I was in Hawaii about 2 years ago. I went there not completely happy with my body, but overall I was pretty thin weighing in at 130 at 5'4. By the end of my time there (1 year), I had gained 20 pounds. I mean, who can blame me? The food there is FABULOUS. Anyway, then I'm in NY and still eating like crap and by the time I realized it, I'd nearly gained 10 pounds. At that point, I had enough. I was tired of looking at myself in the mirror, wondering how in the hell could I let myself get so out of shape and insecure. I began working out at the beginning of this year (2015) and have slowly gotten more confident in my body.

Overall, working out just makes me feel better, not only physically, but emotionally as well. When I work out and do a good job, I feel great about myself and have a wonderful sense of achievement. Whether or not I'm where I want to be right now, it helps to know that I am slowly but surely getting myself there every time I work hard, and that makes all the difference.