1. Can you tell us a little about your history with fitness and body weight/image. For example, have you always been active or did you adopt this lifestyle later in life?
I have struggled with my weight and with low self esteem my entire life. I never knew anything about how to eat right and how to exercise, nor was I athletic growing up. Everything I know now that's given me results, I've had to teach myself, with lots of research as well as trial and error.
2. What made you decide to commit to weight loss?
I was tired of being unhappy with myself. I had a great family, a great husband and great friends but I always hated my body. I wanted to feel normal for once and have a healthy self esteem like everyone else seemed to have, that was around me. My daughter was growing up fast, she is now 7 years old and I didn't want her to grow up feeling like I had always felt. I knew I was a major influence on her so I had to figure out how to make a change and do it. My husband has type 2 diabetes and I wanted him to get healthier as well so we could live out our lives together as long as God would bless us for.
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| Just looking at Gen's awesome legs and arms makes me want to go grab some weights! |
3. I’d love to hear how your early workouts were structured. Also, what motivated you to focus on strength training specifically?
I focused on strength training because the only other way I knew of to lose weight was walking or running (which I hated). Cardio based exercises would've required me to venture outside and I was too uncomfortable to do that. I hated my body so much that I was embarrassed to leave my home. The more I started researching strength training, the more benefits I learned that there were and the more I fell in love with it. All I needed was a few pieces of cheap equipment, such as a pair of 5lb dumbbells, which was all I started with. I learned that compound exercise proved to be the most effective so I focused on those. Squats, over head press and step ups were my favorite exercises by far and I did them daily. Usually 3 sets of 10 with the step ups being timed to music. One song at a time until I got stronger. Eventually, I was doing up to 45 mins of step ups at a time! Slowly added more equipment and more exercises to keep things fun.
4. Based on my understanding of your story you were able to lose weight with limited cardio, can you elaborate on that?
As I mentioned, I was not a fan of running (couldn't even run at all) or walking, which required me to go outside. I also wanted to look strong like I always felt like I was on the inside. I have been through a lot personally so strength training was special to me, it was a way for me to express my inner strength as well. I did occasionally go for a walk around the neighborhood or at my local park later on for fresh air and a change of pace but not often.
5. Food choices play a major role in weight loss, please give us a peak into your meal plan and how you were able to track you food intake and overcome cravings.
First of all, I gave up ALL fast food and soda, which is killer to any weight loss plan. I ate all home prepared meals, including chicken breast, beans, greek yogurt and fruit. I kept my protein intake high and my carbs at a moderate amount. To avoid boredom, I kept my eye on the prize (the results were enough to keep me focused) and I also experimented with different recipes and spices. 6 months into my journey, I started using My Fitness Pal to log my food and zero in on my macros, allowing me to shed the last few stubborn pounds and attain a decent amount of muscle mass.
6. The muscle definition you were able to obtain is awesome. I love a feminine, muscular physique can you describe your muscle building routine and what a normal workout week looks like?
Compound exercises were key for me, they require more than one muscle group to perform each exercise. I stuck with 3 sets of 10 reps and I did them almost daily. Because I was lifting at home, I wasn't lifting too intensely, which allowed me to do them almost everyday. At the same time, I made sure that I was challenging myself. As the exercises got easier, I upped the weight or changed up the routine. I did 3-4 exercises for upper body and 3-4 exercises for lower body.
Here is a typical full body routine I would do 5-6 days a week (all can be done with 5lb dumbbells):
Squats - 3x10
Step ups - timed
Leg lifts (outer) - 3x10
Leg lifts (inner) - 3x10
Over head press - 3x10
Bicep curls - 3x10
Tricep extension - 3x10
Front or side shoulder raise - 3x10
7. What are Gen’s top weight loss tips?
1. Believe in yourself! Believe you are no different than any other woman out there who has achieved what you want to achieve. Speak positive things to yourself, whether you feel it or not. Be proactive about being motivated and be proud of yourself for the little accomplishments.
2. Be patient and don't quit! There will be ups and downs or things that don't work out in your favor, just keep going. The time will pass anyway, so do something useful with it. A healthy, fit figure takes time but is well worth it.
3. Track your progress! Take a lot of photos, take measurements and see how your clothes fit differently. The scale can be ruthless and is NOT the only way to see your progress, especially, in the end stages where you weight can fluctuate like crazy or even stay the same for a period of time.
8. How can our readers connect with you online?
There are a few things we can learn from Gen's story and the first that really stuck out for me was eliminating fast food and only eating dishes that were prepared at home. When I take time out to meal prep I know that I am doing everything in my power to really control my portions, the fat content and even the flavor of my dishes. It also enables me to really eat well without worrying about what's in my food. Second, Gen began with light weights and compound movements that really work the muscle and she also committed to five days a week of working out. Finally tracking your progress with pictures and being patient with yourself are both great takeaways because results take time and the scale doesn't always tell the whole story in regards to your progress. Thank you for sharing your story Gen, it definitely has me motivated!
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