The will to win is nothing without the will to prepare
I met Jen when I was a sophomore in college. You could say it was a love at first sight kind of deal. Now, I have always known Jen as insanely fit & healthy. However, before I met my college bestie (and future bridesmaid!) she went through quite the transformation. Here is a brief Q & A for all of you slackers who need a little Saturday inspiration (; Enjoy!
Q: What initially inspired you to lead a more healthy and active lifestyle?
A: When I went off to college I wanted to avoid gaining the dreaded freshman 15. My goal initially wasn’t to loose weight; I just wanted to maintain my current weight. As a result of exercising and becoming more conscious of what I was eating the weight just started to fall off.
Q: Anybody inspire you?
A: Jen Ator is a big inspiration of mine. She is the health fitness director for Women’s Health Magazine. On a whim she decided to complete an iron man despite her hectic and demanding work schedule. On YouTube you can find videos of the training process and all the hardships she faced along the way. She didn’t have any previous triathlon experience and really proved that you can accomplish anything when you set your mind to it.
Q: What changes did you make to your diet?
A: When I was in high school I used to hardly eat during the day and binge as soon as I got home. When I got to college I started eating more often through out the day and I avoided the fried food in the cafeteria. I used to take a bunch of fruit from the dining hall and store them in my dorm room so I could have healthy snacks between classes. Also, I made sure that drunk eating did not become an every weekend ritual.
Q: What changes did you make with your physical activity?
A: I started incorporating trips to the gym into my everyday routine and I began using exercise to cope with life/school stress. I got into a routine of running and weight lifting.
Q: What is the best advice you could give to somebody who wants to make a change?
A: Do it for yourself. Plain and simple, if you do it try to please other people those changes are not going to last.
Q: Favorite quote?
A: “The will to win is nothing without the will to prepare” While I was training for my marathon I had that quote posted on my fridge to help keep me going.
Q: How did I stay fit during college?
A: (I kind of already answered that in the first few questions) I found a balance between school, work, fitness, and having fun with friends. I did my fair share of partying/drinking in college but still made fitness and eating properly a priority.
Q: How do continue to stay fit as a nurse?
A: its definitely tough, I work long hours and I am on my feet all day. To help me stay active I plan out my workouts and the beginning of the week and I stick to that schedule as best I can. I also bring my own lunches to work. Even in hospital cafeterias there are tons of unhealthy choices. If I bring my own food and snacks and only eat what I bring it makes eating healthy a lot easier. I have also gotten into HIIT training where my workouts are only 30 minutes long but they are more intense. You don’t need to sacrifice two hours of your day to get a good workout in. All it really takes is 30 minutes a day 3-4 times a week.