Life Saving Change – Transformation

Astrina Morgan needed a change so she took up the Nutrition Solutions annual transformation challenge. It proved to the spark of success she needed to find herself.

Moment Of Change

Taking the before photos was a big shock because I know where my body could go and what I could look like. It really was a huge wake up call for me. I knew I’d let myself fall off track and what I was actually capable of. My before-photo was my rude awakening. Even after the transformation, I still have those pictures on the mirror in my bathroom. They’re my reminder that I’ve got to grind today and that there are no excuses. They tell me I can’t fall back off and serve as a huge motivator.

Wearing A Disguise

I’d become overweight because I’m good at hiding my appearance. Back then I carried the extra weight evenly and it’s not like I’m big in one spot. Depending on what I was wearing, people couldn’t tell how big I’d got, especially when I was in my military uniform. And on all other days, I would throw on a big t-shirt when I got home and that was me. What people didn’t understand is that beneath the clothes, my confidence was low, and my energy levels were non-existent. I would come home and take a nap. My kids would be doing their things. I would go through their homework with them and take a nap. I would wake up, cook dinner take a shower and go back to bed. It was terrible. I had no energy to do the things that my kids wanted me do, and I felt like a crappy parent. This meant I was negative all the time which led to depression.

Planning Is Everything

I didn’t realize how tired I really was because it was my normal. It’s amazing how you realize this only after you’ve taken the first steps. One of the biggest lessons I learned was that planning is key. I used the services of Nutrition Solutions to prep my meals so that part was taken care of for me. The planning applies to training too because you should be training as hard and often as you can. As long as I have a plan for my workouts and meals in place, then I know I’m good to go.

Life Changes

Since making the change I can honestly say this is the best I’ve ever felt, looked and performed. Mentally, I have clarity and plenty of energy. I can do a full day of work, come home and be a good parent. This has let me enjoy spending time with my kids the way they deserve. I can play with the dogs, stay up and study afterwards. It’s let me do everything I need to do without feeling exhausted. I can push through a workout without feeling destroyed. It’s amazing feeling. I know now that the confidence, energy and motivation comes from within yourself. When you wake up and see that change, it’s given me a sense of pride when I go outside and wear real clothes.

Helping Others

I’m not a big one on social media but since the transformation, everyone has been hitting me up. They’re telling me congratulations and people I used to workout with are amazing at how far I’ve come. It’s been amazing and continuously builds my confidence. It makes me want to be better because people are watching me. They are looking to me for inspiration which makes me want to keep going harder. This gives me the opportunity to help others. I’m here to share my stories and create inspiration. I know what it’s like to be down and out so when you see others progressing it’s a great feeling.

The Final Word

I think the biggest take away for me after winning the challenge is that motivation is an emotion. This is something I got from Chris Cavallini. One day you’re sad. One day you’re happy or angry or whatever. And it goes. And motivation is the same. You hear some inspirational speech and you’re on a high for 20 minutes, or a day or a week if you’re lucky. But that wears off so what you want to create is discipline. Just like you wake up and brush your teeth and take a shower. You need to make that time and schedule in that workout make sure you have a plan and are being the best and the greatest at whatever you’re doing.