Featured Fitale – Cookie Miller

FFFC: Please introduce yourself to our readers (i.e. your name, occupation, hobbies, etc.).

CM: My name is Cookie Miller. I’m a Certified Personal Trainer, Certified Group Fitness Instructor and a YouTuber. I love running obstacle course races like Spartan Race, lifting heavy weights and training my lovely clients. In other words, my hobby is my job and I love that.

FFFC: What sparked your weight-loss transformation journey?

CM: So many things, but to be brief, I was tired of being fat. My doctor had diagnosed me pre-diabetic, I had developed Acanthosis Nigricans and I was tired of huffing and puffing everywhere I went. Many obesity related diseases also run in my family, so after developing pre-diabetes, I was afraid I would develop other diseases.

FFFC: How long did it take for your weight-loss transformation from beginning to end?

CM: It took me one year to lose 70 pounds. I have maintained that loss for the past few years and lost even more. I am focused on reducing my body fat percentage and becoming leaner rather than “weight”.

FFFC: Which physical activities did you participate in during your journey?

CM: I started off with running. I ran 5 days a week or more in the beginning until I developed an overuse injury (learned my lesson). From there I got into things like Zumba, strength training and obstacle course racing (which breaks up the running).

FFFC: How did your eating habits change?

CM: In the beginning, I reduced the portion sizes of what I was eating. Then I started tracking my calories using MyFitnessPal. Now-a-days I monitor my macros (proteins, fats, carbs) in my meals.

FFFC: What do you typically eat for breakfast, lunch, snacks and dinner?

CM: One thing about me is that I will literally eat the same thing all week and will not get bored. The reason is I know that I am eating to fuel my body and not for “fun” like I used to.

Breakfast – egg white omlet

Lunch – my at-home Chipotle bowl which I have a recipe for: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p5eUf4p44oQ

Dinner – grilled chicken salad

Snacks – tuna, reduced sugar oatmeal

FFFC: What is your favorite fitness activity?

CM: I love HIIT which stands for High Intensity Interval Training.

@CookieMiller went from overweight to certified personal trainer. Read how she did it. #femmefitalefitclub

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FFFC: What do you do now to maintain your physique?

CM: I do the same things I did to develop it: eat healthy, monitor my food intake, and exercise daily. I do have a bit more freedom now that I am pretty much where I want to be.

FFFC: How did you develop and sustain the willpower to avoid the bad stuff (i.e. junk food, bad drinks, lack of activity, etc.)?

CM: At first I avoided going out, going to lunch with coworkers or doing anything that might tempt me. It worked for a while, but then I decided to start testing myself. So I would go to every lunch I was invited to, every happy hour and dinner and then I would order something healthy, not drink and still enjoy myself and be social. It definitely developed my willpower.

FFFC: What advice do you have for someone looking to get started with their fitness journey but not sure where to begin?

CM: JUST START! Do not spend all of your precious time trying to get answers from ones who have already done it. You’re wasting time, get up and just do something. Be active, go for a walk, take a class and start tracking your food, be conscious of what you put into your body. Do your research! There’s so much free information out there.