BBG Changed My Life

Posted by: Randi Vasquez

Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past several months, you’ve probably heard the name Kayla Itsines or BBG at least a few times. If you haven’t, you’re about to hear all about her and more...

My entire life I have struggled with my weight. I’ve forever been on and off a diet - a few strict months here and there followed by cardio followed by binge eating and weight gain. That’s pretty much how my life has been up until now. Last summer, I was so large that barely any of my clothes were fitting anymore. I knew I had been eating bad and not working out, so I decided to take the plunge and go buy a scale to face the reality of my actions. (Fun fact: while scale shopping, I drank a large cherry Icee so clearly I was struggling.) I bought the scale and anxiously waited until the next morning to weigh. When I did it was almost as if a bag of bricks had been thrown at me. I weighed 239.8 pounds. I remember that day so well. I stared at myself in the mirror with tears in my eyes and asked myself the question, “How did I let myself get like this?” I always tried to blame it on my genes, but really I was just a slob. I was obsessed with fast food and not working out.

In August, I joined the local YMCA and fell in love with the Les Mills Body Pump class. I religiously went every Tuesday & Thursday and never missed a class. I was finally starting to love the gym again. I slowly started subbing my fast food for home-cooked meals and lost 18 pounds by Christmas. Although I lost 18 pounds, it was pretty unrecognizable and I still had a long way to go. I ate bad 80% of the time and only worked out 2-3 times a week.

In January, one of my New Year's Resolutions was to become healthy & fit. I knew I wanted to lose weight, but I didn’t want this time around to be a quick diet followed by weight gain. I started eating low-carb during the week and would cheat all weekend. (I once ate Krystal's for breakfast, lunch, & dinner...so embarrassing.) It wasn’t the best routine to follow but at least it was kind of working. I was also working out a lot more and starting to see a few results. By the end of February, I had lost 33-ish pounds since August, but was starting to lose hope in working out and eating well.

At the end of February, a friend introduced me to Kayla Itsines Bikini Body Program, and I’m so thankful she did. She sat in my living room one Sunday afternoon after a boozy/carby brunch and showed me and my roommates all the phenomenal results girls were experiencing. I remember her saying, “It’s just 28 minutes” and I immediately thought, “Nahhh..that’s for skinny girls. It probably doesn’t work.” Several weeks went by and on March 9th I started BBG 1.0. The first workout was B R U T A L! I remember sweating and panting so bad, and I'm pretty sure our poor lifestyle editor, Victoria, threw up.

Each week was a challenge-mentally, physically, and emotionally. It was never easy but I saw my body & mindset change so much and that kept me going. For the first time ever I totally believed in myself and knew that I was capable of my weight loss goals. Dieting became easier every day and I woke up every morning giddy to get to the gym and step on the scale. All I talked about and thought about was BBG. It completely consumed my life, but I didn't care! By the end of week 12, I had lost an additional 26 pounds! For the first time in 8 years I fit into a pair of denim shorts and looked good. I bought a pair of size 12 jeans for the first time in YEARS, and I gained so much confidence!

I’m now on week 17 of BBG 2.0 (took a few weeks off), and I’m still completely in love with the program. The results have slowed down but they are still there! Now I realize that it’s all about balance. You can enjoy life and be healthy at the same time. There’s no need to beat yourself up over your mistakes! Focus on your success not your failures. Everyone is capable of achieving their fitness goals but you have to believe 100% in yourself. Once I started believing and seeing the results, the pounds and fears just melted right off. I now do things like shop in boutiques, run for fun, and I even got picked up and swung around in the air a few weeks ago...talk about crazy!

As of now, I weigh 178 lbs. and have lost 61 pounds. My goal is to lose 19 more! Each day I get asked the question, “How do you stay motivated?” I really don’t have an answer, but I am obsessed with documenting my progress. When I start feeling unmotivated or down on myself, I pull out a picture of what I used to look like and just stare at it. I’ve always been happy and confident in my own skin, but now I FEEL incredible. I never want to feel the shame or embarrassment I felt when I stepped on the scale last summer, and that keeps me going.

It’s been a crazy, sweaty, and painful journey, but I’m so glad I decided to change my life. The benefits have been far more rewarding than I could have ever imagined.

Follow my journey on Instagram @Burgerstoburpees and join #TheKaylaMovement.

#charisma #BBG #kaylaitsines #Chattanooga #lifestyle #Fitness #weightloss