Several months ago I featured Darci as a success story on my blog. She signed up with goals of running races and completing obstacle courses, and she lost weight along the way. Darci stayed on long past those races, creating more goals and enjoying her daily workout plan and found the best way to lose weight FOR HER. Now that it’s been the one year anniversary of her starting this online training program, we wanted to recap and show you how far she’s come. Here’s her story…
After my husband and I got married in July of 2013 we started planning for a honeymoon to Hawaii that would take place the following February of 2014. I knew my body was not were I wanted it to be, but life was happening and I was losing that battle. In November I was ready to hire a trainer and finally get the show on the road! I made an appointment with a local trainer at my gym and they kept putting me off and re-scheduling. This made me pretty upset because I was ready to do this and ready to put some major money down for it. I am a huge believer in, if you want my money (i.e.: a trainer, massage therapist, etc.) you better work hard for it, because there are a ton of others ready to replace you.
So after being brushed to the side a few times, I lost faith in the local gym and gave up. I kept going, trying to do it on my own. I was on Facebook one day and the Get In Shape Girl page kept coming up as a page I might “like”. I finally clicked on the page and instantly fell in love. I read all the transformation stories and look through all of the photos, one might say I was Kyra’s stalker! But who wouldn’t be if you were thinking of investing? I wanted to be one Kyra’s clients, I wanted to succeed.
However, I didn’t sign up right away. I followed her on for awhile on Facebook and just watched. Everyday Kyra would ask “what did you do today”, for some reason that was just something I needed, a check in of sorts. In February she asked “what did you do today”, and I responded something like “I’m taking the week off while in Hawaii”. I never in a million years thought Kyra would respond to me, me a girl from Idaho… She said “I love Hawaii, have fun!”. I couldn’t believe my eyes! I finally signed up with Kyra Williams Fitness in March.
When I signed up with the Kyra I wanted to work with her so I got the highest package. One on one phone calls, weekly emails, meal plans, workouts, I was ready to give 100% and I needed 100%. At first my goal was to get my running time from 14 minutes to a 10 minute mile and ultimately I just wanted to look like I worked out. Over time, my goals changed and continue to change.
My experience was amazing. I truly believed I knew what I was doing, I had lifted weights for years but I wasn’t getting the results I wanted. I was blaming it on my age and getting older. I was also the queen of fad diets, yo-yo diets, you name it I’ve tried it. That was so not the case, I was eating like crap and didn’t realize it. Kyra really knows her stuff, her knowledge of clean eating, the human body, metabolism, and workout plans is simply amazing. Every question or concern I had was answered through emails, phone calls, support groups, question and answer phone calls, and videos. Anything you can think of this girl has an answer for! I never had a doubt in my mind that Kyra was behind me 100%, the support she gives is amazing.
There are so many achievements that I have made over the past year. I don’t think I can express enough that my biggest one would be my mental change. I have learned that just because I had a bad day I don’t need to run home and have a drink and skip the gym. The first place I run when I have a bad day is the gym! I knew starting this process was going to be very selfish and all about me. Well guess what, it was and still is.
To me, my physical and mental health are my number one priority and its ok to take time out of your day for you! My family knows if they ask me to do something, the gym comes first and then I will play. They also know mom carries a “food” bag and water everywhere. If my family wants to eat pizza, they eat pizza, they know I will bring my own meal so I wont loose track of my goals. My kids are constantly going through my bag and asking if I have extra food, what can they eat because they are hungry. People are always asking me for recipes, workouts, and advice. Random cashiers at the grocery store comment on my food items while checking out, you can say I am now just a living example.
I’m not saying I am in any way perfect, far from it! I still have one cheat meal a week, I still have a drink every now and then, I have cupcakes, chips or whatever. The difference is they are limited to “treats”, not an everyday thing. The longer you go without them, the easier it gets, I promise! The first time Kyra told me that I thought she was full of it, now I know she is right!
Kyra will talk about food prepping and at first I did it with some of her yummy clean eating recipes, but what I eventually found was that food prep is not for me. Yes, you can say I am in a weird time frame in my life. I don’t have little kids at home, so you could say that part of my life is somewhat level. Except when the kids come for a few days. I totally understand why people food prep. On a usual night my husband and I will make dinner, lets say chicken breast with quinoa and broccoli, we will use the leftovers as lunch the next day. When the kids are at the house, we don’t have “leftovers”. So we will food prep for lunch, I am just not a fan of two day old re heated chicken. I would have to say one of the best tips I can give you, is to take out the meat you are going to use for dinner in the morning, that way it is de- thawed by the time your ready to cook!
I have been through a lot in my life and I’m ok to share it with others because I want YOU to know that you are not alone, don’t feel like you are the only one going through a hard time. I was adopted, and deal with the effects of that. I have been married three times and was a major alcohol dependent and I have struggled with depression. Along with this, I am also a mom, a full time worker, a friend, and just plain old human. What I’m trying to say is that no matter what excuse you can think of, I’ve already been there done that. If you truly want to change YOU, be the best you that you can be, put down the excuses!
I just can’t even express to you the many changes that have happened to me over the past year. Overall, I would say the ability to make this a lifestyle not a “diet”, accepting my weight for what it is, not worrying about a number on the scale and just simply loving me for me! I’ve had a lot of people say “wow, you are so happy”, I am. It’s because I have finally after all these years found me, found my happy.
I think one of the hardest things you will overcome during this journey is the “trust the process”. Even though you think you can’t see changes, or that damn scale hasn’t budged, doesn’t mean things aren’t happening! I have lost 20lbs over the year, and I’m not going to say “only” because 20lbs is still 20lbs!! I have lost major inches, 4 pant sizes, 2 cup sizes (boobs), 4 minutes off my mile, I am stronger and after my 7 month injury am able to almost lift as much as I did prior to the injury.
I used to work out with a family friend who is a bodybuilder. At the time I thought about doing a show and had him help me. Well after starving to death for three months, I still wasn’t show ready. There were a few problems with this. 1. I was no where near show ready when I started, my body fat was way to high. 2. The body fat that was needed was not safely attainable in three months, although he thought it was. 3. I was starving 4. This simply was just not realistic or safe. Fast-forward a few years weight gain, depression, and any other sad thing you can think of… enter Kyra. The amount of knowledge I have learned is un-measurable. I have a new lifestyle, a happy lifestyle, a happy home. If you are ready for a change and unable to do it by yourself sign up with Kyra today. Don’t wait, don’t hesitate, just do it.
A huge key to being successful is to be prepared. Get your gym bag ready the night before, get as much of your meal prepped the night before, take out your frozen meat the morning of. If you are prepared there is NO WAY you can fail! Also a great support system can get you through anything! Kyra has a private forum bored full of women going through life, workouts and meal prepping, that are more than willing to pull you through anything!
I am very lucky and have a husband that supports me, but get this. He doesn’t live exactly how I live and that’s ok I don’t expect him to. But when all is said and done, I am still the example and if he ever chooses to life my lifestyle he is more than welcome. I have lost some friends along the way and I can only assume it’s just because our goals are different, but boy can I say I have gained some friends with the same goals! We all want to feel, look and eat better, I trust these women and share a lot with them. There hasn’t been a day go by that I haven’t felt loved or supported during this journey.
There is no magic pill, wrap, drink, tea or fad diet… it’s called dedication, hard work, clean eating and learning to love yourself at every step! If I can do it, YOU can do it!
If you haven’t read part I of Darci’s story, you can do so here.
Are you ready to create healthy habits, lose weight and feel good?
Sign up for online personal training today!
Your Coach,
Kyra