How Joanna Boyles Became A Super Mom

Joanna Boyles gave up her sedentary lifestyle to pursue her fitness goals and become a role model to her kids and people around her. See how she did it so you can too

Throughout high school and college, I was able to maintain a healthy weight. I’d always been active outdoors, enjoying hiking, skiing and rock climbing.

After graduating college, getting married and getting my first office job, the weight started to pile on. Too many bad meals coupled with a sedentary lifestyle saw me hit the heaviest I’d ever been. My weight fluctuated a lot for the next several years, staying more up than down.

When I had my first child, I gained 55lb during my pregnancy. I was able to lose a lot of the extra baby weight by the time my second child came around 10 months later. I gained about 35lb during that pregnancy.

Change was needed so I picked up a fitness magazine that featured a figure competitor and fell in love with her physique.

After deciding I wanted to be a stay-at-home mum and quit my job, I couldn’t afford a gym membership, much less a trainer. So I had to do my homework and learn what I could from home.

I had an assortment of dumbbells, a Swiss ball, some resistance bands and a hand-me-down treadmill. I signed up for the 2013 bodybuilding.com and Dymatize 12-week transformation challenge with determination. I planned my workouts during nap times and mapped out all of my meals.

I was amazed by my progress pictures and seeing my body physically transform.

My biggest challenge was maintaining my diet and finding balance. I didn’t mind the training aspect. In fact, I looked forward to it because it was my outlet. However, the diet was much harder to get consistent with. I’m a severe chocoholic and overeater.

I’d love to become a trainer one day. Right now my focus is on being a good mum and healthy influence for my kids, being a good wife to my husband and finishing my graduate degree in counselling. I just want to be an encouragement to anyone who needs it.

It just takes diligence, discipline, and determination. Start with small goals and changes, and build up to bigger ones. Don’t expect it all to happen at once, because it won’t. Keep reminders of your goals to hand. Take progress photos or keep journals about your accomplishments.

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