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Name: Hilary O'Connor
Before:
After:
I was over weight when I joined the military and met my husband shortly there after. Not long after we were married, we had our first child and my post-pregnancy weight was 186 lbs. I couldn't believe that I passed 200 when I was pregnant and the sad thing is that I didn't gain all that much as a result of the pregnancy, I just started out big. I was exhausted and embarrassed with myself; along with the fact that the military gave me a 6 month waiver to get back in shape. I had to do something. I kind of yo-yoed for a few years and the lowest I got was around 155 lbs. Which was great but I was only a skinnier fat version of myself.
  Click Image To Enlarge.I Couldn't Believe That I Passed 200 Pounds When I Was Pregnant. Then I shifted my emphasis from cardio to weights. I work out primarily at home and this was easy for me. I would get my weights out during naptime and that became my time. I lift 5 days a week now and only do on average of 3 cardio sessions for only 20 minutes. The weight seemed to strip of my body. It was amazing. I saw muscle definition that I didn't know I was capable of creating. But I never would have seen it if I hadn't cleaned up my diet.
I always ate 'pretty good' but for some reason I thought that the little things didn't count, like creamer, wine, and sauces. That is were it really got me because it added so much to my daily intake that I wasn't accounting for.
 Click Image To Enlarge.The Weight Seemed To Strip Off My Body. Also, over doing it on my cheat days didn't help either. I am a huge fan of Mexican food but eating the whole basket of chips and salsa before I even started on my dinner was counter-productive. Now I stick with a cheat meal and limit it to one serving of whatever I want. And that has really helped me not botch my efforts.
10:00 AM: 1:00 PM: 3:30 PM: 5:30 PM: I always drink lots of water with each of my meals and black coffee in the morning.
Thursday: Back & Biceps
I work in the low rep range (6-10) lifting as heavy as I can without compromising my form. I try to get as much out of the negative as I can. I find for myself, low weight/high reps really doesn't build or shape me and too much cardio tends to minimize my weight training efforts as well.
 Click Image To Enlarge.I Try To Get As Much Out Of The Negative As I Can.
My biggest suggestion to those looking to change their current bodies is to be honest with yourself. We all 'know' that we added a little extra in a meal, had a few beers or picked up a latte while shopping. Those calories count too! As well as having cheat meals too close together or saying that you will cheat for a special occasion and then cheat again on your normally scheduled day. All those things add up too. For me diet is the biggest thing. My 1-2 hours working out a day only burn/build so much. If you look at the damage that can be done with unaccounted for calories and junk food, you will see that those can erase all your gym efforts in a few gluttonous minutes. For training, be consistent. We all get sick/injured/or busy. Find a way to make it work for you; workout at your most convenient time, not someone else's.
 Click Image To Enlarge.Find A Way To Make It Work For You. That way you are more likely to stick with it. I like to work out at the same time everyday that way it is like and appointment not just something I am attempting to fit in. Most of all, do it for yourself and enjoy how healthy and strong a proper balance diet of whole foods, along with a strong training program can make you feel. Look at your pictures along the way for encouragement and keep taking advantage of Bodybuilding.com for inspiration. 
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