Publication: Natural Muscle Magazine – 2011 ©
Written by Carolina Gonzalez
Photography by Carolina Gonzalez
Page Design by Alex Gonzalez
Currently, there are hundreds of successful stories about people who had decided to transform their overweight bodies into fit, athletic and healthier ones; some people manage to keep the weight off, and others achieve success only for a couple of weeks before putting the pounds back on. But Allison Earnst’s story is one full of empowerment, motivation and tenacity. Allison has managed to keep her ‘new’ weight and inspire others with her hard work, knowledge and friendliness.
Allison’s weight lost journey started six months after giving birth to her third child. Lack of energy and exhaustion were some of the main reasons she decided that she needed a change. But those who are parents or take care of infants and babies might relate to the tiredness and think that adding more activities to the ‘to do list’ is just crazy; but as crazy at is sounds, it works!
“When I was overweight and reached nearly 200 pounds in June of 2007,” said Allison, “I was physically and mentally exhausted; I was not sad or depressed, but I was lacking patience and I felt emotionally overwhelmed. Suddenly, a combination of reasons gave me the final push to change my life. For one, I wanted to have more energy, I wanted a fit body, but most importantly I wanted to be a healthy role model for my kids. I knew that getting healthier and having more energy would naturally help me deal with the stress of having three very young children.” So, for Allison, this decision to change her body was not only a matter of pounds, but also a new mentality to improve her life.
“Changing my lifestyle with a clean diet and regular exercise has been an ongoing process,” explained Allison, “I started slowly by making small changes and eventually those small changes added up to big results.” Allison has lost nearly 70 pounds, has participated in fitness competitions, she is an NPC Bikini Competitor, a marathon runner, a class instructor for Ladies Boot camp, and currently she is 130 pounds, and works with Tosca Reno and the ‘Eat Clean Diet’ program.
The main ingredients for Allison’s transformation have been consistency and adaptation. “Adapting to my new lifestyle when it came to diet and exercise was relatively simple because I made small changes and I did it gradually; but most importantly, I stuck to those changes. I believe that when someone tries to do a complete transformation overnight, it gets overwhelming; because what is being transformed or modified is the lifestyle not just the body, therefore, their lives.”
According to Allison, eating right and exercising have the power to also modify the mind and the way we deal with things. “Working out, for example, makes me feel happier, stronger and empowered; and it has become a positive outlet for things that stress me out. Also, by training and reaching my goals, I remind myself that I am worthy of all the things I want from life.”
Allison, continuously motivate herself by setting small goals, by surrounding herself with positive and supportive people, and by avoiding self-pity “I have learned that when I slip up, have had a bad meal or have missed a workout, the only thing for me to do is to jump right back into being healthier. We all can make bad choices sometimes; but the key is to not beat oneself up with the mistake but rather learn from it and move on.”
As Allison says, ‘the journey to a complete body transformation is full of ups and a few downs; it is a process with good days and bad days; but overall, it is a process that changes all aspects of one’s life for the better.’ “The best advice I can give to someone that wants to change their life is to just go for it. Get started today, get your mind set, get motivated, don’t wait for ‘everything’ to be perfect in order to feel successful, enjoy the journey, and when feeling defeated, remind yourself that the best choice is to keep on keeping on!
Allison’s recommendations:
Use the resources around you!
There are hundreds of books, videos, and tools that you can incorporate and utilize to transform your body, diet and mind.
Allison is following The Eat Clean Diet program.
Surround yourself with supportive people!
Personal trainers, couches, and gym buddies are cool examples.
Allison works daily with John Di Fede. A speed, strength and agility coach. “He has taught me how to really challenge myself and take my training to the next level. At this stage I am maintaining weight loss while building lean muscle.”
Find the time to exercise, even if it is only a few minutes a day!
“My favorite exercises are compound movements that work the most muscles in the smallest amount of time. Movements like squats with dumb bells into a shoulder press or walking lunges with a barbell.”
Read Allison’s blog!
Allison took her personal transformation by the horns, and took he time not just to go the gym and follow a diet list. She took the time to educate herself about nutrition and proper training; that is why she has been feature in programs like Good Morning America and other respected magazines and TV shows.
Allison
AGE: 36 years young
WEIGHT: 130 pounds
HEIGHT: 5’6’’
CarolinasWords 