My Transformation

Growing up, I knew nothing about nutrition. I was naturally thin as a child, adolescent, and into young adulthood. I never exercised, dieted, and ate what I wanted.

It wasn't until I got married that my weight changed. I was young and immature when I married; I was all about equality - and fighting for it. I didn't want my ex-husband to have anything that I didn't have. This often meant that I wanted equal food portions to my him - What I didn't know at the time is that women's & men's metabolisms are vastly different. Because men naturally have more muscle, a woman will burn far fewer calories than a man who is the same weight. I blamed my clothes getting tighter on the dryer shrinking my jeans.

At the time I was a computer trainer. I knew that I was getting bigger, but my job was physically strenuous. At the end of the day I was wiped out mentally & physically. I couldn't imagine starting a workout routine, but I used to joke, "Elizabeth & Exercise don't belong in the same sentence."

I started a job that would have me travelling 100% of my time. I knew that people usually gained weight when they travelled, and didn't want to get any bigger, so I did the only thing I thought would help. I gave up meat by becoming a lacto-ovo-pesce vegetarian. I immediately saw results. I lost 30 lbs within 2-3 months. At the time though, I still wasn't exercising and because my protein intake dropped considerably, half of what I lost was probably muscle.

A Bally's Total Fitness was opening near my apartment, and just after my 32nd Birthday - before the turn of the century, I decided to join the gym. I'm typically not a person to have New Year's Resolutions, it just happen to occur at that time. By joining the gym I received a few complimentary sessions with a personal trainer, and started exercising. The free weight area of the gym intimidated me. I didn't want to "get bulky" - but where I could only use the cardio equipment for a period of 20 minutes on my first visit, by keeping at it, I was soon able exercise for longer periods of time.

Although I was now exercising and a vegetarian, I still was not eating properly. My nutrition had much to be desired. Beer, Burritos, French Fries, Onion Rings and Ice Cream are all vegetarian foods, and I was eating them often. I still didn't really know anything about nutrition, so I was not getting enough protein from the foods that I was eating - unless it was from an occasional serving of dairy or fish.

In the Spring of 2001 my mom passed away from Breast Cancer. Watching her struggle with her illness & her eventual death, it occurred to me that dying of cancer was the most horrible thing that anyone could go through. It wasn't until after her death that I started learning about it; risk factors, contributors, etc. I learned that being overweight is a huge contributor to Breast Cancer as well as many other diseases suchas Heart Disease, and Diabetes. At that time I was living in Austin.

When I joined a new gym, I received a complimentary fitness assessment. When the trainer took my measurements, he said I was 33% body fat. At 165 lbs, that meant that I had 55 lbs of fat on my body and 110 lbs of lean mass. That was my wake-up call. 55 lbs of FAT! That's pretty freakin' heavy. It was then that I decided that I would get serious about my nutrition and exercise program.

I started adding more cardio exercise into my routine, and learning about nutrition and calories. I learned a lot through the internet. I also learned that just because it's on the internet doesn't make it correct. As my weight plateaued, I started weight training. My husband, Gary hired a personal trainer for himself and introduced me to the world of Body Building.

It was through Body Building that I was able to learn more about training techniques and nutrition.

The "before" pictures were taken 1/2 way through my fat loss journey. Today I am only 15 lbs lighter than I was in the "before" pictures, however my body fat is around 17%; making my lean muscle mass 125 & 25 lbs of fat.

In January 2005 I decided that I wanted to become a wellness educator. If I can prevent just one person from getting an obesity related disease, then I have done my job as a human & made the world a better place.

Elizabeth holds a BA in Liberal Arts; Philosophy from Barat College in Lake Forest, Illinois, is a licensed Wellness Coach through Wellcoaches, certified as a Personal Fitness Trainer and Lifestyle and Weight Management Consultant through the American Council on Exercise, and is a certified Sports Nutrition Coach through National Exercise and Sports Training Association.

In November of 2005, Elizabeth competed in her first NPC Figure body building competition. Since then, she has incorproated other forms of activity into her exercise routine including running, Bikram Yoga and rock climbing.

"I became a wellness educator because I love to teach and share the information I have learned. I am passionate about helping you reach your goals - I can help you feel better, get fit and sweat away your stress! It's never too late, you are never too old to take control of your health. By making small, simple, gradual changes in your life each week, you can totally reshape your body, mind and life."

Through small changes in your life you can be healthier.