“I was the maid of honor in my cousin’s wedding and wore an emerald green sateen strapless dress with a diamond accent just below the bust line. To prepare, and hopefully look phenomenal, I started going to the gym. But by the time the wedding came, I was still obese in a size 24 strapless dress.”
Even though Martine had been going to the gym, she would complain about going, complain about being there, and leisurely work out on the elliptical — only to cut her workouts short and reward her efforts with pizza and ice cream. This wasn’t working, so it was time to change her approach. With the support of her boyfriend (now husband) and what she calls “fitness friends,” Martine was able to stay motivated, push through tough workouts, and adopt a whole new way of living.
But the gym was only half the battle. “I love delicious, fattening food, and I enjoy eating. But I figured if I was going to be skinny, I’d have to avoid all the foods I love. Could I really do that for an extended period of time?” Martine wondered. And that’s when she started using MyFitnessPal to count calories. “With this method, no food was completely cut out. I can still have all the taboo foods but stay within the calorie range the app created for me and not be hungry. I’ve had to prioritize what foods are worth the calories.” Plus, Martine loves how accessible MyFitnessPal is: “I can log ingredients while I’m cooking, I can find the food info for any meal at any restaurant, and I can connect with my friends instantly to see what each of us has eaten for the day—all of this makes it easier for me to maintain this lifestyle!”
The clothes got looser and looser, and Martine eventually revisited that strapless green dress only to find that it was far too big on her now. Talk about motivation! “After that, I wanted to keep going. I found workouts I loved — Zumba, kickboxing, yoga, spin and weight training — and made a lot of fitness focused friends in the process. I would spend most of my free time either at the gym, doing something physical, or with my fitness friends.”
And now she’s stronger than ever, is trying new things — trapeze lessons, anyone? — and has more confidence. She’s happy, has more energy and zest for life, and has a social life that centers on Zumba and Barre instead of drinks and dinner. “I’ve lost a total of 130 pounds, have gone from a size 26 to a size 4, and don’t want to go back to being a couch potato!”
Martine’s recent wedding pictures show a girl with arm definition, a girl who’s excited to show off her new self, a girl who confidently spent seven days in a bikini on her honeymoon, and a girl who’s had amazing weight loss success!
