Let's face it Ladies, life does not even somewhat resemble the fairytale we envisioned it would be. As a little girl, I imagined a handsome prince would whisk me away to our glorious home with the white picket fence (and pool) where we would live out the rest of our lives happily ever after. In this grand Utopia, there was no need for a job, there was no stress, there were certainly no calories. Boy did we get a rude awakening, huh? I, for one, married the wrong guy and even though I have since corrected that mistake by getting divorced and then marrying my true Prince Charming nine years later, I can't help but look back and think, "Man... I wasted my best years on the wrong dude".
That's right, my husband of now has never experienced the best of Amber. Sure, I'm still smart (Ha!) and I have my personality (questionable) and I'll always have my sense of humor (can't argue that) but he has never experienced me at my full potential. For that matter, nobody has. I realize now, looking back, that although I thought I had a killer fit body back in the day, I was not complete by any means and I certainly wasn't putting forth any effort to be the better me. I was young and broke, definitely dumber, inexperienced and oh-so-shallow. It's not until you bring all of your powers together like some superhero mutant that you really become the best YOU that you can be. Let me tell you, the time for change is NOW.
So let's fast-forward this story to how things sit today. I decided at New Years that I was absolutely ashamed at how I looked in pictures and ashamed that my beautiful husband had such a blah wife. I owed it to myself to buckle down and get serious or I was doomed to sink deeper and deeper into depression. On January 4th, I started my journey. I started out at 5'7", 216 lbs and about 42% body fat. I was considered "obese" by every chart there was. The first few months consisted of mostly heavy weight-lifting. I started putting on some muscle and dropped about 5 lbs but saw no real improvements. I was heartbroken. I felt like I was just spinning my wheels again. I decided that I would have to step it up. My husband told me about a diet that he thought might work for me. It's referred to as the "Ketogenic Diet" and there's a plethora of information online about it. I looked it up and thought, "Damn, this is hardcore. Whelp, here goes nothing!" and started my keto diet plan the next day.
I'll save you the details for now but in a nutshell, that was 3 months ago and as of today I have lost 27 lbs and 12% body fat. I'm wearing clothes I haven't been able to squeeze my ass in for YEARS. The best part is... It really isn't that hard. I mean, really! At first, it was definitely an adjustment but after the first 2-3 weeks it simply became a way of life. I have honestly never felt better. I have energy, my skin cleared up, obviously I've lost inches but I noticed that my digestive system is functioning the way it should for the first time since as long as I can remember. I never get gassy or bloated (unless Aunt Flo is in town) and I'm in a much better mood all the time! Not to mention, I've stayed motivated to keep going.
So here we are, you're reading my first fitness blog. I'm not a personal trainer and I don't hold any special certifications or degrees but I do have the knowledge that I've gained along the way (and a decent sense of humor). I'm not finished yet but I've had many people ask me how I've made it this far so I figured, "What the hell? I'm gonna blog it up!". I invite you to join my journey with me and hopefully find the right combination to unlock your fitness potential. Welcome to 4RunHerFit!
