Fitness Friday: Another Successful Weightloss Story

I don't know whether to hate you all or love you all for encouraging me to write a book. Since I started tackling this monster known as a book proposal, I've spent every waking hour of the summer sitting on my bum at the computer. Thus, my previously active lifestyle has come to a screeching halt. Add to that an average calorie increase of 500 per day due to my summer ice cream habit...multiply by 7, carry the 2...and for that, I hate you.

On the other hand, if you hadn't encouraged me to write a book, then I wouldn’t be taking every waking moment to write the book proposal. And if I were not taking every waking moment to write the book proposal, then you would not have the opportunity to read the following post.

So, for that, I love you.

And I love, Sarah, for sharing with us your fitness journey today. For those of you who don’t know Sarah, she is the author of a great fitness blog called All Pain ~ No Gain. I met Sarah in January when she started her fitness accountability group “Getting Fine in 09.” Immediately, I was drawn to her generous heart, her sweet spirit, and her drive and determination to reach her goal weight. Oh, and our mutual love for Body for Life.

Over the months, Sarah and I have spent a lot of time chatting over e-mail and blogs. She’s the one who turned me on to all things Jillian Michaels. I simply adore Sarah. She’s an inspiration and a treasure. And I’m pretty sure she works out harder than any lady I know. She’s amazing!!

I’m so thankful she bailed a sister out today and agreed at the very last minute to share her story here.

Be inspired!!! And I really don't hate you. Really.

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“I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.” Philippians 4:16

My name is Sarah Foster. I am a Christian, Wife, Mother of two, Sister, Daughter, Friend, and a Fitness Junkie!

My whole life I have struggled with my body image. Even when I was my skinniest, I wasn't satisfied. It all started when I was in high school. I can pin-point exactly where my issues started. My father would call me fat in front of all my friends.

My husband, whom I’ve known since I was 9, can tell you because he witnessed it himself. These comments still hurt me to this day, but I have learned to overcome them.

I have done things to my body that I am NOT proud of (things that I do not care to share). So when I decided to travel this weight loss journey, I promised not only myself, but also my husband and God, that I would do it the healthy way.

I have been blessed with two of the most amazing children. In 2005, I had a gorgeous baby boy, and in 2007 I had a beautiful baby girl. They are 22 months apart, so needless to say, I felt like I was pregnant for three years, since I never really got my body back from the first pregnancy.


Don't get me wrong, I'm not blaming my children for the way I looked. I wouldn't change having them for ANYTHING. They are my world and I enjoy every minute of them. I came to a point when I was done having children that I felt it was time to gain control over my own life and body again. And since I had two children who were viewing me as an example, I want to do it in a healthy way.

One of my pet-peeves is how our society portrays what we should or shouldn't look like. This is why there is a rise in eating disorders amongst teens and college students. Would we all like to look like the celebrities - shoot yeah! But do I want to have surgery or pay the big bucks to have the personal chef and trainer? No way! I don't want my children to grow up having the same struggles that I had. I want them to be happy with who they are and the people God created them to be.


This is also what I wish for myself….I am slowly but surely getting there.



I am one of those who will try anything and everything to lose weight. I have tried weight loss pills, herbs, LA weight loss, and Weight Watchers. Weight Watchers helped me get some of the baby weight off, but once I hit a plateau, I was basically eating nothing, which I know slows your metabolism way down. I'm not saying that these things don't work for some people, they just weren't working for me.

The only two health and fitness programs that have actually really worked for me are Body for Life by Bill Phillips, and Making The Cut by Jillian Michaels.

These plans are a way of life and are very similar in comparison. They teach you what to eat and what not to eat. Good Carbs VS Bad Carbs. How long to wait to eat between meals, etc.

I have eaten more on the two plans than I have ever eaten before.

It goes to show that by eating the right things, and eating frequently can very much speed up your metabolism.

The other aspect of these plans is exercise, and I don't just mean lifting some weights, I mean LIFTING some weights and massive cardio.

They work you out like you have never been worked out before. For example, before starting Jillian's Making The Cut (30 Day) program I was running 2 miles a day and doing some weight training every-other day, along with going to Zumba classes twice a week. When I started the program in June 2008, the first day I did her workout I vomited and thought I was going to pass out. (keep in mind that I was home with my two children). Sorry to be so graphic, but I wanted you to know the intensity of her work outs.

Of course it's easy to quit since you’re doing all this on your own, but in my mind I act like she is right there with me telling me "5 more - you got this!" And I muster up enough strength to do those 5 more.

It has now been a year since I began this journey. Prior to starting, my weight was between 155-158.

I now weigh 130 lbs and feel like I have so much energy for life.


When I first started working out I remember not being able to do more than 5 regular push-ups. I can now do over 25. I would only be able to run 2 miles (with stops) and just the other day I ran 5.

I love seeing how far I’ve come. If you are on a weight loss journey, I highly recommend taking pictures and documenting a lot of things. My husband, Kris, has been my biggest supporter throughout this whole thing, but I do have to say that if it wasn’t for my blog (All Pain ~ No Gain) and blogs like Sandy’s that I might have thrown in the towel at times. Having a support system is HUGE! Accountability is HUGE! For me, these things were and are a necessity.


I pray that you find the strength and motivation to live a fit and healthy life. It is a constant challenge, and trust me, I’m not perfect, but it will undeniably change your life! Falling off the wagon doesn’t mean you’ve given up, people… it means brush yourself off and get back on. I promise you that I fall off the wagon and splurge at least once a week (if not more!!!)

Sandy, I want to thank you for not just letting me guest post for you, but for also being so supportive and encouraging. I feel like I’ve known you for years, but yet we’ve never met face-to-face (which I one day hope to). You have a special gift in touching ones heart. God Bless You!

Sarah before: June 2008, 158 pounds



Sarah after: June 2009, 130 pounds

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Don't forget to check out other Fitness related posts like this one:

Debbie at Heart Choices is writing about how much damage one meal can do! Whoa.

If you have a Fitness Friday post you'd like me to add here, just leave me a comment and I'll add it!

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