Transformations Series: Kerri Roy

Persistence is the reward to success, and nowhere is that more evident than in the real life fitness transformation stories we share in our Transformations Series. With hard work, a meal management system, and belief in yourself, anything is possible. Today we meet Kerri Roy, a young mother of two who lost over a hundred pounds and dropped from a size 26 to a size 2! Kerri's fitness transformation began June of 2010, and she traces her desire to turn her life around to 3 crucial points. The first was the presence of a close friend who was extremely dedicated to nutrition and the gym, to the point that his enthusiasm was infectious. He never pushed Kerri, but always answered her questions. The second was her realization that the activity involved in playing outside with her 4-year-old soon left her too tired and forced him to play alone. The third was her growing anxiety and panic attacks when around people; she felt that everyone around her was just focusing on her weight, and she eventually reached a point where she had to be on multiple medications just to leave the house. Enough was enough. Kerri knew she couldn't sustain her current life; the time was finally right to make a change. The biggest hurdle for Kerri was stepping into a gym for the first time. "My anxiety was [so] awful, I threw up outside before heading in, but [I] knew it was time to do this," Kerri told us. Her biggest inspiration to this day is, and always will be, Dana Linn Bailey. Kerri admires her because she's so focused, motivated, and always promotes the idea that the only person you should compete against is yourself.

"That motto helped me realize that I was not [at the gym] to compete with the size 0 girls, but to compete with myself and do better than I had the day before. It helped get my anxiety under control and focus on me instead of everyone else."

Kerri now works out 6 days a week, ranging from free weights to floor exercises. Her original weight was 255 pounds at a size 26, and she is now at a cool 127 pounds and a size 2! Her diet focuses mainly on protein, and she's not interested in losing more weight. Eating large meals is hard for her, so she constantly eats throughout the day to get in enough calories and protein. Cue 6 Pack, which Kerri was introduced to through Dana Linn Bailey's website. Kerri loves her bag because it makes packing for work every day much easier. She spends a lot of time on the road and it's incredibly tempting to just stop at a fast food place to grab something quick to eat.

"With 6 Pack Bags, my food is right there and ready."

It's never too late to start a fitness transformation, and Kerri urges, "Some sort of exercise is better than nothing." She also highlights the importance of people going through major transformations to be doing it for themselves and striving to reach their own goals. Sometimes loved ones can mean well, but come off as negative.

"Stay positive and keep your end result in mind. Use whatever keeps you motivated nearby - for me, a picture of DLB."

One aspect to her fitness transformation that Kerri found particularly interesting is society's response to it. The way she is treated now in the supermarket, how people speak and even look at her, is completely different. She experienced a great deal of mental changes during her transformation; she adds that she's far from done, as that. We're beyond thrilled at the role our meal management system has played in Kerri's incredible fitness transformation, and we applaud all the hard work it took her to get to where she is today, 4 years later. As for what's next, Kerri would love to enter her first fitness competition in the next year or two. Good luck, Kerri – we'll be cheering you on every step of the way!