After Ditching an "Unhealthy Relationship," Clarissa Also Ditched 40 Pounds — Here's How

Do you remember when you were young and had an insane metabolism that could burn through any food you ate? Does that sound familiar? It does to Clarissa Gonzalez, who had always been really active growing up. She had been involved in sports her entire life and truly loved working out.

Trying to figure out what had happened along the way, Clarissa reflected, "I found myself in an unhealthy relationship and let myself go." She told POPSUGAR, "I stopped working out even though that was my me time and my way to de-stress."

She had felt that she no longer loved herself in her unhealthy relationship. Clarissa's confidence was extremely low until one day, "I made myself a priority again. I lost 150 pounds quickly by dumping my boyfriend," she joked. Now, she was taking the time to find the confident woman she said she always once was. She had taken that first step in her journey, which was recognizing that she was in a bad place in life and removing herself from those negative influences.

At the start of her weight loss, Clarissa struggled a lot with shedding pounds. She had tried multiple fad diets and realized she wasn't doing it for herself. Clarissa shared her story with her followers on Instagram: "I had started working on my fitness for ALL the wrong reasons. I wanted to be skinny instead of wanting to be healthy."

Once she pushed aside the toxicity from her relationship and the negative feelings toward her body and made the doubt in her head disappear, she began to see incredible results. She first started out with only doing cardio, but now she has restructured her workouts to be strictly lifting weights. "That's when I REALLY noticed my body transformation."

The entire time, she did not go on a diet or restrict herself to certain foods. Clarissa thought of it as clean eating. She found it easier to stay on her routine when she wasn't limiting herself. Now she eats five small meals throughout the day and finds meal prepping to be a life saver in staying on track with her goals.

Her meals usually include a lean protein source like eggs, chicken, and turkey with veggies and sweet potatoes. She loves to snack on fruit, nuts, and cheese and always makes sure to have a protein shake. Clarissa cannot stress enough the importance of water and staying hydrated.

We are all human, though. Sometimes we have our off days. Sometimes there is no motivation. You have to be dedicated to your goals — determined to reach them. "It really helps to have a gym partner. It helps keep each other accountable on the days I'm not really feeling it."

When asked if she had any advice to give for someone starting a weight-loss journey, her number one was, "Stop comparing yourself to others. I think that's the worst thing you can do." Clarissa started out her journey focused on the number on the scale and looking at what others were doing, but now she takes progress pictures to compare her present with her past. She has no goal weight in mind. Her only goal is to feel strong, confident, and healthy!

Now she hopes she can inspire other women to embrace their curves and live a healthy and balanced lifestyle. That is why she created her Instagram account. Not only is she able to grow by stepping out of her comfort zone and posting pictures of her transformation, but she also helps others stay motivated on their fitness journeys.

That's the power of a healthy mindset and relationship with yourself!