This may be my favorite post since I can brag on other people!

I think we all have a few people who we see and immediately think, “Wow! They look great!” We might even be a little jealous… truthfully, I had to look at myself and ask if I was just jealous? or was I inspired by these people?

I don’t think we should ever be jealous of someone else’s dedication and work that they put into reaching their goals. Why be jealous of someone else’s work if we are not willing to take action for ourselves? Instead, I think we should let their achievements inspire us into action.

If you think about it, this can also apply with other things in life other than diet and fitness.

Be Inspired

Over the past few months, I reached out to several ladies who have inspired me in some way to share part of their stories with me.

Melesia Reed

The first person I’d like to talk about is Melesia Reed - if you know her, you know she is fit and is so dedicated to exercise.

In September 2017, Melesia became very sick with a cold that landed her in the hospital and on a ventilator for days. When she was finally discharged from the hospital, she spent another month recovering at home before returning to work for half days.

I knew that if someone as fit as Melesia had this much trouble, someone in my shape would have no chance. So, I know without a doubt that her being in great shape, and the power of GOD, she is still here today. Melesia inspires me every day with her discipline.

When I asked Melesia to share her exercise story with me, she said that she started exercising consistently and seriously after her daughter was born. She has always preferred cardio classes, but since she lives in a small town (like me) where classes aren’t available, she uses Insanity videos as her “go-to workout.” She also shared that she just watches the amount of sweets and bread she eats, except for a weekend cheat day.

On finding the time to fit exercise into her schedule, Melesia gets up at 4am. She says that this works for her because it seems as if something else always comes up if she plans her workouts for the afternoons – exercising in the mornings ensures that it gets done.

WOW! Talk about commitment!

Melesia’s advice:

“Be consistent and patient. It takes time, but results are worth it.”

Rebecca Shaffer

At first, my friend Rebecca Shaffer would snapchat me different things she would eat, and so I started asking questions. She showed me that you don’t have to buy or make weird things, just normal food. She is my same age, and I noticed the change in her confidence and weight when she started exercising, so I asked what she was doing.

Rebecca first started by training for the Allie Cat Run in March 2018. After a few months, she started lifting weights at the gym with her friend, Alisha Carmichael. She says that having a friend to keep her motivated has been so helpful. While she loves the gym, Rebeccas says that running is what keeps the weight off best for her.

She also shared with me that dieting alone had never worked for her, but a combination of diet and exercise worked best – I found this to be true for myself, too.

Rebecca doesn’t follow a strict diet, but tries to be consistent with what she eats for breakfast and dinner and watching her calories. She also stressed the importance of drinking water!

Rebecca has lost 65+lbs – great work! Thank you for inspiring me.

Rebecca’s advice:

“You're worth it. If you don't feel your best, then how can you give your best? I really wish I'd followed this advice my whole life! But it's never too late.”

Tammy Meaders

Tammy Meaders has been so much help in my health and fitness journey! She also uses Weight Watchers (you have seen this name before in an earlier post). Her dedication to planning and her mindset in general have been so encouraging to me. Every time I saw her it was like I was looking at a different person.

Tammy got serious with her weight loss in September 2018. Tammy says that she has followed the Weight Watchers program on and off through the years. She says that it has always worked for her when she sticks to it. She has never liked the idea of low carb or keto dieting for herself, because she loves fruits and veggies. Her first Weight Watchers leader said, “Fruits and vegetables never made anyone fat.” She says that Weight Watchers is a lifestyle that you can live with forever and that’s what she needs.

Tammy has met her goal of losing 75lbs!

Tammy’s advice:

“Find what works for you. My journey is just that, mine. Your journey will look different than mine and that’s ok. We all struggle with different things. We are all motivated by different things. Do you!”

Vicki Ferguson

Several months ago, I noticed Vicki had posted on Facebook that she had lost 65lbs and so I reached out to find out her secret. The secret was… that there was no secret, she was just watching what she was eating and consistently exercising. She inspires me because I know she works so hard on her goals. Since her photo (above), she has lost about 15lbs more, reaching her goal!

Vicki started dieting and exercising the last week of January 2016. She realized that even if she couldn’t control anything else, she knew that she could control what she was eating. She started out by just counting calories, but started following the paleo diet about a year ago.

