Allie Ruby Changed Her Life And Dropped 75lbs In The Process

Allie Ruby wasn’t happy with what she saw in the mirror, so she flipped her life upside down to make a lasting change. This is her story.

It was six months after I graduated college when my mom posted a picture of me on Facebook. It was the first time I noticed how large I was.

I just bought a new Jeep and felt too large for the seats. It finally hit one day when I was getting dressed for work and lost it when I saw myself half dressed in the mirror. I knew I was better than the way I was treating myself – lack of exercise or care for nutrition. I had just gotten out of a relationship and I wanted to find who I was physically and mentally before committing to someone again.

I began by writing down all of the things I did every day that didn’t make me happy. I evaluated the process for each day and every habit I had. I found that I enjoyed training. I began with fitness videos at home then bounced around gyms near my home in Des Moines, Iowa. My first goal was weight loss, but I quickly grew bored of chasing the numbers on the scale and tape measure. I needed something to commit to and train for, so I really hit the kettlebells hard.

It wasn’t long ago that I began sharing my transformation story through social media. Many people understood why I was doing it and some were inspired, but I have had a lot of negative feedback from family, friends and strangers. I have to remember why I am sharing my progress and that it’s not about me anymore. I have so many good and awesome people wanting to see me succeed.

A good piece of advice is to avoid overthinking things. The mind is so powerful and the way we talk to ourselves can determine our future actions – for better or worse. We waste so much time not doing what we really want to do, or are too afraid to try something new simply because we are afraid of what other people will think or say about us. When you do what you value and love, it pays. And it shows. Winners in life are excited about what they’re doing. I am big on learning and defining my values as an athlete and trainer. I want to get into fitness modeling simply because I knew the old Allie never would’ve thought it would be an opportunity.

Find transformation stories and more in every issue of TRAIN FOR HER magazine.