Sharina Loughridge - 2022 WNBF New YOU Transformation Winner.

Athlete fitness fitnessblog Mother Transformation competitor WNBF

    I will like to introduce you to Sharina Loughridge The 2022 WNBF New YOU Transformation Winner.🎖
    Sharina' story is one that is truly inspirational and has you thinking of your fitness journey mindset. Her journey has been a battle and she explains how she overcame the obstacles.  
  • What was your one moment that made you decide to get your life back and transform your body?
           One moment that made me really decide to get my life back and transform my body was when I had returned to work after maternity leave and could not stop myself from dozing off. Whether it was at the desk or driving on the way into work. No matter how much sleep I had the night before my body just kept doing the same thing. I was worried and I went to my family doctor and was referred to do testing for sleep apnea. The testing showed that I was having over 100 incidents during my sleep where I would stop breathing, for my age they said this was the worst they had ever seen. I was at a high risk of heart attack, and I remember thinking to myself how I could have let this happen. I knew at that moment I needed to change, I needed to change for my family and for myself.
  • How was the mental state of going through  the fitness journey and were there times that you just wanted to stop and walk away?

            I would say the mental side of going through a fitness journey has been the most difficult. There were so many times I wanted to walk away and that would have been easier. It's really important to remember why you are doing this journey in the first place and to keep telling yourself "You can do this." Those days that seem the hardest mentally to go to the gym or to prep your foods those are the days to really push yourself and I found those days that I was having the hardest time and still managed to stick to my training and nutrition, those were the days that made me stronger in this journey. Those were the days where I would leave the gym thinking " I did it, and tomorrow I am going to do it again." Fitness journeys do not happen overnight, they take time, they take dedication and sometimes we have days that we fall off track or may miss that one workout but it's important to once again to think back to why you are doing this and think of those goals you set for yourself and get back up and try again. Never let those bad days define your journey. I had many bad days and kept pushing through and I am so glad I never gave up on myself and encourage everyone to be kind to yourself during this journey, it is mentally a very hard thing to do but every sore muscle, every sacrifice I can assure you is worth it when you get your life back. 

  • How much time did you put into the gym and did you enjoy it? 

           I never thought at the beginning of this journey that I would ever be one of those people that would go to the gym consistently. The gym frankly in the beginning scared me, as a heavier person I was worried about being judged at the gym, but I quickly learned this couldn't be farther from the truth. I now go to the gym consistently 5-6 days a week and it has become my happy place. Of course, like anyone there are days where it is hard to go to the gym but once I am at the gym, I truly enjoy it. There is something about being in the gym and seeing everyone there working so hard that really kept me motivated. I loved that sense of pride I would feel when finishing a workout and knowing I was doing the work to reach my goals.

  • What did your workout routines consist of and how did you manage your diet? 

          I work with a fantastic trainer who challenged and supported me with my workout routines consisted of lifting weights and cardio 5-6 days a week. My trainer also set up my nutrition plan, and I would have 2 prep days a week to make all my meals to keep me on track and not give me any excuses to stray from my nutrition plan. 

  • How important was having your family in going through this process?

          I could not stress enough how important having a strong support during a fitness journey. I would not have been as successful without my family and friends. My husband especially made it possible for me to go to the gym and get my workouts done while we both worked full time jobs. He would watch our son so I had no excuse for not going to the gym. On days where I just wanted to go home and would be mentally struggling to get to the gym or eat my meal prep my family, friends and trainer would always remind me to keep going, that I could do it and that helped more than I could put into words. Surround yourself with people who support your journey, who are going to push you when you feel like you can't push yourself. Whether that is family, friends or a trainer set yourself up with positive and encouraging people around you and it will make your fitness journey so much easier.

  •  How was the experience for you, walking on stage and being backstage prepping?

         This experience has been life changing. At first I signed up for this competition just as an end goal to keep me motivated. I remember telling family and friends that I had signed up for this competition. They were shocked as this was something completely out of my comfort zone, I was someone who wouldn't even look at myself in a mirror because of how poorly I viewed myself. This competition was so much more than how much weight I would lose it was about setting a goal for myself that I never dreamed possible and working hard to make it happen. This experience doing this competition was so challenging but so rewarding. I learned so much about myself, I learned that if you set your mind to something anything is possible. At 398 pounds I would have never thought I would be walking across a stage in a sports bra and shorts, but I did it and the experience left me feeling so great about my body, left me feeling so much stronger mentally and has just left me feeling so proud of myself. It is both a scary and a thrilling experience and if anyone reading this is debating doing it then I would say take the plunge and challenge yourself! You are much stronger than you think you are.

  • How did it feel winning the 2022 WNBF New YOU Transformation class? 

        Winning the 2022 WNBF New YOU Transformation felt absolutely surreal. There were so many wonderful individuals in the category all with such impressive and inspiring transformations that I was just happy to be a part of the group with all of them. I used to look at these competitions when I was almost 400pounds and think that it would be an amazing experience to do one of these one day but I truly never thought I would have the confidence to go through with it and when they called my name as the winner I just couldn't believe how much my life has changed. I couldn't believe I was on that stage surrounded by athletes who I have always admired, surrounded by fellow New YOU competitors who have worked so hard themselves and I just felt so proud of myself for stepping out of my comfort zone and doing something terrifying because it has truly changed my life and how I see myself.

  • You are an inspiration to others who are thinking of transforming their body... what is your message to them? 

My message to anyone who is thinking about transforming your body is to eliminate the mindset that you can't accomplish something because anything is possible. I used to think I was too far gone, that I was going to be unhappy and that was just how my life was going to be, it starts with changing your mindset.

With telling yourself this is something that you can do, that you are worthy of putting yourself first and reminding yourself that this journey takes time so please be patient and kind to yourself throughout your journey. Don't give up if you fall off track, every time you make that choice to get back on track you are getting stronger, don't give up on yourself.

  • Lastly, what was your best moment during your fitness journey? :) 

My best moments during this fitness journey have been meeting so many wonderful individuals that I never would have met otherwise. Everyone I have met through this process of competing have been so kind and encouraging. Another moment would be walking out on stage. The moment I was most fearful for ended up being the moment I look back on and think wow that was amazing.

It was the first time I had worn shorts in public for 12 years which may seem like a really small moment but for me it was huge! It was the first time I have been in front of a group and felt confident in my own skin. This competition and this journey has given me my life back and I am so grateful for this experience.

          


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  • Melaine Medeiros on

    To the iamfitnessapparel.com administrator, Your posts are always informative and well-explained.


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