bleulips | the photography blog

The beautiful Sarah is our Scottish Bombshell coming to you today. Let me tell you her husband is one proud man when I read his nomination for his wife it really brought tears in my eyes because you can just feel the love and passion he has for her. It was pretty awesome to see that. I had a blast shooting her with her great friend and my friend as well Erin they really made the session go by fast. Too fast actually LOL .. I can’t wait to work with you again Sarah you are amazing and you look fabulous. Let’s hear what Sarah has to say about her journey and take a look at her before pictures and let’s just say her AFTER photos really are pretty darn awesome because she looks amazing in them

1. Why did you initially choose to lose the weight?

After having my children I never felt like I was “me” I always felt a bit bigger than I should be. I was in denial as to how big I had become. I felt so sad and at one point broke down over feeling so unhappy so I decided there is only one person who can change that. The weight-loss was the start to me changing my life.

2. What were some of the downsides that you experienced in this process?

It’s hard. Really hard. I have lost weight through calorie counting, reducing fat and exercise. There are times when I’ve had a bad day and I just want to eat my bodyweight in chocolate but I am responsible for my weight and everything I put in my mouth.

3. How long have you maintained this weight-loss and what are your goals? 

Again its been hard work. Running in snow, going to the gym at 5am because its the only time I will get as my husband is working and I have three small children.  I have times where I let go and enjoy myself but then I have to work twice as hard to earn them. My goal is to loose another 20lbs and run the london marathon next year.

4. What small piece of advice can you give to the men, women and teen out there with image issues? 

If you are unhappy you have the power to change yourself. The harder you work for it the better you feel when you achieve it.

5. If you could do one thing to pay it forward to someone what would you do? 

If anyone else would like to loose weight or start running/going to the gym and they would like a mentor I’d like to help. I’d take no excuses and they’d have to work hard! At the end of the day it doesn’t matter how fast, how long or the distance so long as you hit that wall and push through it you’re a success

I first met this lovely young lady in HIIT class held on RAF Lakenheath and didn’t know her name at the time but whenever she walked in it was a simple smile, a how ya doing and then butt kick’n time. I was able to form a friendship with her over time while attending the same crochet meet-up group and we became pretty cool instantly. I love her personality and her spunk. I’ve seen her shrink over the time I’ve known her and she just glows. I’ll let you see for yourself. Luckily for me I get to take her pictures again because the oddest thing happened .. she lost more weight prior to her session so her clothes were a little too big on her that she bought the day of LOL. It was so funny and super cute at the same time .. so we get to play a little bit more and I willl be sure show that new gallery too. Did I mention she has like the nices butt EVER .. yah I’m hating on the cheeks. Until then let’s meet the beautiful Shayna Martinek ..

1. Why did you choose to lose the weight?

Like most women, after having a baby the #2 most important thing to taken care of (baby being #1 of course) is to loose the baby weight! I however was looking into a fogged up mirror and didn’t see just how much weight I had gained in this last pregnancy compared to my first. I put off actually working out thinking I was fine chasing a toddler and taking care of a newborn was enough, but when my pants that were loose before my pregnancy started to fit tight I knew I had to make changes, not only for myself but for my little family!

2. What are some of the downsides that you experienced in this process? 

#1 My day to day is so much more busy! I go the gym 3 days a week, then the other days always have other things I have to do. I find “rest” days to be just as much work as working out! #2 I LOVE food and I have become a much better cook which doesn’t help ether. Actually taking the time to think about whether I should eat something, something I know I will enjoy is not fun and to not eat said food is enough more difficult!

3. How long have you maintained this weight-loss and what are your goals?

I have been working out since September 2011. I don’t not a specific weight loss goal but right now my short term goal is to get to a size 8, I would like to be in the single digits! I am very close!! So I have been working on thinking of my next goal!!

4. What small piece of advice can you give to the men, women and teens out there with images issues? 

I have struggled with my body image my whole life due to unkind words spoken to me by various people. It has taken years to FINALLY look in the mirror and say “Shayna you look good!” Learning to love yourself goes miles! I never learned to do, I was never taught that, learn to love yourself and the rest comes naturally!!

5. If you could do one thing to pay it forward to someone what would you do? 

I love the idea of paying it forward! I always find it inspiring when you hear about people getting there coffee paid for in the StarBucks drive threw or getting a co-workers lunch delivered and not having them know it’s you! I’m a giver by nature so I love to give! Paying it forward for me is seeing a need that hasn’t been met and trying my hardest to meet it, even something as simple as paying for someone’s coffee!