She also exercises A LOT – 2-1/2 hours every day when the weather allows! When she first started, she hired a trainer so that she could learn how to use all of the weight machines correctly. She goes to the gym every day after work – packing a change of clothes each day so she doesn’t have to stop.

Her motivation and dedication is so inspiring to me!

Vicki’s advice:

“Find what works for YOU! Find some hobby or activity for exercise that you enjoy… I enjoy the activities I'm doing, so that makes it easier for me to stick with them.”

Sheryl West

I have watched my neighbor, Sheryl, run or tackle her street strider when it was 100+ degrees at noon almost daily. It takes so much dedication to spend your lunch time doing that! Sheryl struggled with an injury, but took time to rest and heal, and then was right back out there running.

I talked to Sheryl to share her exercise story with me, and she said that she loves all outdoor exercise, but running is her favorite. She says that it’s her happy place where she can pray, get lost in thoughts, clear her head, and just be!

While she’s always been active, she started seriously running by doing couch to 5k. She’s had several injuries since 2011, most of which she says she causes by pushing herself past her limits. Now, she alternates running with riding her street strider (pictured above) to help prevent new injuries.

Sheryl doesn’t follow a specific diet, but she says she has been tracking what she eats daily. She says that it helps her to see the calories she is taking in and helps her be more mindful of what she eats.

She also shared her motto: “Eat to run and run so I can eat more!”

Sheryl’s advice:

“The hardest step is the first step out the door each time to start. I have never regretted going for a run , but I have regretted many times that I did not go for a run. Just get started and see what great things happen from there.”

Tamra Mills

Tamra Mills is a lady that I have known for years. Two things I know without a doubt is that she is passionate about teaching and running.

Our kids played sports together and I always noticed she was so disciplined with her food at games. I know she had to have packed her snacks for the game before she left to teach that day. I didn't work, but I was never disciplined enough to do this for myself.

I asked Tamra to share with me how she stays so healthy and fit. She said that while she’s always been active, she didn’t really get serious about being healthy until her husband started training for a triathlon in 2004. She said, “if he could get in shape, then I could, too.” She said she started by going to the track and trying to run from light pole to light pole and biking.

Tamra prefers running and does this every weekday morning at 5am. When her alarm goes off at 4:10am, she says, “I have a cup of coffee with Jesus and then I am out the door. Running has changed my body, mind, and spirit. Let’s just say that I am a much nicer person after a good run.”

I love this!

Tamra runs about 4 days a week with a longer run on weekends. She’s also started going to the gym 2-3 days each week. She also says that because of yoga, she feels like her balance and flexibility are better than they were 20 years ago. Wow!

When I asked about her diet, Tamra said that good nutrition is so important, so she doesn’t restrict any food group, but that eating good “clean” food makes her feel best. She also told me, “I am convinced that what most people put in their body is literally killing them.” I think there may be some truth to this!

Tamra shared a very personal story about her dad, who had polio as a child, that really inspired me:

“He was in a wheelchair and died when I was 8. I think about him. He couldn't walk. I can. That motivates me.
One of my favorite pictures is of a girl running and the quote with it says, ‘There will come a day when I can no longer do this, but that day is not today.’ My day will come, but that day is not today.
For that, I am thankful.

I am so inspired by Tamra’s commitment to her health.!

Tamra’s advice:

“We all have the same 24 hours in a day. Figure it out! Life is busy and we all make time for what is important. I can't think of many things more important than your health.”

I’m so inspired by all of these ladies, and I’m so grateful that they shared their stories with me!

An interesting thing I learned from these ladies is that most of us are inspired in some way that we might say is “vain.” We want to wear cute clothes that fit, or we want to look good in pictures, or maybe we just want to look and feel healthy for our age! We all feel a little guilty about it, but I think these are all great motivations! It’s ok to want to look good and be healthy for yourself - the important thing is to do what makes YOU feel your best.

And remember, don’t be jealous of others if you aren’t willing to turn that jealousy into inspiration and put in the work for yourself! Try reaching out to someone to see what you can learn to help yourself. Prioritize yourself and put in the work. You deserve it!

You never know, by being your best, you might just inspire someone else to be their best!