In March 2016, whilst sitting by a pool in Thailand, I realised I was a complete chunk. It wasn't that I didn't look in the mirror every day, but it suddenly dawned on me, at 25 years old I should not be lying in the sun, sinking beer after beer, feeling unfit, unmotivated and ashamed of how I look in a bikini. Fast forward 22 (ish) months, I am the fittest I have ever been, the happiest I have ever felt about how I look, the most confident I have ever felt and have made the scariest decision of my life, to get on stage in a mere 14 weeks from now, and allow people to judge how I look in an (albeit, very very sparkly) bikini. What the actual hell?? If I can do it, anyone can.
Here's my Journey so far...
As I returned home, wedged into a tiny plane seat, I had in my head that something had to be done about this excess flab I was carrying round. I quickly signed up to a well known 6 week challenge which cost me the small amount of £200, a few of my friends had taken part in and had been successful, you had to lose 20lbs in 6 weeks to get your money back! Easy, right? Wrong!
During the first session I thought I was going to pass out, vomit, die or a combination of all three. And how I didn't walk out with a Kim K bottom I don't know, after doing about 57 air squats. I genuinely couldn't walk for a week after and thought to myself 'why the hell do people put themselves through this for fun'. Exercise at this point was certainly not for me.
6 weeks later, after the diet from hell (no joke, everyone was buzzing on a friday as you were allowed an apple), I stepped on the scales...23.1lbs down! Get in. Then what did I go and do? I went and told them to keep my money and I would invest it into another 3 month membership for their classes. Who is this person and where is Katie???
That 6 week diet from hell changed my mindset on food and exercise, and it wasn't actually a diet from hell, it was nutrient dense, balanced food, which I wasn't used to. I had more energy, my skin was better, my attitude was more positive, I drank less wine (boo) and drank more water, all those things that we get told to do all the time, but we ignore as its not much fun. I'd do it again in a heartbeat. Yes we have to make sacrifices, but if you have that end goal you are so desperate for, those little sacrifices are well worth it.
I started weight training in the Summer of 2016, and by weight training I mean lifting as heavy as I could, over and over and over, one body part a day at a time, and I absolutely loved it, and how i felt afterwards. That girl who was crippled by 57 air squats was no more! She was crippled by weighted lunges and squatting with the equivalent her bodyweight on her back.
All joking aside, consistent training, the best gym in the North East, a good high carb diet and sky high motivation has kept me training hard for over 18 months. The foundations are there, the determination is there, I have the best gym, the best support and now......its time to diet. 14 weeks out from my first show, and I am absolutely kakking myself.
I have made this decision for me, as something I want to put my all into, I LOVE training and I love seeing the results, so why not? A lot of people ask why, but thats literally it. I'm doing it for me. The work, discipline, sacrifice and dedication that goes into getting on stage can't be put into words, along side the literal blood, sweat and tears. Its emotional and exhausting and one of the hardest things, and thats why I'm super proud to say I'm going to don the glitzy bikini, the stripper heels and the mahogany tan, and strut my stuff on that stage in May.