. I knew what I needed to do; I just didn’t want to do it.

“If you want something you’ve never had, you have to do something you’ve never done”

February 2022, I went out for girls’ night with some friends, one was telling us about her sister training for a bikini competition. I thought to myself ‘oh my goodness, this is it; this is what I need as my goal’ and in that moment I decided that my goal was going to be to compete in a bikini competition by the end of the year 2022.

The next day I told Marc about my goal, and he was 120% on board! He would support me any way he could.

So, I started researching. I figured out what I was going to need to achieve this goal.

A personal trainer was going to be a MUST. I needed someone who was going to be waiting on me at the gym so I would go. I also needed to find a Prep Coach, to help with nutrition and workouts.

Through a google search, I found Nikki Ray, a bikini competitor who was also a personal trainer.

I immediately sent her a message. She called me that same night and we spoke about my goal. She was willing to take me on as a client and she also had a wonderful Prep Coach she wanted to introduce me to.

Enter Dave Bogan.

I wouldn’t realize how lucky I got finding Nikki and Dave until a little later into my journey!

I met with Dave on Thursday, February 10 at Starbucks.

I wanted to start Monday. Dave told me to start the next day, which was Friday February 11, 2022.

I had my first gym day with Nikki the following Monday, February 14.

9 months later….

It is currently November 2022 and I have not given up on the goal. I am so proud.

But, because I did not trust the process enough, I will not be competing in 2022.

Lesson Learned.

I will now be competing in April 2023!!

21 weeks to go!!

It hasn’t been easy. It’s been one of the hardest things I’ve ever done in my life.

It is amazing what discipline and consistency will get you.

I’ve learned a lot about myself and my mindset:

Consistency is KEY and there is NO quick fix or magic pill.

You MUST trust the process.

You MUST put in the work to get the results.

You have to keep showing up every.single.day and most importantly when you don’t want to.

You must choose this lifestyle every single day.

If you fuck up, turn it around at the next meal, don’t wait until Monday.

This is MY journey. Do not compare yourself or your progress to others.

Trust the process. Trust the process. Trust the process.

“Don’t give up on a dream because of the amount of time it will take to accomplish, the time will pass anyway.”

I will be posting my fitness journey (the good, the bad and the ugly) starting from the very beginning back in February.

Follow along and watch my (anything but smooth) road to the show!!

https://www.instagram.com/cortney.gets.fit/