Transformations Series: Kayla Gill

Kayla Gill is your typical 28-year-old, spending her time working out, going to concerts, watching movies, and hanging out with friends and family – oh, and she also happens to be a level 1 trauma emergency room nurse. Kayla has suffered from being overweight her whole life. Although she tried every diet, diet pill, and "lose-weight-quick" scheme in the book, she could not seem to shed the weight. When Kayla became a nurse in 2012, she started paying attention to what she was doing to her body. Day after day she would tell patients to lose weight and stress the importance of living healthy, yet there she sat, almost a mirror image of them. Finally in February 2013, weighing in at 430 pounds, Kayla knew that something needed to change. She decided to take action and completely alter her lifestyle.

"I put myself first and started to love myself and believe in myself. I decided I wanted to stop just existing and start living."

Knowing nothing about working out or proper dieting, Kayla joined a gym and began researching healthy recipes online. Stepping into the gym for the first time was intimidating. Kayla started off using what she knew best: the treadmill. As she walked, she began to build confidence in herself and work her way up to the weight machines: "I started to use every single weight machine that had a how-to picture on the side of it, because, of course, I had no idea what to do otherwise." Kayla continued to exercise and eat healthy, but as her weight loss stuck at 60 pounds, she decided that it was time for another change. She knew she needed to take the next step in her fitness journey, so she joined a new gym where she met her trainer Maril. Kayla was doing great. She enjoyed learning how to build muscle and eat healthy, but some bumps in the road caused her to fall off the wagon. She stopped going to the gym, lost contact with Maril, and stopped losing weight. While she did not gain weight, she was not making the progress she desired. Eight months passed before Kayla was able to find the motivation to work with Maril again, but once she jumped back into the game full force, she never looked back. Starting her job in the ER, Kayla was not prepared for how demanding it would be. She was beginning to find it hard to keep up with her diet, not having the time to stop in the break room for snacks. She needed to find a solution if she was going to meet her goals. Kayla discovered 6 Pack through Instagram; once she saw the meal management bags, she knew she had to have one. 6 Pack has been able to help Kayla maintain a healthy diet by allowing her to keep food-for-fuel with her during long shifts.

"Having all of my meals and snacks in my 6 Pack Bag right beside me has stopped me from buying unhealthy food from the cafeteria and binging on snack machine foods. It's a lifesaver!"

Since beginning her transformation, Kayla has lost 220 pounds, bringing her down to 210 pounds! Kayla works out with Maril 4-5 times a week and follows a healthy diet. She plans to continue her education in nursing, as well as further exploring food and nutrition with the hopes of incorporating this new passion into her career. As of this interview, the past few months had been a tough time for Kayla. While her body measurements and body fat percentage continue to drop, her weight has hit a plateau. She is not discouraged, however, because she chooses to focus on all of the gains she has made since starting this journey.

"I can now do so many things that I couldn't do before, not only because of my weight, but because of my mental state. I'm not scared of living anymore."

Kayla encourages people to remember that there are going to be ups and downs during any fitness transformation journey, but what is most important is that you continue to work hard and believe in yourself because...

"If you don't believe in yourself, then who will?"

With enough dedication and the right tools, you can begin your own fitness transformation. Kayla rocks an Innovator 300; browse all our original meal management bags, gym backpacks, sports duffle bags, and gym totes and start your journey today to find the perfect match for you. Don't forget to check out the rest of our Transformation Series for even more motivation!