Who in their right mind decides to
lose weight in November?!?! Right before Thanksgiving, Christmas parties,
family get-togethers, fudge, candy canes, and egg nog??? Ashley Saylor, that’s
who! Ashley is a friend of mine whose story deserves to be shared. Her journey
is one of no excuses, no fancy pills, no expensive personal trainers, and no
starvation diets… nothing but clean eating and hard work! Oh, and did I mention
she did it all with 2 small children and a husband at home…? (Insert re-evaluation
of your long list of excuses here)
One
year ago from today, Ashley weighed 240 lbs. She had struggled with her weight
since 2004 and now she was also holding onto excess baby weight from her son,
who was 1 at the time, and she was ready to for change. After trying diet pills
in the past, she knew that she needed to try something different… something
that would be a permanent lifestyle change and not just a quick fix. She needed
a change that could be maintained long term. She decided to try the Atkin’s
diet in November of 2012. She knew that weight loss would be a challenge with
the Holidays right around the corner, but she decided that if she was going to
learn self-control, she needed to learn it right out of the gate! Even if it
meant giving up her beloved pecan pie at Thanksgiving! The Atkin’s diet is a
low carbohydrate approach to eating. By only changing her eating habits, with
no exercise, she got down to 160 lbs
within 6 months! (Hence why I always say that diet is THE KEY to weight loss!!!) She lost the last 10 lbs by adding
exercise to her routine. The motivation to get a gym membership came from her
sister, Allison. At the time, Allison was training to compete in a Bikini
fitness competition. During a trip to see Allison compete, Ashley and her
sister decided to hit the hotel gym together. It was at this moment of trying
to keep up with her sister at the gym that Ashley realized that even though she
had come so far, she still had a long way to go as far as being fit and in shape.
Allison was a huge motivator for Ashley as well. All while Ashley was going
through her weight loss journey, Allison had just gotten into the fitness
competition scene. Watching her sister looking and feeling so good inspired
Ashley to keep pushing harder herself!  |
| Ashley and Allison backstage at one of Allison's shows |
She now maintains her weight
between 145- 150 lbs. She is at the same weight that she was in high school… 10
years ago! She was even able to lose the first 30 lbs within one month by
simply cutting out her carbs. However, what started as an Atkin’s approach to
dieting, eventually led to a complete overhaul of her family’s kitchen. She
began cooking cleaner meals, eating out less, getting rid of junk food, and
being more aware of her food consumption overall. She now eats around 100 grams
of carbs per day and is able to fit that into her diet using healthy high
protein meals with lots of veggies, with occasional treats like sugar free ice
cream.
Her new
habits eventually rubbed off on her family, and now her husband has lost almost
40 lbs! He was initially reluctant to the changes, but once she gradually snuck
healthier food on to their dinner table, he started to enjoy it more and more.
Her two kids, Kaidan,2, and Sophia,8, now have more energy and are even trying
to win school awards given out for fitness… something that would have never even
come up if Ashley hadn’t put the focus on health and exercise for her family. She
has replaced the family’s sodas for water, got rid of the chips and other
calorie dense foods and they even gave up sugar. And not only does the family
not miss eating these foods, but they are truly enjoying the healthier options
that Ashley prepares for them! Everyone in her house now has more energy, is
well rested, and their taste buds have changed to where they eating lighter
foods. Furthermore, She claims to get more full on healthier meals than she did
on junk food as it is more nutrient dense, more fibrous and more filling!
The best part of this
accomplishment to me is the affect it has had on her children. My biggest goal
in life is to set my children up for success; in all areas, including health
and fitness. This is something that Ashley has now done for her daughter.
Sophia watched her mom take this journey and saw her mom’s successes and
struggles all along the way. Ashley has the tools now that she can teach her
children on how to stay happy and healthy. She has given her daughter a
positive female role model who now puts herself as a priority in her own life
and is showing them that their health is important. She has set her children up
to have healthier habits as adults in order to hopefully ward off genetic
illnesses such as diabetes and heart illnesses that run in Ashley’s family. THIS is why I’m so passionate about doing
what I do! It’s the women that can change the habits of a household and
EVERYONE ELSE WILL FOLLOW SUIT! The key to stopping obesity, especially
childhood obesity is us, ladies… THE WOMEN! It won’t happen overnight, but this
is my own personal theory and my interview with Ashley proved it to be true. WE
are who affects the next generation of girls… WE are the ones who will teach
them about self control and self esteem…. It’s us. Right now…
Ashley continues to have goals for
herself (such as adding more muscle and tightening up loose skin), but for the
most part she is content with her weight where it’s at today. Her biggest
struggle now is finding clothes that fit and feeling comfortable in her new
body! After looking a certain way for 8 years, her mind has not yet caught up
to her body. Her rapid weight loss has been a lot for her to wrap her head
around, and she still only really notices it when she sees pictures of herself
looking smoking hot! J
Ashley continues to be a huge inspiration her family and those around her. I’m
grateful to have had this opportunity to learn more about her and her
experiences. Keep up the hard work girl!
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| Ashley's beautiful family |
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