Lisa Woods

 At one point in my life, I used to weigh about 200 lbs. I have battled with eating/weight issues since high school/college. I was very depressed and my self-esteem, as well as my self-confidence was at an all time low. I became a chronic emotional eater and one day, I finally decided to stop hating myself for how I looked. I took charge of my health and wellness and worked with my own personal trainer for a few years to help me lose the weight.

My weight loss journey was filled with lots of ups and downs, but I have realized that to live a healthy lifestyle, one must take a step back from the number on the scale. Many of us let the scale define who we are. The scale is only ONE way to measure progress.

In addition to proper nutrition (i.e. keeping a food journal/counting calories) and doing various exercise programs such as Jillian Michaels, Bob Harper, P90X, Insanity and Asylum Volume 1 & 2, I am living a healthy lifestyle and educating others about health and fitness. As a personal trainer, I am a role model for others. Knowing that I must lead by example, and having people look up to me keeps me motivated to stay on top of my exercise regimen and my nutrition habits. I inspire my clients with my own personal struggles with eating, body image and weight issues. I currently keep a food journal using www.myfitnesspal.com. I use this site now instead of writing down on paper what I eat because I can actually SEE how many grams of carbohydates, fat, protein, sugar and sodium I have consumed at the end of the day.

I have been through the weight loss journey three times now; the last time was due to pregnancy where I gained 36 lbs. Since giving birth to my son 3 ½ years ago, I am in the best shape of my life. I was able to lose ALL of the baby weight plus an additional 10 lbs. I have been successfully maintaining my weight loss. Prior to becoming pregnant, I trained for and ran 5 half marathons and since giving birth, I have run 2 half marathons. My current workout regimen consists of working 6 days per week. I primarily workout at home and do a combination of running (outside and on the treadmill) in addition to various workout DVDs (as mentioned above).