Featured Fitale – Latrice Nichols

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

My name is Latrice and I am a 34 year old mother of 2 children ages 6 and 8. I currently work an office job, where I am glued to my desk for 40 hours a week. My hobbies include traveling, reading books, listening to music and all things fitness.

What sparked your weight-loss transformation journey?

What sparked my 1st weight-loss transformation journey was infertility. After several miscarriages I was told that I had PCOS and was pre-diabetic. I was terrified of having diabetes at the age of 28 years old, and I did not want to take medication for the rest of my life. I knew that in order to have a successful pregnancy that I had to lose weight first. I was able to lose 45 lbs from a combination of working out at a gym and doing weight watchers.

What was your beginning and current weight or measurements?

I started my journey at 187 lbs and cut it down to 155 lbs. Then I focused on muscle gain and gained back a healthy weight.

Learn how Latrice overcame physical challenges to transform her body inside and out. #fitness #weightlosstransformation

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

Two children later, I found the weight slowly creeping back up. By the time my youngest child was 3, I had gained all of the 45lbs back. I knew I had to lose the weight for good because I didn’t want my children following in my foot steps. My children became my motivation and inspiration. I did not want my children to grow up with the same unhealthy habits that I did. I didn’t want my daughter to have a poor body image like her mother did. I wanted my children to love sports and fitness, and overall just wanted a healthy family.

My highest non-pregnancy weight was 194 lbs. I am currently 153 lbs. I am 5’4″ tall. I have always carried a lot of weight in my mid-section and had an apple shaped body for most of my adult life. I have been on my current weight loss journeys since 2014. I am not a huge fan of quick weight loss. It took me 3 years to lose the weight but I have been able to gain muscle and reshape my body in the process. I also don’t have a lot of loose skin, which c an come with fast weight loss.

For physical activity I love to go on bike rides with my children. We go to the park and jog/run around the trail. We swim. We go skating. I try to involve my children in physical fitness whenever I can. I also fell in love with strength training a few years into my journey. Initially I started off doing all cardio. I noticed that I was losing weight on the scale but my body didn’t look the way I had imagined it would. It wasn’t until I started lifting heavy weights and incorporating more HIIT that I started to see noticeable changes in my body, especially my stomach area.

How did your eating habits change?

y eating habits have changed drastically. I went from eating a ton of carbs and no fruits and vegetables, to weight watchers, where I practiced everything in moderation. Now I am following a ketogenic diet plan.The focus is on eating lots of green vegetables and foods that are high in healthy fats. I do not eat more than 20-50 grams of net carbs per day.

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

Typically for breakfast I have turkey bacon, some form of eggs, and avocado. Lunch is usually a salad. For dinner I’ll have protein paired with vegetables. I drink 2-3 fatty teas per day, which is basically an herbal tea with a few tablespoons of coconut oil. This helps with satiety, enabling me to go from meal to meal without any snacks in between. I don’t eat many snacks, as the fat keeps me full during the day.

What is your favorite fitness activity?

My favorite fitness activity is strength training. I love how it changes my body and how strong I feel afterwards. Lifting heavy weights really makes daily tasks like carrying groceries or taking the stairs so much easier.

What do you do now to maintain your physique?

To maintain my current physique I continue to track my food and count macros using Myfitnesspal. I workout 3-4 days a week. I do the same things I did as I was losing the weight as I know that this is a lifestyle.

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

My willpower to avoid the bad foods came with the realization that I am an abstainer. I used to think that I was a moderator, meaning I could have bad foods in moderation. I would tell myself that I was only going to have a handful of chips and then I would end up eating the entire bag by the end of the day. Once I started eating bad foods, I could not stop. When I tried the ketogenic diet, I told myself that I was not going to eat anything bad for me. I became an abstainer. I am able to avoid these bad foods because I tell myself that they are off limits and I am not tempted to taste them. I also know that I will feel sick if I eat those things so it’s really easy to avoid them. A few minutes of pleasure from eating a cupcake is not worth the sickness and upset stomach pains that will come the next day!

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

My advice for someone getting started is to make small changes and focus on making those changes lifelong habits. Replace soda and juice with water, eat breakfast every day, eliminate fried foods and snacking between meals, and try to do some type of physical activity for at least 30 minutes a day.

What do you think is the biggest misconception about this journey?

I think the biggest misconception about this journey is focusing on working out rather than getting your nutrition right. Nutrition is 80-90% of the process, and you can’t out work a bad diet.

Do you have any fitness inspirations? Who are they?

I have several fitness inspirations that I follow in Instagram. I love Lita Lewis, Massy Arias, Maria More, Stephanie “Keto Person”, Kaisafit, missmimilicious, and Fit Amy Suzanne.

How can readers learn more about your transformation and journey online (i.e. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc.)?

You can follow me on my fitness journey here on Instagram @ i_haterunning.