FAQ

How tall are you? 
5 feet 4.5 inches

What was your highest weight & how much did you weigh when you started your journey?
I was about 280 plus pounds at my highest when pregnant with my daughter.  I started my journey at 264.4 pounds in July 2012 right before she turned 8 months old. 

How did you get started?
I literally woke up on a random Tuesday at 4am and decided it was time for a change.  I got up, got dressed and headed over to our free gym through our leasing office and I got on the elliptical for half an hour.  It was the longest 30 minutes of my life!  I continued to do that occasionally, along with walking outside and using the free mobile app Nike Training Club.  My sister and I also read Tosca Renos

The Eat-Clean Diet: Fast Fat-Loss that lasts Forever! & The Eat-Clean Diet Cookbook: Great-Tasting Recipes that Keep You Lean!  & did a complete overhaul on the kitchen.  The first month I lost about 8 pounds.  The following month I decided to kick it up a notch and challenge myself.  I started P90X & well...now I'm hooked to Beachbodys programs.

What kind of food do you eat? 
I eat everything! lol No really...I love food now just as much as I did when I was obese.  I just choose "cleaner" options.  Whatever your definition of clean is.  I consider it to be foods that have little to no processing, foods with as few ingredients as possible, foods that don't have a crap load of ingredients that I cannot pronounce or have no clue what they are. etc  We stopped buying sodas and sugar filled juices, prepacked meals (lean cuisines, smart ones, etc are a no no for me).  While I understand it's better than your normal fast foods (McDonald's, Burger King, Taco Bell) it's healthier to just make your own meals.

Some examples of things we buy on a regular basis
eggs, egg whites
chicken breasts, all natural chicken sausages
low sodium turkey bacon
lean ground turkey
fish
old fashion oats
quinoa 
raw nuts, all natural nut butters 
fresh and frozen veggie & fruit
plain greek yogurt
plain cottage cheese
and of course my daily Shakeology 

Do you eat cheat meals?
I don't really like the term "cheat" meal.  I live a healthy lifestyle.  No diets.  No depriving myself.  and certainly no CHEATING myself.  This lifestyle to me, is about balance.  But yes, to answer your question I have less than healthy meals...I just prefer to call them "treats" =)  I normally save them for weekends.  I will admit that I was much more strict when I first started my journey and didn't treat myself as much as I do now but that's something I'm currently working on.  If I want to get continued results I need to dial my nutrition and portions back in.

How many times a week do you workout & for how long? 
When I first started I worked out 6-7 days a week sometimes twice a day.  These workouts would include my normal schedule program workout and then maybe a walk with the girls or a jog by myself.  I now workout about 5-6 days a week for 30 mins to an hour.  I occasionally get out for a run as well.  

Has your shoe size changed? Haha YES I've gotten this question enough times to add it on here
Nope...my shoe size has not changed.  I guess I don't carry weight in my feet.  I wear a size 9.5 to 10

What exercises can I do to lose the fat in my stomach? 
Ugh...so this is a question I get more than anything!  My answer is and always will be...PROPER NUTRITION.  Abs are made in the kitchen my friends.  While crunches, planks, russian twist, etc are great for strengthening your abdominal walls and building muscle...the truth is you CANNOT target fat loss.  Your body will lose fat where it wants...point blank period. 

*side note for those of you who don't know*  I actually hate ab workouts and don't normally do anything extra outside of the exercises in my normal scheduled workouts.  I've recently decided because I hate them so much that it was time to add more into my routine.  So, I'm doing P90X Ab Ripper X every other day {Make your weaknesses your strengths}

How much weight have you lost?
I've lost a little over 100 pounds.  

How long did it take you to lose the weight? 
About 16 months

You did all of that at home?! 
Yep!  I have not had a gym membership for years.  I use my home fitness programs, run and very rarely go to our leasing office gym...that is pretty sucky I might add lol The only time I normally go there is to run on whatever treadmill is working at the time...if the weather is not to my liking haha

How do you find the time? 
While I am a stay at home mom I do still have things to do...like feed them, clean them, clean the house, remember to feed myself, maybe take a shower (by myself if I'm lucky) run my business, etc lol  I'm not perfect with balancing time but that is something I'm also working on.  I don't find the time, I make it =). I have a schedule for everything my business, house work, time with the kids, working out, etc. Now I don't follow it to a T daily but it helps when I do. We ALL have things going on, different schedules, work, school, kids, etc.  It's very easy for people to say "oh well if I had your "free" time I would be healthy and fit too"  Sorry not sorry but I call bullshit.   The truth of the matter is if it's important to you, you MAKE the time and get rid of all excuses.  Normally I try to get up at like 4 in the morning before anyone wakes, in the evening once my husband comes home from work or after the girls go to sleep.  However there are times things don't pan out the way I like & I don't have the luxury of enjoying my workout by myself...but it's ok...I like knowing the girls are watching us and learning good habits =) 

What do you do for loose skin and stretch marks? 
I don't do anything out of the ordinary for loose skin and stretch marks.  I've never really looked into wraps or creams.  I just eat properly and make sure to include strength and resistance training.  I do have some loose skin on my belly and a little on my inner thighs, but hey I'll take that over being 264 pounds with aches and pains, being out of breath and uncomfortable in my own skin any day!  Sure we all want that "perfect" body but this journey was more about being healthy for my family than looking cute.  That's just an added bonus..haha!

What programs have you done? 
P90X, Insanity, Turbo Fire, Les Mills Combat, Focus T25, P90X3 & 21 Day Fix.  I also have Brazil Butt Lift and Revabs but to be honest they arent my faves...I only do certain workouts from them.  I like variety and I like not having to leave my house to get a great workout in.  Its like I have personal trainers locked downstairs in my basement ready to help me blast away calories and fat any time I want..........OK that was creepy lol!

What size did you start at and what size are you in now? 
My largest pant size was 22.  I'm currently wearing a 10 but they are loose around the hips.  I may try some 8s soon ;)

How do you stay motivated? 
My motivation from day one was my family.  I wanted to be around for them for as long as I can be.  I wanted to teach my daughter good habits.  My WHY has evolved over time.  Being a coach and knowing there are others that look to me for inspiration definitely helps keep me motivated and accountable.  Knowing I have certain goals I want to achieve keep me pushing forward...but my family will always be my numero uno

Do you count calories? 
When I first started I counted calories faithfully every day by using MyFitnessPal .  I've also toyed with counting macros using both MyFitnessPal and the IIFYM calculator.  While counting has always gotten me my best results, it's not something I wanted to do for the rest of my life...so I no longer do that.

What are macros?
Macronutrients.  Protein, Fat & Carbs.  I'm no expert on the matter.  I've looked things up and did things through trial and error.  If you're curious about how tracking macros could be beneficial to you just google some things...thats all I did =)

What exercise routine do you follow?
Again, I do home fitness programs so it is VERY rare that I make up my own routine.  I prefer being told exactly what exercises to do and what days to do them lol.  It's just easier for me that way.  I do occasionally post exercises on my Instagram page and Facebook. I will work on putting more up.

Do you have any other tips or advice?
When you start this journey, determine your WHY.  Find out why you're really doing this, why you want or need this to happen.  Dig deep, make it personal.  Use that to push you forward even when you don't necessarily feel motivated to keep going.

GET SUPPORT!  A family member, a friend, use social media, join a support group!  Trust me having the support is HUGE.  If you don't feel like you have someone to talk to that will understand...feel free to email me =)  Erika.L.Scott85@Gmail.com


I hope this helps some of you out there!  As I think of more questions that I get I will update this.

Thanks for reading!