How to Transform your life: Home and Family | Natalie Jill

So many of us struggle with keeping up a fitness program with our busy lives. And here to talk to us about how to ease into a fitness routine that can be maintained and has proven results is fitness expert Natalie Jill with us.

Got that out.

Welcome.

Thank you.

You had mentioned at the top of the show it's our busy schedules that tend to get in the way. But what was it for you? What was your journey like in your transformation?

You know, I was always somebody who was active and liked being healthy and fit. And then my life just took this weird turn at a time that was supposed to be really happy for me. I had had my daughter, which love of my life, My daughter. But I also happened to be going through a divorce and had just hit just this really crazy rock bottom financially, emotionally. I was depressed and I had gained a lot of weight while pregnant. How much weight did you ever. I gained 50 pounds while I was pregnant. But I had started out heavier than I am now, so £60 more than I am now. And it was as happy as I was to have my daughter. I was just going through such a really rough time.

To a point where you actually gave yourself an ultimatum.

Yeah, I did.

You said what?

I said that this isn't who I am anymore. I remember seeing myself in this reflection one day walking. I was walking with my dogs and my daughter, and I caught those windows that look like a mirror.

I hate those mirrors.

Yeah. And I just. I saw things hanging on me that I didn't recognize. And I thought, you know, this isn't who I am and this isn't who I wanted to be. And I was tired of feeling depressed and feeling sorry for myself and thinking of excuses. So I went home and I just. I said, you know what? I'm deciding. I'm deciding. I'm drawing a line in the sand. This is it.

Well, what did you decide?

I decided that I wasn't going to be that depressed, miserable person that let excuses get in the way of my life. I thought, okay, it doesn't matter that I don't have time. It doesn't matter that I don't have money. It doesn't matter that I don't know what to do. I'm going to figure it out. So I decided I was going to make a change and become the best me.

So was Brennan and Debbie are here, too? Was it a small change like the next day? What did you do to change it?

The first thing I did was I made a vision board. And a lot of people know what those are. But for those who Don't. I started tearing out from magazines images of what I wanted my life to be. And this was not just about my body. This was just my life in general. I wanted to feel good again. And. And I thought, if I don't have anything in my mind to pull this from, I'm going to start looking at it every day. I'm going to look at fitness girls, and I'm going to look at healthy food and just a happy life and a happy marriage, because I wasn't in that anymore. And I thought, I'm just going to work towards that direction and start moving in that way.

But you make it sound so simple. You just go, well, I'm going to make up my mind. You know, it's not that easy. I don't know if you've ever gone through that process of trying to lose weight. So what did you run into those difficult times? If you did, what did you do to turn that around?

I absolutely ran into that. And, you know, every day was a struggle of wanting to go back to my own ways. But I kept staring at that vision board, and I kept doing things just so basic. Just, can I eat foods that are real, that once grew, that are natural, not fake foods, and not try to follow some crazy diet, just simplify it? Can I eat real natural foods back to basics? Can I. Can I move more? Can I just move my body more? And can I just stay positive? And the funny thing was, I started taking pictures of my food from my own records just to remind myself what I'm eating and that I want to stay on track. And at the time, social media was sort of new. When I started doing this, I would post them on Facebook and I started getting this following for my food. And that's really what turned everything for me, because I thought, wow, other people are interested in that.

So it was like a visual food journal. Yes, because that's what people have worked with me on in the past. It's like anything you eat, you write it down. I'm like, uh, oh, that's not. Because it hit him.

Held accountable, then.

Yeah. And all of a sudden it becomes real. But to take a picture of it and then share it with others, that's ultimate accountability, because everybody knows what you're doing.

And then people started seeing I was changing and they wanted to know more what I'm doing. So I started adding, okay, this is what I'm doing. This is how I'm moving my body, and I'm not gonna deal with the excuses, so we don't need an expensive gym, we don't need all this time in a day. Let's just do things that make sense, that take a little bit of time. Little bit.

Well, how do you do the.

What do you do?

Because exercise. Most people don't like to go to the gym or they don't have time to go to the gym. What do you do for exercise?

So everything I do is with my own body weight and you can do it in your own home, really just using your own body weight. And I talk about progression, so just making it challenging for you. It's not about doing some crazy workout and watching the time and thinking, well I have to do this and I have to push harder. It's doing something challenging for you. So where for a very buff in shaped guy, maybe 20 plus push ups is nothing. But for somebody just starting one might be really challenging, but that effort's going to help change your body. So I really started working towards those.

