Jennifer Sierra-Johnson Changed Her Mindset And Became Strong

Swapping skinny for strong, Jennifer Sierra-Johnson thought dieting was the only solution to a life time of weight problems until a new mindset helped her transform.

Being different

I grew up with three sisters, and they weren’t on the heavy side. I knew that I was big compared to them. My mom was very open about it and would invite me to diet with her, so we ate grilled chicken and steamed vegetables while my sisters ate whatever they wanted.

Setting up failure

I definitely lost weight, but I became a yo-yo dieter. Every time I lost weight, I became complacent and gained even more back. I ranged from 140-185 pounds over several years by trying every fad diet that became popular. Once I got off of whatever one I was on, the weight came right back, because the lifestyle I was trying to live was unsustainable.

Why diets fail

They didn’t work because I wasn’t satisfied I was distancing myself from everything I liked. If I cut myself off from the things I was craving entirely, especially chocolate, I’d end up rebounding with a heavy episode of binge eating. Once I started binging, I would give up on my diet and gain weight again.

A new regime

My trainer was a bodybuilder who was prepping for competition at the time. I was intrigued and decided to give bodybuilding a try. In order to do that, I knew I had to stop yo-yoing, stop trying to reach a goal weight, and make fitness a lifestyle. Bodybuilding.com was one of the first sites that came up. I became active on BodySpace, and that was another way to hold myself accountable. I found people who were facing the same challenges I was, which was helpful on hard days.

After giving birth, I made the goal to be in a figure competition before my son’s first birthday. It was an ambitious but attainable goal. It was a short enough timeline to give me a kick in the butt, but it was ultimately doable. Stepping on stage was the most amazing experience I’ve ever had.

My diet

I followed an “if it fits your macros” (IIFYM) flexible dieting approach throughout my entire 11-month transformation. My meals varied daily to fit my cravings while meeting my macronutrient allowance. My diet was unique in that I never cut out any foods I like. For example, I love chocolate. I didn’t give it up, but instead just had it in very careful moderation, like two Hershey’s Kisses a day with my coffee in the morning.

My biggest challenge

I had to withdraw from a lot of social functions. My family and friends didn’t understand and I didn’t want them asking why I wasn’t eating their food.

I kept telling myself it was temporary, and the people that truly love me, at the end of the day, are going to stick with me no matter what. It was true! My family loved and supported me enough to put up with me. They knew I wasn’t putting them off forever. I was achieving a goal I’d set, and they supported me in that.

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