My Fitness Journey: From Obsession to Balance

Welcome to my first fitness post! I want to share my fitness and health journey with you, filled with personal experiences and valuable lessons learned along the way.

I've always been a sporty person. My mom had me trying every sport imaginable since I was three—soccer, gymnastics, tennis, cheer, basketball, swimming, dance, you name it.

Throughout middle and high school, I ran track and joined the cheer squad. While cheerleading was mostly about wearing cute outfits on Fridays, track was my true love. Running helped clear my mind and manage my anxiety. I wasn’t the best at cheer; my shyness held me back from showcasing my skills. But with track, I felt completely at ease. I ran the 4x4, sprints, and pole vault, inspired by my aunt Jacquie who excelled in these events. I discovered not only was I fast and good at vaulting, but I also truly enjoyed it. This is where my love for health began, although a bit excessively.

In high school, like many girls, I became hyper-focused on my figure. Balancing cheer and track led me to a strict daily routine: waking up at 4:45 am, having a green smoothie, running a few miles, going to school, skipping lunch or having a salad, practicing, making dinner but only eating salad or soup, and doing 100 crunches before bed. I maintained an 800-calorie diet and punished myself with extra miles if I overate. Looking back, I see how unhealthy it was, bordering on an eating disorder. I constantly saw flaws in the mirror, believing there was always more “fat” to lose, and my abs, collarbones, legs, and waist could be more defined.

By 18, at 5'3", I weighed between 90-100 lbs. Any time the scale hit triple digits, I intensified my diet and fitness routine—salads with no dressing, soups without noodles, unseasoned chicken, and doubling my crunches. Then, in my senior year, a pole vault accident left me with compression fractures in my spine (T11 and T12), resulting in serious back pain and nerve damage. I lost all my sports scholarships but felt lucky to avoid paralysis or worse. This injury changed my life trajectory, and I wouldn't trade it for anything.

Photo taken in 2022, when I weighed just 90 lbs yet still believed I needed to lose more weight.

Due to my injury, I had to stop running and sprinting, but I still stuck to my low-calorie diet and excessive ab circuits. This continued until my second year of college in 2022 when I met someone who transformed my approach to fitness. My boyfriend, a muscular football player, made me realize how unhealthy my habits were. He showed me that I could be fit and lean while eating well. He taught me to calculate my macros, proper form, and mind-muscle connection. With my background in biology, nutrition, and human anatomy, I crafted a healthy routine for myself.

Today, I weigh 110 lbs with a flat stomach, six-pack abs, toned legs and arms, and, as my friends say, a big booty. I've grown my glutes by over 4 inches while maintaining a slim waist. Through rigorous exercise, mental health focus, and balanced nutrition, I've learned to love food again. I’m mindful of what I eat, never skip meals, and no longer deprive myself.

After much dedication, research, and help, I can confidently say I have the knowledge and experience to create effective routines and provide health-related advice. I don't want to keep this information to myself. I want everyone to feel confident in their bodies and make informed decisions about their health. I wish I had someone to guide me when I was younger, to explain the benefits and drawbacks of certain habits. If I had known the damage my bad habits were causing, both physically and mentally, I would have stopped sooner and enjoyed life more.

Photo taken in 2024, 110 lbs, and enjoying food again!

Thank you for taking the time to read my fitness journey! I hope my story resonates with you and inspires you to pursue a balanced and healthy lifestyle. Remember, it's all about finding what works best for your body and mind.

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Stay strong, stay healthy, and keep pushing forward!

Xo, 

Cha