Allison Lamay (@barbells_and_bad_decisions on Instagram), 32, shared with POPSUGAR that when playing collegiate-level softball, she felt like her level of activity justified her unhealthy habits. But after college, those unhealthy habits continued for years, even though she wasn't exercising much. "I didn't have a justification for those habits any longer and realized I was the heaviest I had ever been at 311 pounds." Here's what Allie did to lose over 140 pounds and gain an immeasurable amount of strength and confidence.
In 2014, Allie decided to casually explore personal training and a membership at a local gym. The free fitness consultation with the personal trainer is what started her journey. "Thanks to her blunt-faced-honesty, I knew that if I continued on the path I was on, I was going to be at risk for serious and ultimately fatal conditions."
Allie continued, "I will never forget that day. Sitting in front of that trainer I had just met crying because I knew everything they were telling me was true and that I needed to make big changes to save my own life."
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Allie Finds CrossFit
Image Source: Allison Lamay
Allie began slowly with a gym membership for about four months. Her workouts were getting kind of stale, and she was losing motivation and direction. She needed to try something new, and a friend suggested CrossFit. "That's when things really changed for me," Allie said.
"I am not going to lie, I was intimidated. Although I had lost some weight at that point, I was extremely skeptical if someone with my fitness level could even attempt CrossFit."
In late October 2014, after some convincing, she emailed a local CrossFit gym (called a box) and made an appointment to explore what it was about. "Sending that email and showing up to the box for the first time was one of the hardest and most uncomfortable things I have done during my journey. I was intimidated, nervous, and honestly, scared sh*tless, but I couldn't be more grateful for pushing myself out of my comfort zone and taking that step."
Allie said while it's true that CrossFit is a workout regimen, what people don't see (and what she came to learn) is that inside each CrossFit gym is a community of people and support system she never knew she needed.
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Allie's Workouts
Image Source: Allison Lamay
Allie does CrossFit five to six days a week, and it is easily the best and most challenging hour to hour-and-a-half of her day. "I love the fitness aspect of CrossFit; it challenges me, and I have achieved things I never would have thought possible four years ago."
When she started this journey in 2014, she could barely do an air squat. Now, her weighted back squat personal record is 225 pounds!
Allie has more self-confidence, is stronger physically and mentally, and has made friends who have been there for her on her toughest days. They've cheered the loudest when she achieved that goal or that lift that she'd been working tirelessly to achieve. Allie shared, "The bottom line: the community I have found at CrossFit pushes me to be better every day, in every aspect of my life (inside and outside the gym), and that's what CrossFit is all about."
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Allie's Diet in the Beginning
Image Source: Allison Lamay
When Allie first began working out at the gym, the personal trainer she saw at that free consultation gave her specific caloric goals to hit daily. For the first two months, she was working out regularly, eating healthier, and tracking her food and calorie intake.
"Tracking my food just led to a lot of cheating for me," Allie shared. So she made a switch to eating lunch and then drinking protein shakes to replace breakfast and dinner. "I found that the routine and structure really helped me to stay on track." She was losing weight, but when she started CrossFit and her goals changed, that diet absolutely wasn't offering the nutrition she needed.
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Allie's Diet Evolved
Image Source: Allison Lamay
After starting CrossFit, Allie said, "I quickly realized drinking just protein shakes and eating one meal a day was not sustainable anymore for my new level of activity." For a while, she just tried to eat as healthy as possible, but she again found herself justifying cheat meals and foods due to the amount of exercise she perceived she was getting. Without a solid diet plan to follow, she started to gain back some of the weight.
She knew she needed structure in her diet to be successful. Through CrossFit, she learned about counting macros and the performance and body composition benefits it could have for her. "I found a coach online through the CrossFit community (shout-out to Meredith Root!) and have been counting macros for about two years now. Although it was hard at first to be so tedious with my nutrition intake, counting macros is the best way for me to maintain a healthy lifestyle and relationship with food. It helped me realize the importance of getting enough food while reinforcing the importance of how whole foods properly fuel your body and impact your performance at the gym."
