Meghan’s #UNSTOPPABLE Journey
Meghan Fink attempted losing weight about two years ago. While Fink lost 30 pounds in just three months through counting calories, her method of weight loss was not sustainable and within the next year and a half, she gained about 15 of those pounds back. Fink was able to take what she learned from the first attempt at losing weight and design a program that worked for her. Since May, Fink has lost 35 pounds and, in total, she is down over 60 pounds and has reduced her pant size from 14 to 5/6.
Second time’s the charm
About two years ago, Fink needed to buy bigger jeans, but her shame at needing a bigger size kept her out of the store, so she resorted to online shopping. Now that her weight was dictating her shopping decisions, Fink knew something had to give. So, Fink began restricting her calories and the weight started dropping; just three months later, she was down 30 pounds. But losing weight strictly through counting calories, without working out, caught up to Fink and she regained half of the weight she lost.
This past May, Fink wanted to begin prioritizing her mental health so she recommitted to losing weight. However, this time would be different. Instead of simply counting calories, Fink started running, weight lifting, and counting macronutrients.
“I was not in the best mental space and working out became an outlet to making myself feel better both mentally and physically,” Fink expressed.
Fink joined Xperience Fitness to kickstart her weight loss journey. She had no idea how to even begin to work out initially, so Fink started with a variety of group classes. Taking what she learned in the classes and her newfound confidence, Fink was able to transition to working out on her own.
“Now I lift weights and do cardio on my own, and sprinkle in a class or two to shake it up now and then,” Fink said. “The amount of fitness equipment that Xperience has, has allowed me to surpass my fitness goals because I never get bored using the same machine over and over again.”
For awhile, Fink consistently lost two pounds a week, however, she soon hit a frustrating plateau. For about a month, Fink was not able to lose any weight.
“I didn’t understand that I needed to ‘shock’ my body because it was too used to just doing cardio on an elliptical every day,” Fink explained. “This is when my friend suggested I start weightlifting with her, and I finally was able to break the plateau.”
Progress seen
There were a few moments that caused Fink to realize her hard work was paying off. The first was when she was able to fit into a pair of capris that she had hung onto for years. Just the feeling of being able to put them back on was unreal to Fink. Then, she tried on her senior year homecoming dress and found that it was now too big for her. Learning that she was smaller than she was at 17 felt amazing. But when she bought her first pair of pants that were single digits in size, Fink broke down and cried in the dressing room.
While all of these physical changes and reminders that she was losing weight were important, Fink’s mental health was transformed.
“I feel so much more confident in all areas of life because I feel better about my self-image,” Fink expressed. “My mental health is SO much better.”
Continuing the trend
When Fink first began working out she could barely run a fourth of a mile, but in August she started running 5K races. To continue pushing herself, Fink has a goal to run a half marathon within the near future.
“I am setting goals now that are achievements for things my body can do versus a weight goal now,” Fink explained. “For example, the 5-mile run or being able to bicep curl 40 pounds. I have found that celebrating what this new body can do is more rewarding than just saying, ‘Oh I want to lose another 10 lbs.’”
To keep track of her progress, Fink takes pictures, measures, and weighs herself on a biometric scale regularly. Even if the weight on the scale has not changed, she is still able to see her progress through her other methods.
Final advice
Fink said the biggest piece of advice she can give is to give yourself a month to establish a routine and feel and see results.
“You’re going to struggle. You’re going to want to quit and, honestly, it’s easier to quit,” Fink acknowledged. “… [But] once you start seeing the initial results, you will feel so good that all the hard work you’re putting in is doing something and it’s like adding gasoline to your motivation fire.”