Body Transformation: Kyra Ran Fat Into The Ground!

Her mission to become fit started on a beach in Tampa, Florida, and transitioned into the CrossFit culture. See how Kyra's journey produced results!

Name: Kyra Williams
Email: info@thegetinshapeworkoutplan.com
BodySpace: TheGetNShapeGrl

Kyra Williams Kyra Williams
AGE 22
HEIGHT
5'4"
WEIGHT
160 lbs
BODY FAT
35%
AGE 31
HEIGHT
5'4"
WEIGHT
125 lbs
BODY FAT
16%

Post To Fitboard

Why I Decided to Transform

I was unhealthy in college. I drank five nights per week (at least) and lived on pizza and macaroni and cheese. I remember going to the store to buy chips and queso dip and finished it in one sitting. I also despised working out.

At age 23, I was tired of patching my jeans because I refused to buy a larger size and didn't want to look at the cellulite on my thighs anymore. I had to do something to look and feel good about myself. I was tired of feeling embarrassed and insecure in a bikini. If I didn't make my transformation while I was young, it was only going to get harder.

How I Accomplished My Goals

I was clueless at first. I spent hours doing cardio, only ate 1000 calories per day and was intimidated by the gym. I lost about 20 pounds this way in less than six months, but it wasn't a long-term solution.

Soon after, I moved to Tampa, Florida, where I would see runners on Bayshore Boulevard every afternoon. I wanted to be one of the runners, but Bayshore was a mile from my house, so I prepared to run three miles and started running on a treadmill because it was "safe" and I could stop with nobody to notice if I failed.

Finally, I was able to run Bayshore, and I did daily. Then I started running 5ks and half marathons. I was totally addicted to the "runner's high" and how great I felt after a run.

Running was my first love, until I moved back to Boston. Being cold and piling on gear isn't fun, so I took my running back inside. This wasn't fun, so I went on the hunt for something new.

I started practicing yoga at my gym and enjoyed it. I enjoyed my newly toned arms from yoga, which pushed me to start strength training and find an athletic training gym that made working out fun. I focused on circuit training so I could combine strength training and cardio. We did dumbbell cleans, overhead walking lunges, suicides, and medicine ball slams.

By adding strength training to my routine, I went from a 140-pound size six to a 125-pound size four. Around the same time, I started eating clean, avoided processed foods, and paired carbs, protein, and fat into 5-6 small meals per day. This played an instrumental role in the second part of my transformation.

Since then, I have competed in three bikini competitions. I'm currently tackling CrossFit. Since July 2012, I competed in five CrossFit competitions and I'm focusing to increase my strength through five workouts per week with multiple restorative yoga sessions.

After falling in love with eating clean and circuit training, I got my personal training certification so I could share my passion with other women. Since then, I started an online personal training business to help hundreds of women transform.

What Aspect Challenged Me the Most

When I was training for the bikini competitions, the nutrition aspect got really tough. There were days I cried and wanted to give up. But knowing I had friends, family, and followers cheering for me, and people who looked up to me, kept me going.

My Future Fitness Plans

My heart is now 100 percent in CrossFit. I love pushing myself past my limits and exploring what my body is capable of. I competed in five competitions since I began in August 2012 and have plans to do many more.

Setting goals to increase my one-rep max back squat or clean and jerk is what keeps me going. It gives me something to work for, and not just in the gym. Since I switched to focus on performance-based goals, my life has changed. I don't just eat healthy so I can have abs. I eat healthy because if I don't I'll pay for it in the gym. I need lots of rest, water, and nutrients so I can perform. You can't get away with partial effort if you want to succeed in CrossFit.

I plan to continue educating through my Facebook fan page, blog, and business. Helping others change their life to become healthy is my passion. If I can help one person change their life, then I have done my job.

Suggestions for Aspiring Transformers

Get off the scale. It won't always reflect your hard work and can cause too much stress. There are better ways to measure your progress, such as benchmark workouts or progress photos.

Make sure to follow a sustainable meal plan. Don't restrict yourself to the point you become miserable. If you can't stick out your diet for more than a few days, consider making it more sustainable. If you restrict too much and then binge, what's the point? You have to include small portions of foods you love to keep you going.

Find an activity you are passionate about. Like I mentioned before, I got to a place where I no longer loved running and my workouts shifted. If you love to dance, do Zumba. If you like to rock climb, join a climbing gym. There are too many activities out there to force yourself to workout.

Food is fuel. Food is the center of many social events, but 9 times out of 10 you eat to keep your body going. If you fuel your body with premium fuel your engine is going to run better. You will feel and look great if you eat healthy food.

How Bodybuilding.com Helped Me Reach My Goals

Meeting others on BodySpace with similar goals has been incredibly motivating. To have a community of people there to cheer me on when I'm on top or to pick me up when I'm falling is incredibly helpful. No matter what your goals are, it's an incredible community where you can go to learn, be motivated, and inspired.

Kyra's Top 5 Gym Tracks

  1. "B.O.B." by Outkast
  2. "No Love" by Eminem
  3. "Gimme The Loot" by The Notorious B.IG.
  4. "6 Foot 7" by Lil' Wayne
  5. "F--kin' Problems" by ASAP Rocky

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