You started to see. And this is what I indicated at the top of the show. That scale, that number, that your transition moved pretty quickly.

Yes.

Over what period of time are we talking here?

So from the time I decided about four months to lose the actual weight.

50 pounds in four months.

No, no, I'm like, what? No, I lost about 10 pounds a month just applying that. So about 40 pounds which is healthy to do you want two to three pounds a week is about on average what you want. And it just after that my body just kept changing and now I'm 43 now and my body has gotten in the best shape of my Life now at 43, which was another excuse to me. People think, well I'm getting older, I can't do it. And it's that deciding and just working towards that and using what we have, not having to go do these fancy crazy classes or gym memberships.

All right, I want you to think with me for a second. Clear your mind, go back to your worst day. What it looked like, what it felt like and what you did to turn it around or what motivated you in that moment to say, I'm not going to stay in this spot, I'm going to go forward. What was it?

The worst day on the diet and the nutrition or the worst day in general?

Just trying to.

My worst day was I was somebody who had been very self righteous my whole life before I hit this rock bottom. I had been successful before, just thought everybody should be successful. And this whole rock bottom moment for me was really devastating. And the big moment was in the midst of my whole depression I remember going to the gas station to put gas in my car, and my credit cards had been declined. And I had never in my life had a problem with credit or anything. And I remember thinking, oh, my gosh, okay, now I'm overweight. I have no money, I have no credit. I'm a single mom at home. And I just remember feeling completely hopeless and just really a rock. Really depressed.

What switched it? What made you go, mm, mm, not stain?

I knew that I was so depressed that I didn't even want to share that I was depressed with people. It was like I didn't want to make other people more miserable. I knew that. So I didn't seek out help when I should have, but it was the just wanting to clear my head and get outside each day. And that brought me to the day I saw that reflection. Just walking. That was it. It snapped with me with, I'm gonna go back towards what I know about goals. How difficult is it now to keep that routine? Cause you know you can get it off and you're so motivated and it's coming off, and you look at the scale and woo. But then you get to plateau. And then this is your reality again, because that was your reality. Now this is your reality. How difficult is it to keep going? To keep going. You're always gonna have your days where you don't feel like doing something. And I embrace it when they're there. But if you just. I say vision board is so important because you just have that vision there and you find your. I call it your why, the reason you want to feel good. Maybe it's for your child. Mine was for my daughter, for this life that I wanted. If you focus on that why and that vision, you will start moving towards that direction and just accept. If you have a bad day, you didn't blow everything. It's just get back on track and work towards that why and that vision.

What'S on your wrist? What does that say?

Oh, so I wear these now. And these are my slogans. I have lots of them. One was excuses or solutions. You decide.

That's a good one.

Yeah.

And this is what has make your own luck.

What is your own luck? Make your own luck is that I believe that you make your own luck. Just like you would say with your career. It's not about being discovered in a coffee shop. Maybe it was, but it's not likely.

It's close.

You find you went to the coffee shop.

So you made your own luck. Right?

It's whatever opportunities are there in life. You Decide if you're going to make that into your luck or not. So where I hit this rock bottom, I could have given up. And I could have said, this is it. I'm just gonna be overweight. I'm gonna be woe is me. Or I can decide that I'm gonna turn this into my own luck, which I did. And I changed my life. And I'm now I'm in a new career. I motivate others. It makes me feel amazing to know.

That somebody else proud, too, to see that vision of her own mother transformed.

And I say, you're engaged.

Yes, I'm engaged. Oh, my God.

Excuse me.

Look at Mr. Hunky over there. Mr. Nice Looking Man.

This just happened, right? Congratulations.

Thank you.

Congratulations. That's fantastic.

Congratulations.

So we'll look at you.

You go, girl. Thank you. Great to hear these stories, you know.

Because a lot of people face the same things and they just have that push to get through. And it's a combination of spirit and determination and knowledge, all of that. I like what you said.

Thank you, Oprah.

If you have a bad day, go a month and go. Yeah, I've been eating really good and I've been working out. Find out more about how Natalie Jill's workout can help you ease into a fitness routine. Visit nataliejillfitness.com it's all there for you. Thank you guys for sitting in. Wonderful, wonderful story. We're gonna roll up our sleeves and go join Ken. He's out by the garage. Yes. I've got a trash can lid and a bucket, so of course we're gonna be making a headboard.