Transformation Tuesday - who inspires ME to transform?

Over on Instagram, Tuesday is known as Transformation Tuesday. Often times, people post pictures of themselves with friends as kids, and then as adults - it's cute, really. But more often than not, the hashtag is littered with people who have before and after pictures of their weight loss. It's ridiculously inspiring to see, really. I am such a visual person, and I've always searched for before and after pictures when I'm looking for some motivation. People change their lives. I mean, you hear about it all the time but seeing it never gets old. These people - everyday people with busier schedules than you, three kids, newborns, six dogs, sick relatives and medical problems, full time students, women over 40 - I mean, these people are literally transforming. If they don't make you believe it's possible, nothing will.

I owe so much of my success to those people. Reading all the articles, all the meal plans and all the exercise plans in the world won't give you the kind of inspiration that a real life person will. As of late, I have desperately needed the inspiration - and I continue to find it in the girls whose picture I'm going to share with you. These girls are me. They are you. They are anyone in their 20s faced with challenges like happy hours, bar nights, weddings full of delicious tempting food and open bars, boyfriends and husbands who eat like the manliest of men, and the overwhelming desire to watch hours of ABC Family instead of go workout. They have full time schedules, full time lives and zero time for bullshit. They juggle in-laws, multiple pets, social circles, volunteer and personal obligations, and can often feel the sometimes impossible-to-combat laziness of their pre-healthy lifestyle creep back in all too often. They are you. They are me.

But each of them, in their own way, made a change in their lifestyles. It starts with a decision, it continues with a choice to sign up for things like Weight Watchers, try a new bootcamp, step outside their comfort zones in a city where they either know nobody or they know too many people to feel comfortable trying something new. They spoke up - they admitted they were unhappy with their health, their bodies, their frame of mind. They wake up at 4:45, 5:30, 6:00 - any time before some people normally roll out of bed, and they take one small step towards their goals. They run, workout, pack their snacks for work, lay out workout clothes and set meat out for tonight's planned dinner.

They also ditch workouts, struggle with small gains, falling off the wagon and indulging in too much happy hour. They eat pizza, don't regret it, and often times regret it so much that they run crazy miles to mentally make up for it. They are real, and they are constantly battling the odds. They prove to me daily that if they can do it, I can do it. And so can you.

Today, I share with you two "Transformation Tuesday" photos that will make you jump off your ass and put your dusty old running shoes on. They will make you put down the bag of chips.

Kelly has lost 80 pounds, and is still going strong. EIGHTY. EIGHT-ZERO. Do you know how much that is? She consistently proves that, even as a busy career woman constantly on the go, you can still succeed at eating healthy. This girl pre-plans snacks for meetings and overnight travel, gets her exercise in even when she's away from home and even roped her boyfriend into having weekly weigh-ins with her. And guess what else? She is still a fan of happy hours, delicious food and all the things you'd never expect from someone who makes those kinds of changes. 

Kim has detailed her weight loss and fitness journeys on her blog, Fabulous Fit Foodie. This girl, despite only recently getting back to Weight Watchers, has already lost over 13 pounds - but it looks like she's lost way more. She strength trains using online bootcamps you can do in your home or at the gym, she runs, and she's a recent triathlete. TRIATHLETE. Seriously. She indulges in all life's goodness, including pizza, her favorite beers and wine flights at happy hour, but she still makes fitness and eating right seem so incredibly approachable. Her motivation and inspiration is endless, and her perspective on maintaining a healthy lifestyle is always what I need to hear.

I can't tell you enough how inspired I am by these women. They are proof that reaching your goals seems so much more attainable when you're surrounded by like-minded individuals who care and support you. They provide constant words of encouragement, and them, along with every other girl as part of our Healthy Habits group here in Dayton, have provided me with infinite inspiration.

My advice? Find your own inspiration and let it guide you through your journey. Find people who want you to be a better person, strive to help you reach your goals and don't let you settle for anything less than your absolute best. Use their before and afters (or before and "during" as these girls tell me) to help fuel you when you need the extra push, and chances are, they'll be using you for the same inspiration.

Happy Transformation Tuesday, friends - may you all find the inner strength and motivation needed to make the transformation (or continue with it) that you know deep down will make you the best person you can be!