I am so proud of you girl .. so proud .. show her some love folks.

This lady that we are going to meet today is very inspiring and has a story that so many of you out there can and will relate to. I remember when I first met Buffy silently. I mean in the gym, just making eye contact and sort of the women’s anthem of “let’s work out in public but hide in the back so no one can see us”. I was that girl and when I first saw her in the Cardio Kickboxing class in the back with me, both of us moving and doing what “we could” I felt safe. I bet you she had no idea how much she inspired me to keep coming back because she was a familiar face in the crowd even though .. we didn’t even know each other. I just felt like I could relate. Fast forward almost a year later I run in to this same woman looking absolutely flipping amazing and I turned to her in Rugby’s and said “You look REALLY good” the woman was beaming. It was Buffy .. the new Buffy. Now let’s read her answers to her journey and what I love about her is that she is honest. Let’s look at her before pictures before her amazing journey to self LOVE.

I’ve been that woman under the knife to get my breast reduced, lifted and I have the scars to prove it but I love my scars, I love the fact that I am HAPPY with being able to go into the store, buy a bra, shirt and something else that fits and I don’t have to get 2 sizes bigger or wear more than 3 bras just to workout. I will let her tell you what her journey meant to her .. let’s meet Buffy:

1. Why did you initially choose to lose the weight? 

 I had struggled with my weight for years. I have arthritis in both my knees. I was caught in a vicious circle. I needed to lose weight for my knees but, my knees hurts so bad it was so hard for me to exercise. I needed to lose weight to get to the point of being able to exercise. After several years of weighing my options, I decided to have gastric bypass surgery in May 2010. It is a very long process to get this surgery. I started it because of my knees but, during the process I was diagnosed with high blood pressure, severe obstructive sleep apnea, and diabetes. All within 2 months. I am happy to report that because of the weight loss, they are all gone now. Also, my knees are in much better shape that I was able to start working out as well.

2. What were some of the downsides that you experience during this process?

A big downside to the surgery is that you are forced to watch what you eat or you become very ill. Everyone knows that weight loss is a struggle and this surgery forces you to do what your will power struggled with. You have no choice. In an instant you life changes forever. I always knew food was mental, I didn’t realize just how much that was true until having this surgery. When I had a melt down over wanting to eat a cheeseburger my husband was grilling, I knew. It really cause me to take a step back and look at my relationship with food.

3. How long have you maintained the weight-loss and what are your goals?

I am now almost 2 years post surgery. I have lost over 100 pounds! I haven’t been able to work out the last few months because of having another surgery and now we are moving. I am looking forward to checking out the gym at our new base and getting back into my routine of working out 5 days a week. I still have about 20 pounds I want to lose.

 4. What small piece of advice can you give to the men, women and teens out there with images issues? 

Just remember, everyone out there has something about themselves they don’t like. It doesn’t matter what you weigh, everyone has insecurities. You are not alone! You have to love you first!! Start off small! Take baby steps and one at a time, you will get there.

5. If you could do one thing to pay it forward to someone what would you do?

I would love to start a support group for people who have gotten the gastric bypass and for people who are considering it. This journey is not something you can do alone. Having that kind of support makes all the difference!!

You look beautiful girl and I’ll be damned if that energy and feeling didn’t come out during your session. So proud of you. Keep going .. xoxo

 

I am so excited to get this party started and kick off these amazing make-over sessions for these awesome ladies. First up let’s meet Tonya one of the big winners of the New You Contest.  A beautiful mom, wife and success story on how hard work, determination and motivation can have you feeling beautiful. Take a look at her before picture that she sent to me with her children.

 

Tonya answered a few questions that I had for the ladies and let’s see what she had to say (her responses are lengthy but really great):

1. Why did you initially choose to lose weight? 

Initially, I was an on and off the wagon type of gal with my weight loss for several years. In July of 2011, my husband deployed and I thought, “now’s my chance to loose all this extra weight and shock him when he returns”. Did he ever complain about my weight? No, but I did not feel as pretty, sexy, or desirable as I once did. He’d been listening to me complain about my weight and having nothing to wear for so long. I really wanted to cause him to pause a second and really look at me.

The kids & I went state-side for 5 weeks and I really did not get started in my ‘completely on the wagon’ journey until September 2011. By then I was my heaviest yet; 160 pounds, only 20 pounds lighter than my Mom and that scared me. She’s battled her weight her whole life and I don’t want to live my life in that battle. Some women look great at 160 and some women aren’t 5 foot 2!  I hated all the pictures that were taken of me over the summer.

