We want to welcome you to the Transformation Club blog featuring - Ayra Jane's story.Ayra is an active competitor with the WNBFCANADA as well as, the Radical Body Transformation show. She is comfortable with her body and mind while showcasing it on stage... but don't think all of the confidence and strong mindset was always there at the beginning.We invite you to read her story and learn more about Ayra and her fitness journey!1. Why did you start your transformation journey?
Before I started my transformation journey, I had a sedentary lifestyle and used eating as a coping mechanism to deal with life’s challenges, ie. grief, miscarriages, divorce, career uncertainty, moving across Canada multiple times away from family. Eventually in my early 30’s I was diagnosed with GI illnesses and severe obstructive sleep apnea and started having chronic pains due to obesity. Weighing at my heaviest at 205lbs for my height at 5’1, I felt so out of shape and out of breath every time I was doing simple tasks. With my family’s history on both sides of obesity, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and knee joint problems, I feared that my poor health would catch up to me eventually as I get older if I didn’t act now. It was a fear that consumed me which turned into anxiety and hypochondriasis. It would go on like this for a few years before starting my transformation journey. My family and relatives, especially my dad, would also always tell me to be careful with my health when they saw me struggle with obesity. Then in January 2024, with my sister, Alyza’s coaching and personal training, I finally decided to turn that fear to motivation instead and got so tired of feeling so unhealthy.
2. What was the hardest part at the beginning?
For the longest time before my transformation journey, I would always eat as a coping mechanism to deal with life’s challenges. So I would always buy comfort food or take-out, and also buy unhealthy food that was “easy” to make or cook. So the hardest part in the beginning was actually figuring out how to eat healthier, the meal preps, and figuring out my own meal plans. With learning how to use a meal tracking app and the food scale at the beginning, it was having to switch to that mindset of mentally and consciously choosing to eat healthier and not get tempted by the unhealthy foods that I always used to turn to when life got hard.
3. Was there a moment you almost quit? What kept you going?
My father passed away very suddenly a few months ago. That shook my family and I to the core. I was almost close to succumbing to my old habits of turning to my coping mechanism of eating unhealthy food like how I used to do in the past when dealing with grief and life’s challenges. But this time around, I have more self-control. Working out and going to the gym has also helped me to cope better with my grief. I could have also easily succumbed to my sedentary ways like how I used to in the past. But because working out and going to the gym has become part of my lifestyle now, I’ve still been able to stay consistent in my habits.
I would also remember what my dad told me a week before he passed. This was close to around the time I just got out of the WNBF Ontario 2025 show. He told me how proud he was of me for pursuing my health and weight loss and how happy he was now for me after all these years of him cautioning me with my struggles with obesity and my health. This very moment kept me going in my transformation journey after he passed, and I keep going back to that moment each time I think about going back to my old ways and old habits.
4. What has changed in you mentally or emotionally since you started?
A lot has changed in me since I started my transformation journey. I definitely have more confidence in myself, not only with how I look and feel about myself now, but also confidence on the discipline I have towards my goals, especially in my transformation journey.
My mindset towards weight loss has also changed. I used to think that once I lost weight and reached my goal weight, I’d be happy. But after finally reaching my weight loss goal of 125lbs at the WNBF Ontario 2025 show (my first show), I realized that it was more than just about losing weight. Because when I saw my weight go back up again after coming out of the show, I was kicking myself and being hard on myself for the weight gain even when I have been consistent with my eating habits and working out. But with my sister, Alyza’s coaching, she reassured me that the weight gain is normal after coming out of a show. That’s when I started to fully embrace my transformation journey and focused more on the “new” lifestyle I made for myself that got me this far already.
My mental health has improved drastically, especially in the way I deal with life’s challenges and grief. I use the gym and working out as an outlet and therapy to help me cope when life gets hard. And every time I complete a gym session, I feel so accomplished and feel so good about myself.
5. What are you most proud of right now in your journey?
In my journey right now, I am very proud of my consistency and discipline, especially on the days I had almost felt like giving up. I am proud of the values I have set for myself and the wins I’ve made along the way to get me this far. I am also proud of the way I am able to handle life’s challenges now during my transformation journey and how I am able to overcome those challenges.
6.What would you say to someone who is thinking about starting but feels scared or stuck?
I would encourage them to dig deep into their own why. They can start somewhere small and to have a realistic goal that doesn’t seem intimidating and that can easily be attained, like hitting a certain step goal per day or losing 1-2 lbs a week. They can even start with a small habit, like doing some kind of daily activity for 30 minutes a day. I would suggest to find someone who they can be accountable to, and it doesn’t have to be a coach or personal trainer; it can be a family or friend. When it comes to food and eating, I would suggest to make little swaps here and there to start with, like using sweetener instead of sugar in their coffee or using sugar-free syrup instead of regular syrup. It’s making those small, consistent habits in the beginning of the journey that compound over time and will eventually become a part of your daily routine and lifestyle as you see the change in your mind and body.
Section: The “Reminder”7.What keeps you committed on the hard days?
On the “hard days”, I would think about how much of a harder day I would have if I had preventable chronic illnesses. I would use my fear of getting unhealthy to get me through the hard days. I would remember the promise I made to myself in the beginning that I would never go back to my old ways of living a sedentary lifestyle and having unhealthy eating habits. I would remember the wins I made throughout my journey and how far it has gotten me. I would remember my future values and how I would want to live it, especially now that I am in my mid 30’s and getting older. And I did not want to live it with preventable chronic illnesses. I want to be able to live a full and healthy life, with and for my family and friends, my soon-to-be husband, and my future children.
8. Finish this sentence:“Showing up for myself now means ____________________________.”
…prioritizing my health, physically and mentally. It means realizing my self-worth and respecting myself enough to set boundaries from the things that don’t serve a positive purpose in my life. When I show up for myself, I am able to show up for my family and friends because I can live my life with them and for them with my full potential.
That’s my sister and my client. I am so proud of her as her little sister and her coach 🥹🫶🏽💜 Love you ateh! You are a champion 🔥