Allie said her lifestyle is about balance, and through counting her macros, she's still able to splurge on foods she really enjoys from time to time — hello, pizza and cookies!
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What Allie Eats in a Day
Image Source: Allison Lamay
Here's an example of what Allie eats in a day:
Breakfast: Plain nonfat Greek yogurt with maple syrup, berries, and granola. Morning snack: Oatmeal with PB2 (powdered peanut butter) and honey. Lunch: Lean protein (usually chicken or pork), veggies, and a carb (sweet potato or rice). Afternoon snack: Rice cakes with spreadable cheese and a piece of fruit. Dinner: Eggs or some other lean protein, whole-grain bread or other carb, and veggies.
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Allie's Nonscale Victories
Image Source: Allison Lamay
Other than achieving a 141-pound weight loss, Allie has done things the 311-pound version of herself would never have been able to do four years ago.
"I did my first strict pull-up, handstand push-up, and bar muscle-up. I now deadlift more than my previous bodyweight and have competed (and podiumed!) at several local CrossFit competitions." She ran her fastest 5K this Summer (27 minutes!) and even ran a leg of a local state marathon.
Allie is now able to shop at any store she wants to and no longer feels out of place shopping with her friends. "Shopping is a victory for me because at my previous weight, I knew that most stores I went to weren't going to have my size (which was 24 at my heaviest). I recently bought my first pair of single-digit-sized jeans, and that was a huge nonscale victory for me!"
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Allie's Motivation
Image Source: Allison Lamay
Allie is a competitive person by nature, so the drive to continue to improve and see what her body is capable of keeps her motivated. Also, the community and support system she has surrounded herself with at the gym continually pushes her to be the best version of herself. Seeing their amazing progress and accomplishments is one of the most motivating things for her, because it's a source of inspiration.
It even helped inspire Allie to get her CrossFit Level 1 certification. She shared in an Instagram caption, "Without a doubt @crossfit has changed my life, and I couldn't be happier to have the opportunity to share my passion with others!"
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Allie's Amazing CrossFit Community
Image Source: Allison Lamay
In September 2018, her CrossFit gym posted this on its Instagram page with her caption: "I have lost over 100lbs since joining @802crossfit and have achieved goals that I would have never thought to be attainable 3 years ago. It's impossible to put into words the feeling of accomplishment and amount of confidence I have gained during my time as a member here and I know those feelings will only continue to grow. The support I receive from fellow members and coaches continues to push me to want to be better, and the time I spend there is easily one of my favorite parts of the day."
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Allie's Tips and Advice
Image Source: Allison Lamay
Allie has four pieces of advice to share.
You have to want it. Find your "why" or your purpose, and use that to motivate yourself. "I promise you, starting won't be easy, but it will be so worth it." Start slow, and set small, attainable goals for yourself.
Develop habits and set goals that are sustainable for you, both fitness- and nutrition-wise. You don't have to start your journey with CrossFit or counting macros, because that's not for everyone, but it's true that it takes time to develop healthy habits, so find something that helps you do that.
Do something you enjoy. If you don't enjoy going to a gym and running on a treadmill for 30 minutes, don't do it. Take some fitness classes to find your passion, and then go from there.
Find your community and surround yourself with people who will build you up and support you every step of the way. "Fitness and nutrition changed my life, but it took me a while to realize that what I was also missing was the community support. Once I had that, my life really changed."
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Final Thoughts
Image Source: Allison Lamay
It has taken Allie four years to get to her current weight and size, and she's not stopping! The most important lesson she's learned through this journey is results take time, patience, and consistency. Four years may sound like a lot of time when some may be able to lose that weight in just a year, but for Allie, it was slow, steady, and about creating healthy habits. Her focus was on improving her overall quality of life, gaining muscle and strength, and overall cardio health.
"I want everyone to know that you are capable of more than you believe is possible. Starting this journey will be one of the hardest things you do, and it will continue to be hard daily, but it is incredibly rewarding. Don't give up, be patient and consistent, and know that it's OK to experience setbacks. This is called a 'journey' for a reason, so don't be too hard on yourself. All you can do is keep moving forward, at your own pace, and believe you can do it."