By the time I returned to England, I had my game face on and by December; I’d lost around 15 pounds and over 7 inches. I was feeling good. I was seeing changes in my weight, my body, and myself in general. My husband was coming home in January and I’d kept my workouts and weight loss a secret. I couldn’t wait to show him the new ME.  So initially, yes it started off with me wanting to cause my husband to do a double take, but as I got into it and time wore on, it become more about me than him. I began to want this for me, for myself…because I am worth it.

2. What were some of the downsides that you experienced during this process? 

As with anything in life there are always a few downsides. My biggest issue was the fact that I had no motivation or energy for anything. I’d lost all motivation to even do the things I love; like writing or scrapbooking, even my reading habit took a back seat. I was just going through the motions of life and not really living anymore. The good thing is I knew it. I knew I needed a game plan and so I set out to find one.

The other downsides I’ve experienced are:

1. The weight not coming off as fast as you’d like it to. They say, “You didn’t get fat in a day, so you won’t get skinny in one either”. How true that is, but for anyone battling weight – we all want to push fast-forward and when it doesn’t work we get frustrated, mad, discouraged and accidently sit on rewind. You got to let that go and take every single ounce lost as a victory and celebrate it!

2. The dreaded plateau. Everyone has one, maybe two – I don’t know, but what I do know is we ALL hit it. I hit mine at 144 and I stayed there for about 2 months. I got so sick of seeing that 144!!! I did not however let it control me. I controlled it. I kept pressing forward. Determined not to see that number on the scale and every time I did I pushed a little harder, till one day it said 143.6! It was a great day.  Embrace the plateau & then kick its ass. You know the saying, “Keep your friends close and your enemy’s closer” – the weight is an enemy, view it as such. The food is not your enemy – it’s your fuel, use it wisely.

3. Friends & Family – dinner dates, glasses of wine, holidays, – you just got to learn to roll with the punches and say “No”. I really try hard not to purposely hurt people’s feelings, but sometimes “no” is the best for ME.

4. Food – learning about food is time & energy well spent. I’m still learning. It gets frustrating sometimes and you want to say, “Screw it! I’ll have pizza & Pepsi.” When that happens most the time I do exactly that. I indulge a little, not a lot. If I didn’t allow myself to indulge here & there chances are I might give up. So rather than quit, because I am no quitter, I indulge. Then I get up and keep moving forward. Just ask my husband, I think he is still trying to figure out his “new” wife. =)

5. Injuries – be careful of them. Every person who is physically active will experience something wrong. It might be inflammation, a pulled muscle, a sprained ankle – injuries will happen. Be careful and listen to your body. It will tell you when it truly needs rest, so listen.

6. Fear. Afraid I can’t do this, I can’t lift that much weight, I can’t do that many burpees or push-ups, I can’t run that far that fast…fear can really wear you down. Take “can’t” out of your vocabulary and replace it with “I’ll try my best” or “I Can”. Use that “fear” wisely. It’s going to be there, naturally, so rise to the challenge and beat it; it is your biggest competitor.

7. This is the biggest downside for me; Guilt. A lot of times I don’t feel I have the right to complain about my weight. I’m not as big as some people. A lot of times I fear people don’t understand how badly 40 pounds extra has affected me and I am unsure how to make them see what 40 pounds can do to a person. I watch biggest loser and I think how cool it would be to be on that show, try some of those challenges…but I also know I was never big enough to even be considered for it. I am thankful for that, but I want to lose those 40 pounds just as badly as every contestant or anyone else out there trying to lose weight. It is just as important to me.

