Weight loss success stories: Jillian Montes

Are you one of those people that are blessed with “good genetics” which means that you can eat whatever

you want and never gain weight or excess body fat, but you wouldn’t mind getting a bit more toned or lean?

Or, have you been working out for a while and you feel that you could challenge your body a little bit more? If yes, you will be inspired by the weight loss success story of Jillian Montes.

Jillian decided that even though she was in relatively good physical shape, she could kick her fitness routine up another notch and “push” her body to a whole new level. And, boy, did she do just that!

Jillian lost 20 lbs., 30 inches and 17% body fat in 3 1/2 months despite being a wife, working a full-time job, and running her own fitness company–amazing!

This is definitely one of my favorite weight loss success stories because Jillian proved that once you accomplish one dream, you can always dream up BIGGER dreams or goals so that you don’t become complacent. And, if you’re willing to work hard and make the neccessary sacrifices, there’s nothing that you cannot accomplish.

In the following Q/A, Jillian describes her weight loss story and how she was able to achieve such amazing results in greater detail…

Before	After

1) When did you decide to lose weight?

I’ve worked out about 3 times per week for many years doing cardio/aerobic workouts. But I decided to punch it up a notch (well a big notch doing the competition as well) and hire a personal trainer/nutritionist

at the beginning of August 2009.

2) Why did you decide to lose weight?

I decided to hire my trainer initially for my fitness company since I am the face of the company and wasn’t in “great” shape, just good shape. I wanted to look great and feel great, not just good anymore. I was sick of seeing the little extra fat on my body that I knew didn’t have to be there.

3) When you started your weight loss journey, what specific changes, if any, did you make to your environment to support your goal?

I told EVERYONE. And I mean my family, friends, co-workers, everyone. And the majority of them really supported me and the ones that didn’t I just ignored their comments. The major changes were my eating habits, but I also started drinking a lot more water, not drinking ANY alcohol and weight lifting in conjunction with doing more cardio than I already was doing.

4) In order to lose weight, what specific changes, if any, did you make to your eating habits?

I already ate very well when it came to my actual meals, but I was eating “bad” snacks in between those meals, which I had to stop immediately. I also went on a very specific plan that my trainer, who is also a fitness nutritionist, put me on eating a certain amount of protein, veggies, and carbs per day. I also started eating 5 meals per day which I wasn’t used to doing.

5) When you decided to lose weight, what specific lifestyle changes did you make, if any, to support your goal?

I had to stop drinking alcohol which wasn’t that hard considering I wasn’t a big drinker to start. I started cooking a lot more food and was literally cooking everyday and planning all of my food for each day, which I’ve never done before.

6) What specific challenges did you face after your started your weight-loss journey, and how did you overcome them?

The biggest challenge was my cravings. And I only craved peanut butter (funny, huh!). But man, when I got a hold of a jar of PB, half would be gone in one sitting. So I had to completely stop buying it for a while until those cravings subsided.

7) How did you stay motivated throughout your weight-loss journey?

Hiring my trainer was the best thing I ever did cause she held me accountable. Also, challenging myself to do my first Figure Competition kept me going cause I really wanted to win and had to push myself further than I probably would have if I was just trying to get fit.

8) What specific setbacks did you face, if any, d uring your weightloss journey and how did you overcome them?

I honestly didn’t really have any set-backs until after the competition. After the competition I started eating not as healthy as I was while training those 3 1/2 months for the show. But I apparently didn’t do as bad as some other women that I competed against as I only gained 8 lbs. since the show and other women have gained double that amount.

9) Did you seek professional help (such as, a personal trainer/nutritionist)in order to achieve your weightloss goals? If so, how did you go about find “help.”

Yes. I hired my trainer/nutritionist when I decided to do this in a bigger way than I had been doing years prior. I found her at the gym that I was teaching my workout class at. I asked a few of the other trainers who I should speak to and told them what my goals were and they all recommended I work with my trainer.

10) What did you do specifically in order to lose the weight?

Changed my diet, added additional vitamins/herbs/supplements (all natural), weight lifting and more cardio. I was weight lifting 5 times per week and doing cardio every day for about an hour to an hour and a half. I literally did not take a day off except when I got sick for 5 days during those 3 1/2 months.

11) How much weight did you lose? How long did you take to lose the weight?

I lost 20 lbs., 30 inches and 17% body fat in 3 1/2 months.

12) How has your life changed after losing weight?

I feel amazing – inside and out. I have more energy and I have more confidence. For the first time in my life I actually flaunt my body (lol). Also, I am looking into becoming a fitness model which was never a thought in my mind prior to doing this.

13) How do you go about maintaining your new body weight?

Continue to workout 5-6 days per week, but not as intense as I was doing while training for my competition. I weight lift 4 days per week and do cardio between 4-6 days per week. Also, eating the right foods is extremely important. I’ve come to realize that the food is about 80% of why you loose/maintain weight loss and the rest is working out. It’s amazing how that really is true.

14) Do you find it difficult to maintain your new body weight? If so, how?
Not really. I just eat well and I still eat either 4-5 meals per day. I workout about 5 days per week.

15) What are 3 tips/advice you would give someone that’s trying to lose weight?

Tip 1: Stay focused. Don’t loose site of your goal. Remember why you’re doing it.
Tip 2: Just get passed the first 2 weeks and you’re pretty much home free.
Tip 3: If I can do it, You can do it!

16) What was your life situation when you decided to lose weight? For example, were a stay-at-home mom, married, any children, and so on?

I am married, 31 years old. I have a business (my fitness company) and one full-time job, so I work 6 days per week. Sundays were my days off to spend time with my husband and family. We also own our home and have a few rentals, so we are always keeping up with that as well.

To be honest, when I started on this journey I didn’t realize it would basically turn into a part-time job with all of the hours I put into it each day. It was taking about 3 hours per day between working out and preparing my food.

But now, off season from the competition and just maintaining, I spend about 1 1/2 to 2 hours per day, but it is still work and well worth it.

17) Did you have the support of your family and friends after you decided to lose weight?

Very much so. My husband was so wonderful. He would cook a lot of my meals, go grocery shopping for me and just support me overall. I was working a lot, so he was a huge help.

18) How has your successful weight-loss affected or inspired the people in your life?

I’ve inspired quite a few of my family members and friends to start eating better, working out either at home or the gym and even ask me if I would train them. When I shared my before and after photos with my friends who live in other cities that weren’t able to see me during my transformation, they were stunned with my success and so proud of me.

I’ve had 3 of them ask if I could help them loose weight. One of them is pregnant and wants me to help her loose her baby weight after she gives birth. I’ve even inspired other women at the gym I work out at. It’s just so awesome – the whole thing. I initially did this for my company www.soboFitness.com, but it became so much more than that.

Wasn’t that a great weight loss story? Absolutely. Great job Jillian!

Read More Weight loss Success Stories

Disclaimer: The article above is for information purposes only. Always consult with your physician before engaging in any exercise or weight loss program.