Aspiring bodybuilder/fitness model and serving Navy sailor Phurtura wrote in to share how she lost 24 pounds and built muscle. After years of emotional eating she was motivated by joining the military to become more active. Here is what she had to share:
“Hello! I warned to share my journey with your page. I started working out in March of this year. I wasn’t fat or overweight but I was definitely unhealthy and saw myself at a better physique. In 2010, I weighed 130 pounds, and I’d slimmed down from last year when I hit my heaviest weight at 148 pounds. I currently weight 122 pounds and I’m looking forward to a career in fitness modeling along with continuing to serve my country as a US Navy sailor.
Food was a coping mechanism for my unhappiness. Unlike most people, I stopped eating when I’d get depressed. Then I’d spend a full day or stuffing whatever I found in my mouth only to turn around and stop eating again. Did I know that it was unhealthy? Yup. However, at the time I felt that if pain and disappointment we’re all I got out of this world, then I deserved it from myself as well. When I joined the military, and started to become more active. I was reborn in a sense. I found so much empowerment through improving on myself physically and mentally. The motivation to just want the best for myself took hold of me and I didn’t fight it. I began researching ways to eat healthier, become a physically fit person and found it fun! I cut out all the junk food and started eating clean. My workouts definitely took a change because I wanted to challenge myself so I enjoyed going heavier in terms of weights. Within this process I found me. Wanting to be happier for myself made me change my habits.
I go by @phurryone on Instagram, where I post a lot of my meals, photos and links to other sites.”
Exercise/workout? Yes, yes, most certainly one of my biggest challenges yet. I remember when working out was a “feel like” sort of thing. If I felt like doing it then I did. And if I didn’t feel like it, well lets just say I was on the bandwagon of “not” feeling like it often. I think my biggest challenge was not enough motivation and encouragement. Sometimes you get people on board with you and when they give up, your speed falls right behind them. So, I guess when I realized that others were not as serious as I was, I had to take another approach. Now I have to workout alone and push myself to go the exta mile. I had to finally say that I can do it, even if it was alone. Through it all I must say I maintained pretty well. I workout mostly 4-5 days/wk, sometimes twice a day. I started out low intensity. Never really going overboard. Just some walking here and there. Then picked up some Zumba and workout DVDs. While on youtube searching for workouts, I came across one of Keaira Lashae’s dance workout, which I must say the bulk of my workouts consisted of team lashae!! Hey, it was good enough for me. I started to add various routines in my own daily workouts. I also started implimenting jogging into my walking time. Yes, jogging!! After many years of dieting and exercise I can never say that I even came close to a sprint. Not even power walking. So for me to jog, was a very big accomplishment to me. Also, I’m adding additional workouts and routines to make it more challenging and push me just a little bit harder.
