Transformation Tuesday with Inkie May
Welcome Inkie to Transformation Tuesday, it's been a pleasure reading your new fit and healthy journey! You look amazing and to lose a massive 42kgs is AMAZING!!! Everyone please give Inkie a big round of applause as she shares with us her new healthy lifestyle....
How old are you and please can you share your health and fitness journey to date?
I'm 32 years of, mama to 3, wife to my best friend.
My health and fitness journey has pretty much been an up hill battle with food since I was 11. I was a slightly over weight preteen who was teased ferociously by my older brother and the usual boys at school. After changing school twice in two years I became very aware of my chubbiness and dabbled with my first starvation diet at 11. I yoyoed trying to control my weight as a teen with extreme levels of exercise and restricting food but found a lot of joy in a vegetarian diet. The years passed and with pregnancies and very little idea how to control my weight without starving my self I yoyoed up and down for years. Never being able to stick to anything long because of the restriction I put on food. Something in me snapped in 2014 I was over it and stumbled on clean eating on pinterest, it sounded pretty interesting and easy. I incorporated many amazing recipes I found online and added in exercise with my fitbit. Every week that past I felt my self becoming stronger, having more energy and the results showed. I've lost 42kg in a little over 12 months and I am so proud of my self for learning a healthy way of doing it so the weight can stay off.
What types of foods did you used to eat as a kid and young adult? What's changed since then?
As a small child with working parents I ate quick easy meals slapped together, which weren't too unhealthy as a whole. BUT what my family did do was use food as a treat and a reward. It put some terrible foods on a pedestal and the emotions that went along with eating them, which was very hard to change around. I would always turn to those food to make me feel better because I associated them with moments of joy and love.
Do you play any sports or what sports do you like watching?
HATE sports! Always have but I do enjoy walking and going out dancing.
What are your interests, passion and what makes you smile?
I LIVE for coffee and tea, I simply can not function without them. I love collecting things from tea cups and teapots down to bunnies and deer my house is full of cluster groups of pretty things. My huge love of flowers spawned a small origami flower business that does weddings and small events. My healthy life style has taken a lot more of my free time and has become a huge passion of mine that I share with my husband and kids. Being with them and watching us grow as a family will always make me smile and feel lucky to share with them.
What was the catalyst that sparked your lifestyle change?
I was just so done with feeling slow and tired all the time. Carrying well over 100kg around everyday was getting me down and I had a wardrobe full of pretty swing dresses begging me to be worn again. I was done with feeling trapped in a body that hated me and hated being dragged around. My best friend was experiencing a catalyst in her life and was on board for changing her life style to be rid of processed foods along with her other food allergies. Her support and loads of links to recipes made me feel as though it was possible. My wonderful husband was starting his own fitness journey and was keen to help me add the exercise to my new found diet.
What are some of your dreams/goals you hope to achieve over the next 12 months?
For me my goals for the next 12 months are fairly fluid, I feel I'm in this new life style 100% so I have loads of time to achieve things. Right now my focus in continuing adding new healthy recipes to my diet along with starting to lift and add it some HIIT workouts to mix it up a little. My dream would be to able to walk in my local gym and start getting help to achieve this but I'm still a little too shy lol SO home workouts with great aps have been helping me hit my goals so far.
What tips would you like to share with my readers about your transformation?
TAKE PICTURES and never delete them. I don't mean you have to post them all but watching your body change in a picture is so important to helping you hit your goals. The scale is not always your friend. INSTAGRAM is you friend however. If you don't want to share your journey with your friends for whatever reason there are loads of people out there in the same boat! Just search hashtags and you'll find a world of people to support, help and inspire you. CELEBRATE every victory no matter how small, just not with food ;) APS are great, I use mapmywalk and myfitnesspal on the daily to help me keep track along with my fitbit CALORIE COUNTING doesn't have to be restrictive, get creative and mix it up, it's not all salads, chicken and brown rice. HAVE FUN! This is your life and if you are doing something you hate or makes you unhappy take a look around and try something new. You are your own science experiment.
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If you are focusing on achieving something like Inkie, share your story with us.
XxDani