Congrats to Liz Black who is our July Member of the Month!

Liz is 33 and lives in Omaha, NE with her husband and 2 cats, Neko and Mr. Kittyface. She is a Latin and Spanish teacher at a public high school who loves travelling to explore new cultures and hiking in nature and of course cooking and eating!

Tell us 5 things you are grateful for?
I am grateful for my supportive husband, my wonderful friends, my awesome colleagues, my well intentioned mother, and for my health.

How did you find out about IIFYM? How long have you been doing IIFYM?
I found out about IIFYM from a former student who had struggled with an eating disorder. I started loosely following and tracking at the end of July 2017, I finally got a food scale in January 2018 and started tracking better, and have been most consistent with it since May when I reached out for coaching help.

What was your ultimate breaking point to change things?
I was eating very low cal and low carb early 2017 and doing so much HIIT and cardio and I lost weight, but was skinny fat and after several trips and binge sessions I was feeling terrible bc I put on all the weight plus some and just felt lost and frustrated since I was doing intense cardio sessions 6x week and not getting the results I wanted.

Any life goals you want to share?
Stay as healthy as possible for as long as possible so that I can continue to enjoy life and travel comfortably.

Which coach of ours did you work with? Can you tell us how your coach helped you? What things did you learn from your coach? What obstacles or breakthroughs did you have?
I work with Coach Adrianne Caridakis, who has helped me stay accountable, talks me down after I think I’ve messed everything up, shares her wisdom willingly and lovingly, and is just an overall positive force to help myself and others make great progress.

Would you recommend your coach and why?
YES!!! All of the reasons above. She is so caring and has wonderful advice and helpful tips to make the process easier.

What’s your current workout routine?
Thinner, Leaner, Stronger 5 Day split, walk at least 30 mins/day, 30 min yoga once/week, 4 mi run once/week

What diets did you follow before IIFYM?
Low/no carb diets, 15 day challenge – very low cal, clean eating/whole foods

What physical accomplishment are you most proud of? What MENTAL accomplishment are you most proud of?
Being able to squat and deadlift over my body weight, and losing enough belly fat so when I say “guess what?” people’s first response is not “you’re pregnant!?”
Mentally, just having a better relationship with food, not thinking carbs are the devil, and finding that balance with nutritious foods and indulgences, and controlling the urge to binge.

How has IIFYM changed your life?
I have more energy, I feel more dynamic in the classroom and have overall just felt more positive.

What 5 tips would you give an IIFYM newbie?
Most of these I learned thanks to Coach Adrianne: There are always going to be reasons or excuses to quit or give up, but write down your one main reason to stick to it and go back to that whenever you feel like giving up. You 100% get out what you put in. Look at your weekly average, if you slip up and have one or two ‘bad’ meals a week, there are 19+ or more meals in the week to help you balance it out.

What obstacles did/do you face during your fitness journey? How did you overcome them? Inconsistent tracking, having one bad meal or day and then giving up and giving in to everything for a few weeks. I was stuck in a cycle of doing really well losing but then a special event would come up, I would go overboard and then not get back on track until I felt absolutely terrible and my weight was back to where I started. Getting a coach, specifically Coach Adrianne, has helped me break this cycle and not fear my own success. I have been practicing mindfulness to help me think about what I really want, and how I can get there while still having a good time with friends and family.

What do you think has been the single most important advice you’ve ever been given in your own journey?
You only get one body in this life, take care of it. – my Dad

What do you like most about the IIFYM Women’s facebook group?
I love how supportive everyone is and no one judges or makes nasty comments, I just get the feeling that we are all in this together.

Thanks Liz for inspiring yourself and others!