Body Transformation: How Heather Became a Beauty

I was forced to change and change my appearance because my body didn't like me as a person. I did not respect myself, although I understood that the people around me would not treat me with respect until I started to love myself.

For many years I was engaged in fitness, but I did not like my appearance - I always compared myself with other girls and wanted to look like them. I suffered from low self-esteem, no matter what compliments I received. I decided to set a goal for myself. I had an old dream - to become a fitness model so that my photos get into magazines or on covers.

In February 2012, I turned to my friend Brendan Fowken for help and advice. After talking with him, I decided that I wanted to train under him and eventually compete in a bikini competition. Brendan immediately said that a long way awaits me, but all my efforts will be rewarded a hundredfold and my life will change for the better. If I work hard and believe in myself, then in time my dream will come true and my photos will end up in beauty magazines.

On June 9, 2012, I competed for the first time at the Minnesota State Championship (Minneapolis). Despite the fact that I did not manage to take a prize, this competition gave me more than I could have dreamed of - self-respect.

From that moment on, I began to seriously train and eat right; my life turned 180 degrees. Today I love myself as a person, I like my appearance. I am sure that even greater achievements lie ahead of me. I began to respect myself, people began to respect me. Now I lead a healthy lifestyle, I drink much less alcoholic beverages (at one time, it was for this reason that I gained extra pounds and had low self-esteem).

I rejoice when my example serves as an inspiration to others. When I posted my new photos on Facebook and read the comments, some of them literally brought tears to my eyes.

When I was driving to my first competition, the last 16 weeks that have changed my life surfaced in my memory. I remembered how my friends thanked me for inspiring them to change, and how people close to me were proud of what I was able to achieve. I wanted to hide my tears behind my sunglasses, but they were tears of happiness. Everything in my life fell into place. I wouldn't trade those moments of happiness for anything in the world.

My transformation started on February 19, 2012 and my goal was reached on June 8, 2012. It took me 111 days to change myself.

In September 2009, my best friend and her boyfriend and I decided to move from Sioux Falls, South Dakota to Scottsdale, Arkansas. We once went on an excursion to this city and fell in love with it. Nothing kept us in South Dakota, and we decided to move. In Scottsdale, I worked as a waitress and lived paycheck to paycheck.

I could barely make ends meet, and I was drawn home. Almost every month, my father gave me money for a ticket to Iowa. I had great friends in Arizona, but I felt alone. The moment came when I realized that there is no happiness in my life and that I drink too much alcohol and go to parties too often. I ended up moving back to the Midwest.

In September 2010, I moved back to Iowa, where my parents lived, and took my old job. At that time, my weight was somewhere around 59-61 kg. I had a slim figure, because in Arizona I took care of myself to please other people (not because I wanted to please myself). I think there was another reason why I was not happy. I didn't like myself the way I was. I tried to be like everyone else, and not what I really was.

For the next year and a half, I slowly gained weight. Every weekend I went to parties where I ate far from healthy foods. I didn't care. I was depressed and with the help of food I cheered myself up. Because of this, I even went to the doctor's office and took medication. Thanks to the medication, I regained the taste of life and began to do things I love, like going to the gym.

There is a tradition in our large family - to make a calendar every year. It is a collage of 12 photos of our family members. In 2011, we all got together for Christmas. I took the calendar and started flipping through it. And then I opened a page with my photo in a bikini. I was speechless: firstly, the photo was used without my consent; secondly, I looked like a cow.

I went home in tears, I felt bad. Seeing that photo, I realized how much I gained after moving home from Arizona. And she had only herself to blame. Only I could change anything.

When I started preparing for the competition in February, the first few weeks went fairly smoothly. I added three more CrossFit workouts to the training program compiled by the trainer. I did a total of three CrossFit workouts per week, six cardio workouts, and five strength workouts.

I weighed myself once a week. To stay organized, I took pictures of my results and kept a food diary. Every two weeks I changed my diet and increased the intensity/length of my workouts.

The biggest problem for me was not to give up when there were no results. There were days when I fell down from exhaustion. And when the numbers on the scales did not decrease, as I wanted, I was ready to give up everything. Then I reminded myself that in the photographs the result is noticeable and that there are improvements. I convinced myself that everything would work out. Weights did not show the dynamics in full.

I was inspired by friends, relatives and even strangers. You would know how many inspiring stories you can read on Pinterest, Facebook and other social sites. As soon as my motivation dropped, I picked up the phone or turned on the computer.

I would also like to point out that prior to my transformation, I had never really dated a guy or had a serious relationship. In February, I met Brian Metz. Literally at the very beginning of preparation for the competition. To be more precise, the first week at the weekend.

Since then, he has always been with me - both in difficult times and in moments of joy. He loves me for who I am and treats me with great respect - I would never have thought that a guy could respect a girl so much. In those moments when I felt bad or did not want to go to training, he reminded me why I should not give up; very often we went to the gym together.

I am absolutely sure that nothing in the world happens just like that. Otherwise, I would not have been able to achieve what I have achieved.

I eat every 2.5 - 3 hours and drink enough water.