Jessy has been working hard with us since November 2015 to completely change her life, and her results have been incredible. Since starting private personal training, Jessy has lost 27 lbs, quit smoking, and completely overhauled her nutrition. As a result, she has more energy, her mood has improved, and she is feeling much less stress on a daily basis. Jessy meets with us once per week for a strength training session, and then she does 3-4 workouts at home on her own – using bodyweight style training, and incorporating HIIT on the treadmill.
Hi Jessy! Please tell us about yourself.
I am a Mom to four great kids; Devin 23, Danielle 19, Elijah 16 and Jaidan 14. I also have two beautiful grand babies, Taylor almost 2 and Wyatt 9 months. I have the best partner in the whole world, my wife Maureen. She is my best friend. We have been together almost six years and married going on two years.
I work full time as a technical recruiter for the oil and gas industry and have been doing that for going on 5 years now. We recently bought a house last year in Palmer and enjoy spending most of our time together as a family. My kids still actually like to hang out with us, which is awesome.
We enjoy getting outdoors whether it be a good hike or a family BBQ. My kids are active in sports and other hobbies and are always on the go. It is never a dull moment at our house.
You started working with FF back in 2007. What initially inspired you to seek us out?
When I initially got in touch with you guys I had a simple goal of losing some weight. After 4 kids I was struggling with losing weight on my own and the idea that I would never be the same size was becoming depressing.
I wanted to have more energy to keep up with my youngest boys. I just wanted to be healthy and feel good so that I could be a better Mom.
In the past, you’ve competed several times in Figure competitions. What got you interested in competing?
This is an easy one. Steph planted the idea of competing in my head within our first few training sessions. I remember telling her several times that she was crazy and I would never step on stage in one of those teeny bikinis! I could never get in that kind of shape especially after kids.
I think after a month or so of starting PT I actually attended one of Steph’s shows that she competed in. At the end of it I remember thinking, “I can totally do that.” It became my motivation to push hard and lose the weight and build muscle.
I stepped on stage for the first time 7 months after I started training. I was totally hooked after that.
You took time off from training with us over the last five years. What motivated you to return to FF?
To be honest, my main motivation in coming back this time goes deeper than just losing weight. During my “time off” I managed to gain the most weight that I ever have. I never really struggled with weight before.
It wasn’t just about losing the weight this time. I had also become extremely overwhelmed by anxiety. It is truly a horrible feeling and very debilitating.
I felt miserable, I was exhausted all of the time and felt physically ill. I was smoking more than ever. I couldn’t even walk down the sidewalk without being out of breath from smoking, and being overweight. I can honestly say I despised myself at that point.
I was in a bad mood every day which was taking a toll on my relationship with my wife. To top it off my yearly blood work was horrible and a direct result of me not taking care of myself. I knew that unless I wanted all of the health problems that were knocking at my door – I needed to do something immediately.
I knew that if I could get back into shape and start healing myself with good food and exercise that I would get better. I was honestly at the lowest point I ever wanted to be in life.
I had all but given up. I had two choices, either continue on and end up in bad shape or get off my ass and do something about it. I am happy I chose the latter.
Besides losing almost 30 LBS, what have you achieved over the last 5 months since working with us again? Any tips for those who are new to setting goals, and who may feel held back by fear?
I have achieved a good amount. I am very self-critical, so in my mind I can always do better. My biggest accomplishment was quitting smoking. I have struggled with that one a few times. My weight loss so far has been ok. I noticed that my body has definitely changed with age and is a little more stubborn.
I feel so much better mentally and physically. With each day I get closer to feeling more like myself. My anxiety is almost gone and my confidence and energy levels have definitely gone up.
My advice to anyone is start with small goals, don’t overthink it, don’t under estimate yourself, and don’t compare yourself to anyone else. You just have to jump in and go for it. The fear will diminish and the reward is amazing!
You currently attend personal training with us once a week, and do several workouts on your own time. What keeps you motivated to workout at home, and what do those workouts generally look like?
My main motivation at home is my two teenage sons. They have so much energy that it is contagious. I know that every time they see me complete a workout regardless of how tired I am that it also encourages them.
My wife is also my rock. She always reminds me that I will feel better if I just get in my workout. We have long days. We leave the house by 5am and don’t get home until sometimes after 7pm. Yes there are definitely days where I feel like I never have enough time. I am not perfect by any means and don’t always get as many workouts in during the week. I am still working on that.
I do try to make the best out of it when I do mainly with a circuit of 15-20 different body weight exercise. It is usually a good mix a cardio and strength. I also mix it up with HITT workouts on the treadmill. By interchanging between the two it keeps boredom from settling in.
What kind of improvements have you made to your nutrition over the last few months?
This is a tough one for me that I have to work on daily. I am still trying to find my balance since my main struggle is eating enough calories. I have been working on paying close attention to my macros and getting as close as possible to meeting them 100%.
You rocked our last Transformation Challenge! What new habits did you develop during that 8-week period? Any advice for those who are on the fence about joining our next Transformation Challenge?
Joining the Challenge helped me develop better tracking habits in MFP (MyFitnessPal). Although it took a minute to get used to planning a week out, it actually helped me a lot.
By having food pre-planned it kept me from thinking about eating outside of my meal plan. I didn’t really think about food because it was already accounted for. I also learned better time management. As I mentioned earlier, some days I don’t have much extra time to work with. I would honestly give the same advice I gave above. Just do it! OMG, now I sound like a Nike commercial, haha. But really it was a great experience. There is nothing to lose. In my eyes everyone who finishes a challenge is a winner. I cannot wait to do it again. You really learn a lot about yourself in eight weeks.
I’m a big believer in reinvention. I think we all have the ability to do, be, and have whatever we want in life as long as we’re clear about what we want, and we’re prepared to work hard for it. What is most important to you right now in life?
It is that mindset that inspires me and one of the many things I love about FF! I am actually at a point in my life where I am on the path to reinvent myself, so to speak.
As I get closer to hitting the big 4-0 I am realizing that it is time to make serious changes in life. The most important thing to me right now is completing the steps to enter the world of entrepreneurship. Oh my gosh did I just say that out loud….scary.
It has been a thought for a long time. I am finally pushing myself to just take the leap and go for it. I have allowed fear of failure to hold me back far too long. I am totally ready to be my own boss and finally do something I love every day. I want more freedom to spend with my family and to travel!
Do you think you’ll ever compete in a Figure competition again? Why or why not?
Absolutely. I definitely would compete again. Although it may take me longer this time around as I have big weight/fat loss goals to meet. With the knowledge I have from previous competitions I would have to exceed the shape I was in before in order to get back on stage.
What goals are you working on for 2016? Why are these so important to you?
The most important is financial freedom, and solidifying a plan to start my own business. This is most important because it will finally allow me to do something that I enjoy. The best part is creating something that my whole family can be involved in eventually.
My second goal is to meet my weight and fat loss goals by the end of summer. This is important because it is a good feeling to complete goals you set for yourself.
I would also like to complete a run of some sort. I have never been a runner, probably due to smoking and not being able to breathe.
It would be a nice milestone to meet. I would love to actually go on vacation this year. My wife and I have wanted to go to Hawaii for the past 6 years now. I personally have never been on vacation so that would be awesome to achieve. I think it is important to take a break from everyday life.