Kelsey Found Her Love For Strength Training, and Now She's Down More Than 100 Pounds

Like so many people, Kelsey's fitness journey began with a New Year's resolution. But unlike times before, she was determined to make this one stick. "After snapping a full-body picture in the mirror, I stared at the image in shame for what seemed like hours. I decided to make that picture the wallpaper on my phone to serve as a daily reminder of how I no longer wished to look," Kelsey said. "Although I had worked with trainers in the past and have a general knowledge of nutrition, it never truly stuck. On Feb. 18, 2017, I stepped into Physiques Gym to begin my fitness journey once more. Shortly after joining the gym, I could feel deep down that this would be the last time that I would ever 'start again."

Deciding to start is the hardest part, but the second-hardest is figuring out how you'll tackle your goals. Kelsey started out thinking she could do it alone, but soon realized that she needed help. "Only a few weeks into my journey I felt that I was in over my head," she explained. "I knew that I needed to hire a professional, but was apprehensive about doing so given my previous experiences with trainers that were merely there to collect a check."

A trainer at Kelsey's gym reached out to her on Instagram, inviting her in for an assessment, and that's when things started to change. "My fitness assessment was executed with great detail, analyzing my range of motion, especially around my injuries, and really breaking down my eating habits and body composition. To me, this was a good indicator that I was in the right place," Kelsey told POPSUGAR.

The bulk of Kelsey's training happens in a group setting, which she describes as "very dynamic and thoughtfully structured to cater to the differing fitness levels in our group." Her coaches utilize circuits involving weightlifting and high-intensity movements that incorporate cardio.

Kelsey, for one, has never felt stronger. "Weightlifting has taught me a lot about myself both mentally and physically," she said. "I've learned that my body is stronger than I ever realized, and through that realization, I've been able to build a stronger mind. My thought process in the gym has evolved from timid and uncertain to bold and outgoing."

Along with strength training, Kelsey has done a 180 in terms of her eating habits. "For me, making dietary changes required much mental and emotional adjustment. It took time for me to break it down and understand why I had been eating so poorly and what triggered my cravings," Kelsey told POPSUGAR. "I realized that stress was a huge trigger for me, as well as emotional events in my life. In recognizing those triggers, I'm able to get ahead of them and find alternative outlets to tackle life's stresses."

Kelsey credits her coaches for helping her devise meal plans that align with her workout regimen and learn how to meal prep, which has greatly improved her diet.

When the going gets tough, Kelsey reflects on her reasons for starting this journey in the first place and leans on those who have supported her along the way. "My 'why' keeps me going long-term. But in low points of my transformation, my coaches as well as my gym family have revived me with their unwavering support," she said. "I've also encountered a few people along the way who have reached out through social media to tell me how I've inspired them, so much so that they've begun their own fitness journey, which in turn inspires me to keep going." Even so, it's not always easy.

"Reversing a lifetime of self-inflicted damage is one of the hardest things I've ever done in my life," Kelsey admitted. "But knowing that people are watching, whether they want me to succeed or to fail, fuels me to pick myself up and keep going."

Over the past two and a half years, Kelsey has made huge strides: she's lost more than 100 pounds! But she feels like she's still got more to go, and her goals have shifted beyond just losing weight.

"Since starting my journey, I've adopted more of a 'limitless' approach to this lifestyle, and I constantly look forward to seeing what I can accomplish next," Kelsey told POPSUGAR. "Although I'm still looking to drop weight in the process, my next goal is to become a powerlifter. I feel that setting only one specific goal for myself would be to put a cap on my potential, and I'm far from done here."