I have always been a slender person and have been fortunate enough to be mostly comfortable with how I look. When I moved out of my parents’ house into a condo with Ryan, I gained about 15lbs. I was shocked when “all of a sudden” nothing fit. I remember trying to squeeze into my beloved first pair of Seven jeans and actually having to lie down on the bed to zip them up. I thought that day that instead of worrying about being great marriage material by cooking and baking up a storm, I was going to make some changes. I hopped on the scale and stared in shock as it settled at 148lbs.
Soon thereafter, Ryan proposed and I was determined to lose those extra pounds and look fabulous in the dream dress I just put a huge deposit on. I did what every soon-to-be bride did – I went on an extreme diet and fitness regime.
I joined the gym at my office and started working out at lunch four days a week. I started doing step aerobics, cardio kickboxing and ab classes. I also overhauled my diet – but not necessarily in the most healthy way. The South Beach diet was pretty much horrible!
I discovered that I absolutely loved working out. I started developing muscles I didn’t even know I had! I slept so much better at night and just felt wonderful overall. Eventually, the weight started peeling off, and within six months, I dropped 10lbs. The wedding day came and I felt great.
Fast forward 10 years (I love you Ryan, more and more each day!!), and I am still on my fitness trek and have educated myself about food. I now have three 5K races under my belt, along with two 10Ks. With each race I’m getting better and faster. I also cut out a lot of my favourite sugary treats. I was drinking several cups of tea daily, all with a giant, heaping spoonfuls of sugar. I loved Frosted Flakes and Froot Loops…and I’m ashamed to say that I’d put sugar on those too – ugh. All of this on top of the Atomic Fire Ball addiction, chocolate and candy scarfing, and my love affair with sugary juice. Wow – this must read like the diary of a 5-year-old.
When my father’s health started to suffer due to diabetes and with my sister’s move towards vegetarianism, I decided to kick my healthy habits into high gear. On January 1st, 2014, I decided to cut out added sugar in my tea and coffee, greatly reduce my intake of useless carbs such as poor quality bread and pasta, and ramp up the fruit, vegetable and water intake . I also made a commitment to work out more regularly. I lost 12lbs in about eight weeks, and got down to 126lbs. I was shocked! People commented that I looked a little thin, so I started taking it easy on the running. I felt GREAT though!! I felt less sluggish, my skin completely cleared up, and I was fitting into clothing from highschool.
It has been a year since I started this journey and I’m still at it. This year’s New Year’s resolution was to do “Dry-nuary” – no alcohol at all for one month. I made it and I’m so proud of myself. This has been the longest I have gone without booze in a very, very long time.
I have signed up for my 4th 5K race taking place in May, and I am (I can’t believe it) looking into the Nike Women’s 15K in Toronto in June…but I’m scared! We’ll see how I feel!
Been on a fitness journey? Currently on one? Let me know how you started in the comments section! Feel free to share your tips and experiences!
xo,
Dominique
Pic courtesy of www.sosasha.com
Dominique is a Canadian-based fashion and beauty influencer with a strong voice in Ottawa’s black community. Since launching her blog Style Domination in 2015, she has amassed a global fanbase. Dominique shares her life through beautiful imagery and compelling story-telling that speaks to her fans on a personal level. She’s been featured in The Guardian, Flare, The Kit and Cityline. She also hosts events for Dress for Success, the Gem Conference, and has been named a United Way Person 2 Know for the past three years.
Can’t say I’ve done a race (although I’ve secretly wanted to) but I’m a “gym-gal”. I’ve paid for personal training three times in the last nine years and it’s amazing and I highly recommend it! After having two kids (both still under the age of 4) it’s easy to find excuses but a few months ago I said “F-that” that’s not who I am. So here I am, working full time and training twice a week with a trainer and twice on my own. I feel great. It’s not about having the time, it’s about making the time!
But I’m still a sucker for my husband’s homemade waffles on Sunday mornings 🙂
Author
Hey Renee!
I’m a gym gal too and have done a couple rounds of personal training also. I feel that I see my best results through running. You should definitely try it out! The races I’ve completed have been amazing, especially the Army Run. Such great energy and you have such a sense of accomplishment once you’re done!
xo,
Dominique