From Fat To Fit: Read One Womans Amazing Weight Loss Story
|
An Interview with Success Story, Caitlin Johnson
If you don't know who Caitlin is, you will soon. Sheappears in the June, 2005 Issue of Ironman Magazine.But Caitlin isn't your everyday super fitness competitor/model.Let's face it, many women look at women in these magazinesand wish they were blessed with their genetics. They think theydon't have your problems, or your metabolism and they don'thave to work nearly as hard to look as good as they do.They're just lucky.
Well, no more excuses. Cat worked extremely hard to getwhere she is. And I had the pleasure of interviewing thisamazing young woman. After you read this inspiring interview,you can go to my site and see some wonderful before and after pictures.
1. Cat, you've managed to lose 70 pounds of fat. This is phenomenal and I congratulate you once again. You should be very proud of what you have accomplished. Many people are unhappy with their weight, their job, etc. What was it that finally motivated you to get in the gym and start eating properly? Correct me if I'm wrong, but if you are like most people, you must've been unhappy with how you looked for some time before making the committment to do something about it..
If this is accurate, what do you think kept you from taking action all that time?
A. 1) When your stuck in a lifestyle that is unhealthy but familiar it has to been something exstreme to motivate you to change your life. For me it was the scale and me making 182lbs, which was 20 pounds away from 200 pounds. In my mind 200 lbs was too heavy and I decided I could never make that weight and be able to live with myself.
Second I had just taken a kickboxing class from a teacher that had the ultimate physique and I could relate to her because she was short and a female.
Every day I trained with Denise Hart I worked hard because I was striving to look like her. What kept me from really putting my whole heart into training before is I didn't relate to the other trainers because they were men and I couldn't relate to them. Even now as a competitive athlete my trainers relate to me because they've all been athletes.
2. How did you get started with your new liftestyle? In other words, what changes did you make, or planning did you do, to give yourself the best chance at success?
A. 2) To get started Denise gave me a plan and I tried to follow it the best I could. Small meals, no sugar or fat, lot's of cardio and two full body circuits.
3. What problems did you have to overcome in order to stay on track with your new fitness program? You obviously must have been living a dramatically different lifestyle than you had lived previously. Some of the popular excuses I've heard from people I've trained include "not enough time"(both for exercising and eating right), "eating healthy is too expensive", "don't see results fast enough", "weights will make me big and bulky", "have trouble sticking with an exercise routine". What were the obstacles you had to overcome?
A 3) For me if I have a plan to follow I'm fine. It's when I'm not restricted I lose control. In the beginning I had to realize if I drank 3 beers a night I wasn't going to lose weight. I also have quite a sweet tooth so I had to cut my sugaryStarbucks drinks out.
4) How did you overcome those problems? What specific techniques did you use to make your dreams a reality?
A 4) Denise would be hard on me and tell me not to waste her time. She was right and the harder she was on me the better I was. She use to say "Do you want it"? In my mind that made me strive far and never give up.
5) Moving forward and knowing what you know now, what would you have done differently?
A 5) I would've signed on with Kim Oddo in the beginning . It took me four years because I didn't eat much protein and then for a few years did the no carb diet which was a total waste of time.
6. What would you have done the same way, and will continue to do, going forward?
A 6) CARDIO BABY! It burns calories, raises endorphins, relieves stress, etc.
7. Do you feel that ongoing feedback and motivational tools would help in maintaining a fitness program? For example, appearing in the June, 2005 issue of Ironman must be very motivational. This won't be a motivational tool most people can use. Before achieving that type of success, what types of motivational tools did you lose to keep going? After all, you don't lose 70 pounds of fat overnight and it must've taken some time before you could see the positive changes in the mirror.
A 7) What some people don't realize is a support team can be the most important thing in training to reach a hard goal. I truly believe in having a great trainer like Joanne Rubienstein, Kim Oddo, Stephen Bauer or Denise Hart.
I personally love to train so I don't need motivation to get to the gym but when the results slow down I need someone to tell me that I can do it. What kept me going was the belief that I could do it and prove the world wrong.
Sometimes it feels like my job is to prove people wrong. They talk their talk but in the end I will accomplish what I'm striving for and they'll look dumb for saying that I'll never achieve my goal. Sorry if that was a little pissy, but I get tired of people doubting me. If I can drop 40% body fat I think I can make it to Olympia!
8. If you were to advise a close friend or family member hot to follow in your fitness footsteps, what would you tell them?
A 8) Run far away and find an enjoyable job! I truly believe I did all this because of fate. I don't even really remember the time I said I want to be a competitor. The diets and training are tough and rewarding at the same time. I have accomplished a lot but I also sacrifice a lot of things in life that are enjoyable.
