With a history of abuse, drug addiction, weight gain and trauma, YouTuber, self-development coach and author Maz Dela Cernav changed her life around when she lost 30kg and went on to become a bikini competitor and sponsored ProTeam Australia athlete. Her physical transformation triggered a spiritual and emotional awakening forcing her to look within and dig into subconscious thought patterns and behaviours.
I jumped on the scales for the first time in an awfully long time and reality hit me. I saw I was almost 90kg. Ten more kilos and I would be 100kg. This can’t be real. How did I get here? I am only 5 foot tall. I shouldn’t be this weight. It was at this very moment I realised that I had to do something. I couldn’t continue on like this. I was in my twenties, and I didn’t want to become anymore overweight.
The thought of going on a diet and losing the excess kilos I had gained was daunting. The thought of going to the gym in front of others made me nervous. The more I thought of needing to lose weight, the more I started to eat. It was counterproductive and diets just didn’t work for me. I knew I needed to make real changes. I needed to find something that worked for me.
One Step At A Time
I started small. Every Saturday, I would walk along the Brisbane River and take photos of the scenery and city sights. The chafing hurt so I wore pants that allowed my thighs to rub. Stopping every ten minutes or so to take photos took my mind off the fact that I was exercising. This shift of focus allowed me to walk for hours. I was looking for that great shot. I was looking for the right angles and before I knew it, I had walked 10km.
After a month, I then added in a 20-minute jog in the mornings. I did this 3x a week. Monday (to start the week right), Wednesday and Fridays. I started to notice my thighs slimming. I started to notice my belly getting smaller. This then motivated me to do something more. I was excited with my progress and because of this I started to clean up my diet.
I didn’t restrict myself from anything, instead I made small changes. In the past, whenever I restricted myself from certain food, I would end up binging on the food I had restricted. I made a mindset shift instead and decided to just make better food choices. Looking at it in this perspective helped me stick to a better diet. I switched white rice to brown. I traded white bread to wholemeal. Instead of ordering a pizza, I made pizzas at home on wraps. I also cut down my alcohol intake.
Learn From Others
I joined a 12-week challenge with a female only boot camp in my local area. It was great to meet like-minded people with the similar goals. We all wanted to get fitter, we all wanted to lose weight we all wanted to feel better about ourselves. I felt being with females only a lot more comforting. I didn’t feel intimated, I felt supported. I found myself looking forward to getting up early in the mornings as I had started to make some amazing friends. I was excited to see them.
At the end of the challenge, I had lost 10 kilos. My confidence grew and I didn’t want my journey to stop there. I then signed up to the gym and hired a Personal Trainer to teach me how to use the machines and learn how to lift weights. I was amazed how lifting weights changed my body definition. I became addicted to the gains and the endorphins I would get after every workout.
This then pushed me to see how far I could go. I decided I wanted to compete in my first bodybuilding competition. I wanted to challenge myself and see what I was capable of. Becoming a bikini competitor transformed me in more ways than one. I learnt how dedicated and committed I could be. I also learnt that I could give up the party girl lifestyle I had been living.
My physical transformation led me toward the path of personal development, and I started to not only change my body but my mindset as well. I worked on my self-confidence and started healing my inner child and past trauma. I started to become a better version of myself spiritually and emotionally.
Now I am a published Author and Personal Development coach. I help people around the world remove sub-conscious blocks and limiting beliefs so that they too can start living the life they want. By small mindset shifts we can achieve the things we want and become the best version of ourselves. If you are on your own fitness journey, take it one step at a time. If you are consistent in doing this, it is inevitable that you will reach your goal.
Maz Dela Cerna, author of I Deserve Better, is a renowned self-development coach, author, blogger and YouTuber. As the founder of the Phoenix Rising Collective she coaches people around the world to uncover and remove their self-limiting beliefs and self-destructive thoughts. Find out more at www.mazdelacerna.com
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