Muffin Top-Less

I get asked practically everyday what I did to get in shape, and how long it took.

I did in kind of a two-parter. At the end of my Sophmore year in college I weighed in at 130 pounds.. that may not seem like much to some of you, but having been 105 pounds through high school and NEVER considered “fat” .. I looked and felt significantly different (horrible). Trying to hide behind baggy shirts and stretchy pants only did so much. I felt awful and hated what I had let myself become… 
Over that summer (3 months) I lost 15 pounds and felt SO MUCH better.. during those 3 months I lifted weights (barely) and did some cardio.. but mainly I changed my eating habits and stopped drinking.
When I got back to school, over the course of junior year and that following summer, I gained back another 10 pounds because I went back to the way I had been eating and drinking. 

Finally, senior year I got real. I decided I was going to go hard and reach my goals. I stopped drinking and I started following a bodybuilding diet and training regimen. I lifted seriously 6 days a week and ate clean 6 meals a day with a protein shake post-workout. I got plenty of sleep and drank a gallon of water a day. 3 months later, I noticed significant changes in my physique. By the time I came home, my parents were shocked at how much I had changed (for the better). The picture was me right after I got home.. my first fitness shoot.

When people ask how long it will take to reach their goals… I really can’t say. It is completely dependent on your body, your health, your current fitness level, your diet, your training and your level of dedication. I’m not gonna lie, it can be hard and sometimes you have to make sacrifices (for me that was skipping the dessert and the frequent booze-fests with friends). I know no one wants to hear that.. but it’s the truth. There is no magical pill you can take.. you can’t eat tons of pizza and beer and never work out and expect miracles to happen… it takes hard work. The good news is.. in the end it’s worth it… and the more effort you put into your goals, the more proud you will be once you reach them.