All I can say is I'm going after a DREAM and won't give up until I accomplish it. It's not only for me, it's for the general population that has lost belief in themselves. My advice is to go after your dreams, believe in yourself and get the right people to help you. That's the key to being successful!
-CAT
See Cat's before and after phots at http://www.buildleanmuscle.com/caitlin-johnson.html
Gregg Gillies is the founder of http://www.buildleanmuscle.com and has contributed articles to Ironman magazine and is a regular contributor to Body Talk magazine. He publishes a free newsletter availabe at http://www.buildleanmuscle.com He is the author of two books, also available at his site.
|
|
|
Drinking Green Tea May Help You Lose Weight
Green Tea Also Has Anticancer PropertiesGreen tea, which has been reported to have anticancer properties and to raise levels of antioxidants in the blood that may ward off heart disease, now appears to have the potential to promote weight loss. A new study in the March issue of the International Journal of Obesity concludes that green tea extract increases the burning of calories and fat needed to lose weight.Green Tea In Liquid Or Capsule May Aid In Weight LossPrevi...(related: Weight Loss)
Three Easy Ways To Prevent And Suppress Cravings On A Low Carb Diet
If you've been on a low carb diet for any amount of time, you have undoubtedlyfelt the pangs of hunger that accompanystrong cravings. There are a number ofways in which you can deal with thesecravings and mitigate them in the future; andif you want to be successful on yourlow carb diet, you will do exactly that.In this article, I will outline three methods youcan use to suppress and prevent those cravings.The first is very simple: if you want to suppress the majority of your cravings, all you have to do is drink aneight ounce glass of water and then wait. Mos...(related: Weight Loss)
Lose Weight And Keep It Off Permanently Without Fancy Diets
For years the experts have been telling us that diets do not work, and my experience in the field for almost twenty years confirms that. Yet every year several new fad diets and supplements emerge, claiming they have the answer, and making people rich.Any diet will help you lose weight, there is no arguing that. I have several personal friends who have lost significant weight on the new low carb diets. Whether you can lose weight on a diet has never been the issue. I worked for Nutri-System several years ago and saw some people lose tons of weight. The issue has been and always will be whether a person keeps the weight off. Research has alwa...(related: Weight Loss)
Metabolism Drug Induced Weight Loss Can Be Effective, But Are You Aware Of The Risks?
A metabolism drug like ephedrine, has shown many people how to burn fat fast. These drugs however, are associated with a certain degree of risk. What about their effectiveness compared to these risks? And what should you do to minimize the probability of side effects.What Is an Ephedrine-based metabolism drug?
- Ephedrine is derived from ...(related: Weight Loss)
Fourteen Reasons Why Dieting Is Bad For Your Health
1. The lower the calories eaten per day, the harder it is for you to get your daily requirements of proteins and vitamins.2. Dieting makes your body believe it is starving so it starts to save fat,...(related: Weight Loss)
Weight Loss With Bontril: Smooth Sailing On The Weight Loss Ocean
As many of us know, it's the first few days of starting a healthy new habit that can be the most discouraging. The first few days of exercise are always the achiest. A new reduced-calorie diet comes with hunger pangs until your body adjusts to the healthier eats.Sometimes taking an appetite suppressant can help you ride out the choppy waters and get you to the days of smooth and healthy sailing! If you're getting ready to start a new weight-loss program, Bontril SR (the slow release version of Bontril) can help you manage those first few weeks of changes.Is Bontril a Tranquillizer?Not to worry - Bontril SR doesn't mak...(related: Weight Loss)
Coconut Oil Diets
Have you heard about coconut oil diets yet? People are adding coconut oil to their diets and are getting incredible resul...(related: Weight Loss)
Lose Weight And Get Healthy; Can Laughter Be A Cure For Obesity?
Once there were these two Nuns and they...just kidding! Do you feel any thinner or healthier? Well, according to recent studies, you might not in the beginning but over the long haul, you could actually drop weight.Now, if you are laughing because you are binging on some kind of pastry or you getting trashed on alcohol, this might not work for you but if you are laughing for other reasons, it could pay greatly by reducing fat ...(related: Weight Loss)
Lose The Weight For Good ? Nothing To Lose Or Everything To Lose?
Some of you will not like what I'm going to say, even though it is the truth. That may be where the issue of America's health problems lies. No one wants to give you the truth, you may not come back to see them.My responsibility as a high profile fitness expert lies not in if you like me, or even if you buy my e books. My responsibility lies in giving you straight talk with no sugar coat...(related: Weight Loss)
Dieting Effects ? Diet Pills
When it comes to our weight and the appearance of our bodies, most of us are concerned about one thing or another. We have a hard time fitting ...(related: Weight Loss)
site-map - Copyright © 2007 | Contact Webmaster - shukra1111 [AT] yahoo.com | All Rights Reserved | Weight Loss