Tone It Up Anniversary Post!

It's hereeeeeeeeeee!!! I have officially been following Tone It Up for a year! (Although my actual diet plan anniversary is in October but that doesn't matter hehe; I'll have another annniversary then) And oh my gosh, what a difference a year can make. 

The Women Who Have Changed My Life

This time last year I was fed up, frumpy and depressed with the way I looked. I was classed as overweight and had no self confidence at all. I would try on a million different outfits in the morning and see which one would 'hide the bulge'. I'd get so frustrated with myself I'd break down and start crying. 

I was a member of the gym but had no direction or guidance. I would go 3 times a week but never see any results. I felt so alone and so disgusted in myself, and given my history with eating disorders, I felt trapped. I felt like I was going to look the way I did forever. 

This was Summer 2010. I'm amazed I had the confidence to stand there like that. I look at that now and see a totally different girl. I'm not ashamed of how I looked because I can say I've earned my body and I'm proud of it today. At the time, although evidently not in this photo, I felt so 'fat', embarrassed and different; I always had 'skinny' friends. 

This is one of the photos that made me so drastically want to change. This was actually taken a month in to my TIU journey. I'd lost some weight already.

Then Tone It Up came along. I was scouring YouTube to find some Motivation to get some results in the gym and stumbled across one of Sarah Dussault's videos. On the sidebar was a video from Tone It Up. That was the moment my life changed for the better, for good. 

This is a happy post so I'm not going to dwell too much on the past but instead share what has happened and what I've learnt. 

Officially I'm down 20lbs. (Exactly- crazy right!), my hips are (as of the beginning of March) 6 inches smaller and my waist is 4 inches smaller. I'm down two to three dress sizes and have the confidence to wear things I never would have dreamed of wearing before.

Overall I'd say that the biggest change is in my confidence levels. I've been told now that my smile is cs infectious! I've got a new found love for myself which is something that I didn't think was possible.

One of my proudest achievements I think has got to be that my stomach is flat now without me having to breathe in!! I'm aiming to tone up now in time for Summer :)

Through Tone It Up I have met some incredible women and it is here that I would like to begin with some Thank You's. 

Of course my first 'Thanks' has to go to, Karena and Katrina at Tone It Up. You girls have truly changed the way that I look at my life, my diet, my lifestyle in general. Thank you for acepting me into the team the way you have. Thank you for showing me a way of life that I never even dreamed possible. To you I owe so much and I will forever be grateful for how you've made me feel.

Secondly, to my boyfriend Charlie who has supported me throughout the entire journey. Every single morning he's told me "You look gorgeous," his nickname for me is "Flatty" (after my stomach although sometimes I mishear and think he's said Fattie hehe) and he's done more for me than I think he's realised so THANKS CHAR <3

Thirdly to Miss Bridget Nicole! This girl is my 'big' (as in sorority terms hehe) and she's looked after me from day 1. I know I can turn to her any time and ask her advice. She's there for motivation, she's there for a sing a long (hehe) and she's always, always willing to help. Thank you Bridget for being a key player in the way that my life has turned around. I can't wait to meet you soon! (I WILL get over there I promise!)

Lastly but by absolutely no means least there are four women that have made this journey a joy and I will be forever thankful for. To Emma Christie, Promise Joy DuBose, Liz Trewhitt-Schultz and Kari Burghardt I would like to say I love you. Thank you for your constand support and motivation. 

With so much of my journey left to come I know that with the above people I can achieve what was only my wildest dream before.

To everybody reading this blog post I say thanks. Thank you for your support and ongoing well-wishes. There are some really really exciting things happening here at Camp Beach Babe and I can't wait to share them with you.

I'll leave you with this :)