Monique lost 56 pounds

Transformation of the Day: Monique lost 56 pounds. Her journey began on the day she noticed how much she’d let herself go. When she got on the scale, she couldn’t believe the number she saw. By figuring out what foods her body needs and committing to fitness, she regained control of her life and body.

Social Media:
Instagram: @sculpting.bodies

What was your motivation? What inspired you to keep going, even when you wanted to give up?
One day, I was about to get in the shower and noticed all the rolls and flab on my arms, back, and legs. That’s the day I got motivated to lose weight and regain control of my life and body. I decided to check my weight and thought the scale was broken. So I checked my weight four more times because I didn’t believe what it said. 

Then I thought about how my clothes hadn’t fit in a while (especially my jeans) and how I didn’t look the same in a bikini. Once I realized this and realized how bad I had let myself get to, I stayed extremely diligent until I got the weight off. I kept reminding myself of the end goal and how comfortable and confident I wanted to feel in my own skin again!

How did you change your eating habits?
I ate cleaner foods and stopped dining out (which I was doing EVERY DAY). I also started moving my body more. (I want to note that everyone’s body is different and needs different things to lose weight. So you DO NOT need to completely stop dining out to lose weight). 

What is your workout routine? How often did you work out?
My routine consists of weight training. I work out 5-6 days/week (Note: This is NOT necessary to lose weight)

What was your starting weight? What is your current weight?
My highest weight was 185 pounds, and I got down to 129 pounds.

What is your height?
I’m 5’3″.

When did you start your journey? How long did your transformation take?
My journey started in June, and I reached my end goal by November!

Is weight loss surgery part of your journey?
No

What is the biggest lesson you’ve learned so far?
I have to keep my body moving. I learned that once I stop moving my body and stop exercising altogether, I tend to lose motivation and gain weight. 

I learned exactly what my body needed to eat and how much to eat to maintain weight or lose weight. I also learned how much exercise I need and which exercises work best for me and my body! Overall, I learned A LOT about my body and that what works for me doesn’t work for everyone else. 

What advice do you have for women who want to lose weight?
Hire a coach and find out EXACTLY what your body needs to reach your goals (whether it’s to lose weight, maintain, or gain muscle). Then, instead of wasting time trying to figure it out on your own, googling things, and going through trial and error, take out the middleman and hire someone who CAN get you exactly where you want to be. 

Another critical component is to be patient! Be patient with yourself (mentally, physically, and emotionally). Be patient because things can work for a month or two, then stop working, causing you to have to find a new method that will work. Weight loss is up and down, not a straight line! So remember that it’s about progress, not perfection and that it will take time and not happen overnight!