Believing in Your Own Success
Weight has always been an issue for me since I was young. I did a lot of yo-yo dieting throughout high school – I had lost 50 lbs. and put it all back on, plus some! I did the hCG diet and I was so insistent on being thin that I went through months of crazy dieting to just see the number on the scale drop, with no regard to how it was damaging my body.
When I realized that doing the quick route to skinny was not good for my health, I knew I had to come up with a new plan. My first year of college in 2011, I didn’t want to be a victim of the “Freshman 15,” I was already too heavy to gain any more at my age and height (at the time: 18 years old, 5’5”, 200+ lbs.). At that time, I joined Weight Watchers to help me control my portion sizes and lost about 30 lbs. over the course of that year. As I lost more and more weight, people started noticing; I loved the compliments and I strived for more!
I finally felt in control of my eating habits and I learned how to make the right choices – both at home and when I would go out to eat. From that point, I implemented a workout routine (previously, I was always athletic, but my eating habits were bad). I had researched all there was about working out (the good, the bad, and the indifferent). I followed a fitness routine on bodybuilding.com for a while. It took a long time to figure out what was right for my body. I started lifting (3-4x a week) and doing cardio daily. Eight months or so passed and I was on top of my game (I lost another 30 lbs. or so). Changing my lifestyle was tough, but with the support of my family and friends, I was able to keep going day in and day out. I made a complete 180 and loved it.
At first, many people didn’t think it would last long. When they saw that I was actually sustaining it and began to question my efforts; that’s when I decided to make an Instagram page to help inspire others and let them know that anything is possible. I want to show people why living fit is essential. I am so thankful to be a part of this fitness community on social media because it’s so surreal and everyone is so kind and supportive.
I love to wake up each day and know that I am making a change to help improve not only my body, but to help others gain more knowledge. After losing over 60 lbs. and realizing that I was going to be in the gym every day out of pure motivation, I made the decision to compete. I am now training (with AZ Pro Physiques) for my first NPC Bikini Contest, coming up this November in Mesa, AZ. I eat very clean and have a strict meal plan for prep, but before this, I ate healthy with a few cheat meals a week (most were clean, too).
In all, my main goal in life is to be fit and healthy, it’s not about the number on the scale anymore. I am striving for satisfaction with my body; I want to be able to walk into the gym with just my sports bra and feel comfortable. I’d like to stress that it wasn’t until I started both eating clean and working out consistently in the past year that I really saw the most consistent results and kept the weight off – fad diets and quick plans of starving yourself are not good for your health, nor is it going to be helpful in the long run!
My advice is stick to a plan, be consistent, and never give up! Finding a balance is hard, but once it’s found, there’s no off switch – set goals and demolish them one at a time. I have learned to trust the process and love my body along the way – I couldn’t be happier! I’ve found that with enough dedication and discipline, anything can be achieved. Sure, I have sacrificed many nights out, extravagant vacations, delicious meals, and much more, but the pride I carry with me each day knowing that I have worked hard for this makes the success so much sweeter.
You can find Hannah Lawitz at:
