Oakville, Ontario, Canada<\/p>\n
Stats:<\/strong> 34 \u2022 122 lb \u2022 5\u20196\u2033<\/p>\n Gig:<\/strong> Business owner<\/p>\n From Fit to Fatigued<\/strong><\/p>\n Karrie-Ann\u00a0Lowry was a hip-hop dancer and athlete\u00a0throughout high school and began weight\u00a0training at 17. She transitioned to running\u00a0half marathons and 10K races in her 20s, and\u00a0she even did a triathlon when she was three\u00a0months pregnant. Then her fitness took a\u00a0turn. \u201cI gained 70 pounds over the course\u00a0of two pregnancies, leading to chronic\u00a0inflammation and pre-diabetes,\u201d she says.\u00a0\u201cI had achy joints and no control over my\u00a0hormones or blood sugar.\u201d<\/p>\n Rethinking Nutrition<\/strong><\/p>\n Lowry turned to\u00a0magazines like Oxygen<\/em> to get back to basics\u00a0and find inspiration, and eventually she lost 50\u00a0pounds. \u201cI had to figure out what was healthy\u00a0for me, not someone else,\u201d Lowry says. She\u00a0began to batch-cook her favorite dishes and\u00a0prepped fruit, salad and vegetables weekly so\u00a0they were readily available. Lowry\u2019s perspective\u00a0on \u201ccheat\u201d foods also changed. \u201cFor me, a\u00a0\u2018cheat\u2019 is now a \u2018carb-up\u2019 and is usually a serving\u00a0of sweet potatoes or, if I\u2019m really feeling bad, the\u00a0Cajun fries from Five Guys,\u201d she says, laughing.<\/p>\n Fit Mom<\/strong><\/p>\n These days, Lowry trains in the\u00a0morning after dropping off her kids at school,\u00a0and she begins her workouts with stretching,\u00a0push-ups, air squats and planks. \u201cThen I train\u00a0individual muscle groups with free weights\u00a0or cable exercises,\u201d she explains. Cardio\u00a0comes twice a week, and usually she runs,\u00a0cycles or takes a Spin class.<\/p>\n New York City<\/p>\n Stats:<\/strong> 45 \u2022 146 lb \u2022 5\u20199\u2033<\/p>\n Gig:<\/strong> Director of mobile marketing<\/p>\n Fit Over 40<\/strong><\/p>\n Mirela Cialai has always been\u00a0into fitness, yet she didn\u2019t get serious about\u00a0lifting weights until she turned 40. \u201cI was\u00a0coming out of a seven-year relationship and\u00a0realized that as a single woman in my 40s,\u00a0I\u2019d be competing with women much younger\u00a0and in better shape,\u201d she says. \u201cThat scared\u00a0me into action.\u201d<\/p>\n Active Aging<\/strong><\/p>\n Cialai began training three\u00a0to four times per week doing full-body workouts\u00a0with an emphasis on weight training.\u00a0\u201cAs I got older, things that used to be firm\u00a0started sagging and cardio didn\u2019t seem to\u00a0help much,\u201d she says. \u201cI was getting thinner\u00a0but wanted to be curvy where it matters.\u201d Her\u00a0favorite move for adding those curves: deadlifts.\u00a0And for her next challenge, she wants to\u00a0enter a local fitness competition.<\/p>\n Confidence Boost<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cHaving this strong\u00a0body gives me a huge amount of confidence,\u201d\u00a0Cialai says. \u201cWhen I was younger, I was\u00a0always stressing out, wondering if the clothes\u00a0I was wearing looked good on me. Now I just\u00a0walk in like I own the place!\u201d<\/p>\n Sound Advice<\/strong><\/p>\n For those who lack motivation,\u00a0Cialai advises to avoid the couch at\u00a0all costs. \u201cEither go to the gym straight from\u00a0work or grab your gear from home and go\u00a0right away,\u201d she says. \u201cOnce you sit down,\u00a0the battle is lost.\u201d<\/p>\n Calgary, Alberta, Canada<\/p>\n Stats:<\/strong> 33 \u2022 125 lb \u2022 5\u20197\u2033<\/p>\n Gig:<\/strong> Contracts specialist<\/p>\n Ups and Downs<\/strong><\/p>\n A basketball and volleyball\u00a0player growing up, Rae-Ann Dodd fell\u00a0out of shape after a bad breakup, gaining\u00a020 pounds and spiraling into unhealthy\u00a0behaviors. Once she realized her path, she\u00a0put herself in check and learned all she\u00a0could about nutrition and exercise. Over the\u00a0course of three years, she lost all that extra\u00a0ballast. \u201cI learned how to be disciplined,\u00a0what my body is capable of, and how training\u00a0and nutrition can truly transform your\u00a0physique,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n On Physique and Failure<\/strong><\/p>\n The married\u00a0mother of one used to be a \u201ccardio queen,\u201d but\u00a0she shifted to weight training at the suggestion\u00a0of her husband, Shayne. She has since done\u00a0five fitness and bikini shows and earned her\u00a0pro card in the Natural Physique & Athletics\u00a0Association in 2017. These days, Dodd teaches\u00a0rowing classes and trains five to six days a\u00a0week using a standard bodybuilding split,\u00a0pushing to failure in her working sets.<\/p>\n Life in the Balance<\/strong><\/p>\n Dodd\u2019s secret to success\u00a0was finding balance. \u201cThat means eating\u00a0healthy most of the time but still enjoying dinners,\u00a0wine and events with family and friends\u00a0\u2014 without guilt,\u201d she says. \u201cIt means not being\u00a0stuck in a stringent plan and stressing over\u00a0missed workouts. Now I can be with my family\u00a0and volunteer as a trainer for my 12-year-old\u00a0son\u2019s hockey team, work a full-time job, coach\u00a0clients and still feel energized.\u201d<\/p>\n Atlanta<\/p>\n Stats:<\/strong> 28 \u2022 138 lb \u2022 5\u20198\u2033<\/p>\n Gig:<\/strong> Marketing director<\/p>\n Ballet to Bikini<\/strong><\/p>\n Sarah Hoots was a\u00a0ballerina, gymnast and equestrienne growing\u00a0up, which satisfied her competitive nature. But,\u00a0like many young women, Hoots gained the\u00a0dreaded \u201cfreshman 15\u201d her first year in college,\u00a0but instead of giving in, she fought back and\u00a0hired a personal trainer. \u201cWithin two months\u00a0of working out and weight training, I wanted to\u00a0compete,\u201d she says. In 2010, she began to compete\u00a0in bikini shows in multiple federations,\u00a0and her most cherished victory was winning\u00a0first at the 2011 NPC Teen Collegiate & Masters\u00a0Nationals Championships.<\/p>\n Training Cycle<\/strong><\/p>\n After six years of competing,\u00a0Hoots shifted gears \u2014 literally \u2014 to\u00a0cycling. \u201cI struggled to find balance with\u00a0my nutrition after years doing bikini shows,\u00a0so I took a break from the gym and got into\u00a0endurance sports where fueling your body\u00a0properly is crucial,\u201d she says. \u201cIt brought me\u00a0back to a mentally healthier place.\u201d Hoots\u00a0now cycles six days per week and does two or\u00a0three functional-training days in the gym.<\/p>\n Mole-tivation<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cIn 2017, I was diagnosed\u00a0with stage III melanoma,\u201d she says, adding that\u00a0she is all clear now. \u201cAfter surgery, because I\u00a0was unable to walk for three months, I was\u00a0more driven than ever. I told myself that never\u00a0again would I miss a workout because I was\u00a0too lazy or tired to do it, and I cherish each and\u00a0every day that I\u2019m healthy.\u201d<\/p>\n Delta, British Columbia, Canada<\/p>\n Stats:<\/strong> 41 \u2022 120 lb (offseason), 109 (contest) \u2022 5\u20192\u2033<\/p>\n Gig:<\/strong> Senior project manager, construction<\/p>\n No More Mom Bod<\/strong><\/p>\n Sheri Griffin was\u00a0a competitive figure skater and softball\u00a0player in her youth, but in 2016, she was\u00a0the heaviest she\u2019d ever been. \u201cI was losing\u00a0my breath when climbing stairs and\u00a0couldn\u2019t stand back up if I squatted down to\u00a0get something on the floor,\u201d she says. \u201cPlus,\u00a0I was just tired of having a \u2018mom body!\u2019\u201d\u00a0She and her husband Mike decided to team\u00a0up and get into shape.<\/p>\n A Family Affair<\/strong><\/p>\n While on vacation \u2014\u00a0and still working out \u2014 Griffin visited an\u00a0aunt who was preparing for a figure competition\u00a0and immediately wanted that for\u00a0herself. Her aunt introduced Griffin to her\u00a0trainer, Lisa Schirok, and soon after, Griffin\u00a0rediscovered her athletic groove. She lost\u00a015 pounds, got into her best-ever shape and\u00a0followed her aunt onto the stage in 2018,\u00a0earning fourth in an Open Fitness Model\u00a0class and third in a Masters Bikini Model\u00a0class. \u201cI learned so much about my body\u00a0and how hard I can push myself,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n Early Bird<\/strong><\/p>\n These days, Griffin trains five\u00a0days per week in the off season, starting\u00a0at 4:30 a.m. \u201cThat way, I have no excuse\u00a0not to work out, and I feel great the rest of\u00a0the day,\u201d she says. Griffin follows a bodybuilding-style training split and does cardio\u00a0two to three times weekly. \u201cRunning is my\u00a0favorite, hands down,\u201d she says. \u201cI think I\u00a0like it because it\u2019s so measurable, and I\u2019m\u00a0always working toward a faster pace.\u201d<\/p>\n Think you have what it takes? Send your story to futureoffitness@oxygenmag.com.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Oakville, Ontario, Canada Stats: 34 \u2022 122 lb \u2022 5\u20196\u2033 Gig: Business owner From Fit to Fatigued Karrie-Ann\u00a0Lowry was a hip-hop dancer and athlete\u00a0throughout high school and began weight\u00a0training at 17. She transitioned to running\u00a0half marathons and 10K races in her 20s, and\u00a0she even did a triathlon when she was three\u00a0months pregnant. Then her fitness took a\u00a0turn. \u201cI gained 70 pounds over the course\u00a0of two pregnancies, leading to chronic\u00a0inflammation and pre-diabetes,\u201d she says.\u00a0\u201cI had achy joints and no control over my\u00a0hormones or blood sugar.\u201d Rethinking Nutrition Lowry turned to\u00a0magazines like Oxygen to get back to basics\u00a0and find inspiration, and eventually […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2768,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[114,204,205,206,203,207],"class_list":["post-2767","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-womens-health","tag-healthy-living","tag-mind-and-body","tag-motivation","tag-style-and-beauty","tag-womens-fitness-personalities","tag-womens-health","post--single"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/high-end-life.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2767","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/high-end-life.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/high-end-life.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/high-end-life.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/high-end-life.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2767"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/high-end-life.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2767\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2875,"href":"https:\/\/high-end-life.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2767\/revisions\/2875"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/high-end-life.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/2768"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/high-end-life.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2767"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/high-end-life.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2767"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/high-end-life.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2767"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Mirela Cialai<\/h2>\n
Rae-Ann Dodd<\/h2>\n
Sarah Hoots<\/h2>\n
Sheri Griffin<\/h2>\n
Calling All Fit Women<\/h3>\n