MY SUCCESS STORY
Shannon Cody
I had been a yo-yo dieter for years, getting as high as 277 lbs and as low as 140 lbs.
Two years ago, in January of 2009, I was 240 lbs and determined to make a permanent change. I am in a relationship with someone who is into physical fitness and healthy living so it seemed like a good opportunity to learn and change, permanently this time.
We signed up at Sal’s Fitness immediately after it opened and I started on a 3 to 4 day/week workout cycle. I focused on basic exercises for all of the body parts and cardio at the end of strength training. Slowly, I increased my days per week, first adding an only cardio day (Wednesday) and then adding in another day for strength training.
During the first part of my time at the gym, I went to my first bodybuilding show. I was so inspired by the women and men that I saw that I started to train even harder. I upped my cardio time and included more free weights into my strength training. After about a year, I had lost 30 pounds and could see the start of muscle forming.
It was at about this time that I first considered the possibility that I could someday compete as a bodybuilder. With the support and guidance of my partner, I started to focus more on developing muscle and symmetry and still doing a lot of cardio in order to drop the weight.
Since then, I have dropped another 30 pounds and I now weigh 180 for a total of 60 pounds lost. I have also put on quite a bit of lean muscle, most noticeably in my upper body. I now train 7 days a week, with Sunday being just for cardio – usually about 1¼ hours. About a month and a half ago I started doing the stepper at the gym and have noticed a big change in my legs. It can be painful and is always exhausting but it is worth every minute.
For my diet, I have slowly decreased overall calories while changing the ratios of food eaten. I currently eat about 50% protein, 30 % carbs, and 20% healthy fats. I have eliminated all “cheat” foods and enjoy eating a healthy, clean diet. I do eat a meal or snack every 2 ½ to 3 hours so I never really feel hungry.
I now plan to compete at the novice show in April 2012. I love every minute of my time in the gym and believe that this time, the changes I have made go beyond the superficial and will stay with me for a lifetime.
