Body Transformation: Ripped Mom Rocks A Hard Body!

AGE 24 HEIGHT 5'4" WEIGHT 160 lbs BODY FAT 28%	AGE 25 HEIGHT 5'4" WEIGHT 122 lbs BODY FAT 18%

When I had children and life got busy, I let myself go. I'm a stay-at-home mother of three, but we're rarely home. My kids take part in many activities and it was convenient to go through the drive thru somewhere rather than prepare food at home. I ate my food, and if my kids didn't finish theirs, I would eat that too (I'm an emotional eater). I became uncomfortable in my own skin and was at the heaviest weight in my entire life. I had to do something about it.

I was told about a natural diet pill and started taking it. Within a week, I noticed I was losing weight. I lost most of my weight by taking the diet pill and eating less. I loved that I could wear sizes I hadn't worn since high school. The downside is I didn't exercise so I became "skinny fat." I had a skinny body with loose skin, cellulite, and a saggy butt—I hated what my body looked like under my clothes.

My husband and stepdad have always been into bodybuilding and decided to take me to the Arnold Classic. I didn't know what it was about, so I looked up pictures on the Internet and saw girls who looked amazing and had kids too. I couldn't believe women looked like that with kids. I sent my stepdad a text and told him not to tell anyone, but I wanted to go to the gym and needed him to push me so I wouldn't quit. I was crying as I sent the text and couldn't believe I hadn't taken time to care for my body and went to the gym with him the next day.

My goals aren't fully accomplished, but the changes I made in my life and to my body are huge.

I didn't want anyone to know what my goals were outside my family because I was afraid to fail. I decided my goal was to compete after I attended the 2012 Arnold Classic. My family was behind me the entire way and my stepdad kept pushing me. He made workouts for me and was always on me about eating right.

My body transformed and I was excited, but I couldn't get my diet under control. I was told to contact IFBB pro Dawniel King for help with my diet. Dawniel and her husband, Nathan, took me far in a few months. Nathan created my workout routine and Dawniel planned my meals. I'm thankful to have met them. They keep in contact almost every day and motivate me to keep going. I still train under them and love to see the results that take place.

I take progress pictures and measurements every week. The changes I see drive me to work harder. I'm blessed to have a husband and family that are supportive and motivating. I hope to inspire other mothers and women who think it's too late and their bodies are too far gone. I want them to know that with hard work and dedication anything is possible.

I thought my biggest challenge would be cardio, but I was wrong. Dieting and eating healthy has been my biggest struggle. I have always been a junk food junky, so eating clean and making this a life change has been challenging. Not being able to snack with my children or eat with my family and friends never gets easier. Willpower and the drive to see progress keeps me eating clean.

My journey into the fitness world has just begun. I'm going to continue to train and push myself to see to see how far I can transform my body. I hope to have many opportunities to inspire and motivate other women. Even though we all live busy lives, we need to realize how important it is to take care of our bodies and understand it's never too late.

Bodybuilding.com helped me stay motivated. Visiting the site and ordering supplements allowed me to stay focused and reach my goals. I saw many women on the site who were mothers and did not settle for an average body.

I visited the Arnold Classic in Columbus, Ohio, for two years now and the Bodybuilding.com tent is above all else at the convention. They provide numerous opportunities for an aspiring fitness competitor to gain knowledge and products to help them achieve their goals.