When it comes to fitness, most of us don’t know what really works. So, I interviewed one of my best friends and fitness queen, Kalea, to share some of her most effective health and fitness advice.
Her Campus (HC): What provoked your fitness journey?
Kalea Shemelya (KS): Starting in fifth grade I struggled with being bullied for my teeth, my height and the biggest one: my weight/body. I dealt with bullying all through middle school and into the first years of high school. I was told by multiple people, “Oh they are just messing with you”. Then someone posted negative things about me on an Instagram page. That’s when it really started to affect me. I would make up excuses to get out of going to school. Then one day during my junior year, I looked at myself in the mirror and decided that it was time to do something. I knew the reason shouldn’t be so others would stop making fun of me, but so that I could feel better and more confident in myself. So, the summer before my senior year, I went off the grid. I spent six days a week working out, eating right, stretching and taking care of me. By the beginning of the senior year, I was 37lbs down from eight months prior. I felt SO good. In total, I lost 48 pounds in a little over a year.
HC: How did everyone around you react to your weight loss?
KS: A lot of people commented on my weight loss. Some people who bullied me actually wanted to start going to the gym with me or asked me to help them lift. Others even continued to try to get under my skin. When some people see you happy and more confident in yourself, they’ll try to tear you down even more. In the end, I think that seeing everyone’s reaction really didn’t affect me like you’d think because I knew I’d made a lifestyle change for myself and no one else.
HC: How have your nutrition and eating habits changed through your journey?
KS: In the beginning, I thought I needed to eat the bare minimum to lose weight, so I tracked every single calorie and macronutrient. But after I began researching, I realized that our bodies need food to lose weight. I discovered what I really enjoyed eating for my protein sources, fat sources and carbohydrate sources. I even made my own meal plan which includes a very balanced diet full of lean proteins, lots of fruits and vegetables and you CANNOT forget the carbs. I eat a really healthy and balanced diet, but you cannot deprive yourself of foods that you really enjoy. It’s all about portions and mindful eating.
HC: What type of workouts really helped you achieve your fitness goals?
KS: My starting goal was to lower the fat percentage of my body. I did a mixture of lifting and HIIT/LISS cardio. This combined with a calorie deficit got me to where I wanted to be.
HC: Do you have any fitness role models that you would recommend others follow on social media?
KS: Whitney Simmons. Her YouTube videos were the main ones I used when I started out. I was clueless!
HC: Where did you learn to do lift and how did you educate yourself?
KS: CrossFit was what gave me some insight on more compound movements and heavy lifting. After doing about a year and a half of CrossFit, I kind of got the hang of lifting and I was able to transform the CrossFit workouts into my own personal workouts.
HC: Does your future career path involve fitness?
KS: My dream would be to open my own gym. I don’t know if I would want to become a physical trainer, but we will see where the world takes me.
HC: Why haven’t you started your own page?
KS: I’ve considered it but there are a few reasons why I didn’t. I knew that it was going to be rough and people were going to make fun of me. Based on my past, I wasn’t sure if I could take any more negativity. Also, I am not trying to be like everyone else and make a fitness page just because I like to work out. Nevertheless, I help my friends and their friends, keeping it just between us.
HC: What’s your preferred style of motivation?
KS: Encouragement can come from so many things; everyone starts working out for a reason. Whenever you are lacking the motivation, (as cliche as it sounds) you need to remember the reason why you decided to start. Honestly, I do not have the motivation to work out every day but sometimes you just have to remind yourself how it will make you feel afterward. Additionally, I like to journal. Every month, I will kind of set aside three fitness goals and write down why I want to achieve those goals. I continuously refer back to those goals and remind myself why I wrote them down.
HC: Fitness myth that YOU believe needs debunking?
KS: There are so many BUT lifting weights doesn’t make you bulky, it gives your body some shape. The only way to really get “bulky” is if you bulk up your diet, eat in a calorie surplus and have heavy training sessions.
HC: Favorite workout songs/ music genre?
KS: Oh man, I have to listen to rap/Hip Hop when I lift. I listen to a lot of old school Eminem.
HC: Favorite day?
KS: LEG DAY IS THE BEST DAY! There is nothing like back squatting or deadlifting, I promise.
HC: Looking back, what would you tell your old self?
KS: I would tell myself that every day isn’t going to be a breeze and it may even be physically and mentally draining. But at the end of the day, it’ll be worth it.
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