I’m very fascinated by change. Especially change for the better. How does one go from unhappy to happy, poor to rich, etc? I had the pleasure of sitting with a young woman from Brooklyn who has undergone a radical transformation in her life. Why should you care? Because her journey is the epitome of what humans strive for: HOPE! She’s an inspiration. But I won’t spoil it here, read our interview below.
Introduce yourself, what’s your name, what do you do, where are you from, etc…
My name is Kimberly, but I go my Kim. I’m from Brooklyn, NY and currently I work as a CNA. But I’m in transition to a new career path.
When did you start your fitness journey?
You mentioned losing 150 pounds, can you tell me more about this? What’s your favorite workout?
I lost 150 lbs and I plan to lose more but not because I don’t like how I look. It’s because with my weight loss journey I also have to rebuild muscle so I can get to my desired goal, which isn't about looks. When I start adding muscle my weight tends to go up which means cardio has to be increased to create a balance. My goal is to live a balanced life and that includes balance in my workout. As of recently my favorite workouts involve power lifting (dead lifts, squats, bench press etc.)
So did the surgery motivate you to work out more?
Although I had the surgery, it wasn’t enough to keep me happy. When you lose weight fast your skin doesn’t get the chance to adjust, so your body is left with loose skin and you start to develop a whole new set of insecurities. So I started my journey 4 months after my surgery so that I could start tightening up my skin as I lost weight. And I just ended up falling in love with working out.
What are some of the challenges you have faced along your journey and how did you overcome them?
So, one challenge I face almost everyday is checking the scale. Women tend to lose weight slower than men and we also retain water so I try to check my weight twice a day; in the morning and at night just to compare and ensure that I’m on track. But there are definitely challenges in the gym, like pushing my self to do more reps or to push heavier weights. There are times that I fail but I never let it ruin the rest of my work.
What advice would you give to someone looking to make a major change in their life, fitness or otherwise?
To stay focused and to surround yourself with people who have the same goals. You want to be around people that motivate you and hold you accountable. I think that’s one of the reasons why I like to work out, I made friends at the gym that push me. Having a real support system helps because people who don’t live this fitness lifestyle can’t really relate to the process and tend be discouraging. They assume that you’re doing too much work or you’re working out to solely lose weight, which is not the only reason why people work out.
Other than the physical change, how would you say your journey has changed you as a person?
With being more active I notice my attitude and energy levels are a lot better. I use the gym as my therapy. If I’m in a bad mood I go to the gym just to let out my frustrations. I’m less likely to be irritated by the small things because I’m more patient and understanding because I don’t have built up anger.
What’s next for you? Where do you see yourself in the next 5 years?
I don’t believe in 5 year plans because life happens and I don’t want to beat myself up because I didn’t accomplish a long term goal. Everyday we should have a goal to be better than we were the day before. My goal is to be healthy and fit. Yes I dream of the big house and fancy cars but I have to focus on what’s in front of me so there’s no pressure to accomplish anything. I’m taking it easy and enjoying the ride.