My name is Nicole Waller and I am almost 40 years old. I have 4 children and I live in a small town outside of San Antonio, Texas. I was nearly 300 pounds almost 2 years ago and I am so proud to say that I have lost over 120 pounds+ without surgery or potions. I was married for 10 years and during that time I was blessed with 4 beautiful children that are now teens and preteens. While my children were a true blessing the marriage itself was challenging and very unhealthy. I was told I was stupid, I was stripped of my worth.
NAME : Nicole
BEFORE WEIGHT : 276
AFTER WEIGHT : 156
POUNDS LOST : 120
Repeatedly told that if I left I had too many kids that nobody would “want me” and that I was too “fat and ugly” to ever find anyone else. I got a divorce in 2012 and my life didn’t seem to get any easier. I wondered if he WAS right and started to believe him. I went back to school as a single mom and finished my nursing degree. I was always focused on my kids and their wellbeing and began to let go of my needs and my wants because they didn’t seem to compare. In 2017 I fell at a team building event for work and broke 2 vertebrae in my spine as well as my tail bone and my wrist. I was in so much pain and was eventually scheduled for major spinal surgery that required a rod, plate and screws.
During the surgery a mistake was made, and the power tool was laid on my skin instead of the table and burned through the skin on my lower back and needed additional medical attention for that. The recovery from the whole thing was brutal. I couldn’t do anything on my own…help to the bathroom, help into the tub, even help just to get to the mailbox. I was gaining weight by the day and falling into depression at the same time. Then, in 2018 I was sexually assaulted and beaten and left in such bad condition. I reached out to a family friend for help and was taken to the hospital for what was the most challenging event to make its way into my life. I struggled. I was broken. I was depressed.
My weight gain skyrocketed, and my self-esteem plummeted. I lost my worth, my spirit and my motivation for life. I was on the couch on day where I took up residence most days and I saw an ad for a set of resistance bands and wondered if I could do something like that to start. After I received them, I was more and more interested in learning about more. I was “hungry” for more information. I was desperate for it. I spent hours online googling “what is a carb?”…”what is a protein?”…”what is clean eating?” I was absorbing the information like a sponge and only wanted more. I felt the fire inside me to do this and something told me inside that I COULD DO THIS. I didn’t recognize that girl in the mirror. Who was that? I new I could be a better version of HER. So, I started. I was too embarrassed to ask a personal trainer yet.
Like cleaning the house before the maid comes. I started going to my local gym with my daily routine that I had put together online for the week, I was meal prepping and going strong. I was so motivated and so driven. I started seeing my hard work pay off, and all the sweat and tears that I shed in name of health finally showing. I started to notice, then my family, then my friends, then strangers…it was working. It only made me thirstier for more knowledge and energy. After 15-18 months I was down about 125 pounds and I felt so strong and beautiful! I even ran my first 5K and did GREAT!! (now I’ve done 2!) I knew that THIS was my calling and that I needed to do more for OTHER people that were feeling like I used to. I started posting about my weight loss journey and the number of people that reached back out to me was incredible. I was sharing my fire and loving it.
My boyfriend, David and I decided I needed to quit my full-time job and help others full time. That’s right! The boyfriend I was told I’d never find because I was too “fat, ugly and had too many kids.” He has 6 beautiful children and ALL TEN of our kids are happy, healthy and THRIVING. He knew that this calling was going to be big and he took on all our bills so I could focus on this huge opportunity. I started delivering groceries for extra cash between work outs and I am in the process of getting all my fitness and personal training certifications as well as my health & wellness coaching certifications so that I can move forward with a fitness business that helps other men & women that thought (like I did) that they were too far gone, too big to help. I am proof that you are not too late, too old or too big. I started telling my clients that a candle NEVER loses its fire by sharing its flame…it just becomes stronger and brighter. I want to spend the rest of my life on this mission that I know I was chosen for.
My whole outlook on life is different. It’s brighter and it’s beautiful. My family is so proud and my kids are so proud. They have taken on habits by watching me that I’m so proud of. It’s my dream to have an opportunity to share my story on a much larger platform and use it to motivate and inspire others to take control of their health, their bodies and their minds. I’m also in the process of training for my first on stage bikini competition by the time I’m 40 and to eventually open a health & wellness spa to cater to the needs of anyone needing weight loss and information and help as well as hormonal deficiencies like testosterone for men and estrogen for women.
This story is far from over and I’m more motivated now than ever to knock this out of the park. I can’t thank you enough just for the opportunity to let me tell you a tiny bit about me and I submit this story with a prayer lifted up that it falls on ears that I can inspire to take FitGirlFitness to the next level. I look forward to hearing from you and maybe even the opportunity to tell you so much more about my story and my journey. I also have MANY more before and after photos to share as well as progress photos. Xoxo, Nicole Waller A.K.A. FitGirl
HOW DID YOUR WEIGHT AFFECT ANY ASPECT(S) OF YOUR LIFE? I never wanted to do anything physical or active. I was extremely self conscious and embarrassed.
WHAT WAS THE “TURNING POINT” THAT GOT YOU STARTED ON YOUR WEIGHT LOSS JOURNEY? After spinal surgery I had gained so much weight that I was standing across the room in front of a mirror and for a second I thought someone else was in the room. I didn’t recognize MYSELF.
HOW DID YOU GET STARTED? I started googling everything and watching online work outs and started following certain Instagram people.
HOW LONG AFTER YOU STARTED DID YOU BEGIN TO SEE RESULTS OF YOUR WEIGHT LOSS EFFORTS? I started to see results 8 week in and my family noticed about 10 weeks in and the strangers started to notice after that.
WHAT WAS THE HARDEST PART? I have a very critical ex husband that continues to put down. Eating healthy was challenging especially while I wasn’t working for the first 6 months.
DID YOU EVER WANT TO GIVE UP? WHAT KEPT YOU GOING? I wanted to give up so many times. But I kept photos on my fridge, in my car and on my phone. I kept my old “fat clothes” hanging in my closet so I could see them everytime I walked in and I never wanted to wear them again. My kids were a huge motivator for me as well. They see everything.
DID YOU HIT ANY WEIGHT LOSS PLATEAUS? HOW DID YOU OVERCOME THEM? Anytime I hit a plateau I would change my work outs and what I was focusing on as well as switching up my food choices.
HOW LONG DID IT TAKE YOU TO LOSE MOST OF THE WEIGHT? My transformation happened between 15-18 months total.
DID YOU HAVE ANY NON-SCALE VICTORIES? I was able to QUIT my full time job to do health and fitness FULL TIME. Now I’m trying to build my fitness brand and I’m getting my certs so I can help others with their weight loss journey.
WHAT DOES YOUR DAILY DIET LOOK LIKE COMPARED TO WHEN YOU WERE HEAVIER? I was eating when I was sad, happy or any other range of emotions. I ate fast food cause I thought it was faster. I wasn’t even aware of the amount of calories I was actually consuming.
HOW DOES YOUR PHYSICAL ACTIVITY COMPARE TO WHEN YOU WERE HEAVIER? Now, I help others get active. I do HIIT training or weight lifting or run everyday and I truly miss it when I’m not able to get it in for the day.
MY WEIGHT LOSS TIPS & TRICKS
- I reward myself with the sauna after a really hard work out.
- I would pay myself in really pretty work out clothes after every 10 pounds I’d lose. The better I felt during the work out the harder I worked out.
- My Father passed away in 2010 and that was very hard. So, during my rep counting. I would always add 1 or 2 more reps as always said “this is for you.”
- You can rock out a great work out with an amazing PLAYLIST.