3. How long have you maintained your weight-loss and what are your goals?

My weight has been decreasing since September 1^st 2011. My next mini goal is to be 132 pounds by April 23^rd, my 32^nd birthday. The day Sasha took my photos I weighed in at 141.2 and on April 1^st I weighed in at 138.2. For the month of March I lost 4.6 pounds. To reach my mini goal I need to lose 6.2 pounds. It’s a big number for me to pull and I’m going to be on vacation in Spain for a week – but I am going to push hard and I am going to reach it.  May 13^th – I’m going to spend my Mother’s Day doing my first ever Mud Run. I may do another in June. July 29^th – I am doing the Spartan Challenge and if I am still here, October 28^th – I am doing the Run to the Beat ½ Marathon in London. Anyone want to join me?  I would like to reach my final goal weight of 120 or be within 5 pounds of it, by July 1^st. On July 4^th, I am going to have my own Independence Day and celebrate my weight loss with a fashion makeover. I do not want a tummy tuck or breast lift. Not anything that is going to scar my body. I do not know a lot about fashion. I don’t really care if what I am wearing is “in fashion” this season or not. I do want to know is what colors look best on me and what styles of clothing fit me for me, my shape, and who I am. It’s been a long time since I weighed 120, back then the tighter, shorter, sexier – seemed to be the way I went. I don’t want to be that Mom that my kids are embarrassed to be around because she either looks trashy or frumpy. I want to look nice, to feel confident, and to not just be comfortable in my own skin, but my clothes too.  I am also considering becoming a Personal Trainer and this is the first mention of it…publicly.

4. What small piece of advice can you give to the men, women and teens out there with image issues? 

First and foremost: Real people do not look like those the media shows you! The media is one of the biggest reasons why people today face image problems. Ignore the media; you are uniquely made and beautiful. Right now you might feel like a blank canvas, plain, fat, boring…right? So get up and paint your image for YOU and you alone. Not what the media says, not what your friends/family say…but for you.

Secondly, don’t give up! Get up and go for a walk, it may only be 5 minutes, but get up and do it. Just start moving. Don’t let someone tell you that you can’t. You can!  Each day dig a little deeper, push a little harder. Find out what you are made of, what you are a capable of and just how beautiful you truly are. It’s not the skinny person inside of you that’s dying to get out, it’s the beautiful one.

Third, keep trying new things, so that you do not get bored or lose motivation. I’ve done so many things in the last 7 months that I’ve never done before in my life and it feels so good! Every time a new event rolls around I rise to the challenge to keep myself motivated and to see what I can do. Not to win, but to finish.

Fourth, find a workout buddy, hire a personal trainer, take a new gym class, and get active with your family. A lot of workout DVD’s out there say, “Give up your gym membership” – okay if you can honestly workout every day in your home and drip with sweat – then you do that, but if you are like me you’ll do it for 2 weeks and miss a day. Then you’ll miss another and another and before you know that 5 pounds you lost is back to haunt you. Get off your couch and get outside. Walk, Skip, and then Run.

And lastly, listen to Katy Perry’s Firework – and show me, your family, your friends, and most of all yourself what you are worth and how beautiful you really are!  I love this quote: “Fitness is unselfish me time” – go get yours!

5. If you could do one thing to pay it forward to someone what would you do?

Encourage, encourage, encourage. Share my story with you. Work out with you. Invite you to the gym with me – you may hate me after, but that’s okay. Walk with you or run with you. Push you, make you dig a little deeper. Most of all I’d do my very best to encourage people because it’s what I’m good at. However, my encouraging will only go so far. You have to really want it for yourself before it will all start to truly change for you. You have to decide you are worth it. I can tell you that you are, but until you decide it; you probably won’t believe it. I can want weight-loss for you, but I can’t get it for you. I can be your friend, I can walk beside you and encourage you…but you have to do the work to succeed. Most of all, it is a life-style change, not a diet. If you want to change your life you will succeed. If you want to diet, you will diet, and diet, and diet.

In December 2011, I ran my first ½ marathon with my sister Holly. Our goals were:

1. To finish.

2. To do it in under 4 hours.

3. To inspire & encourage our mother.

My Mom hurt her foot badly and had to have surgery. She’d lost about 50 lbs and since the injury it has all come back to haunt her. She wants to lose weight so badly that I know as soon as she is healed…she is going to be unstoppable.

My question to you is: How unstoppable are you?

Now let’s see the NEW Tonya .. 

 

 

Congratulations Tonya and keep up the AMAZING work. Come back every day this week for a new transformation story.

I have 3 more beautiful ladies to capture for their New You Look .. so be on the look out in the future for sessions with the lovely Lisa Trail, Cindy Nelder and Jacelyn Duvall. The second New You contest is coming up .. so if you would like to be featured for your weight loss success and goal mission then have your friends be on the look out so they can pay it forward. 

KEEP ROCK’N. 

Had the pleasure of working with fellow photographers Heather Estes of Heather Lee Photography for one of my mini sessions. They were seriously full of spunk and personality. I loved every bit of it. Here are just a few sneak peaks inside their session .. now off to transport these memories and pass them over to mom and dad .. be sure to check out the link above to see Heather’s work xoxo