When Fitness Is Bigger Than Self: Changing Lives of Others

By Lily Thorig

My fitness journey began in late December of 2013. I was a 30-year-old stay at home mother of 2 and was severely over weight. At just 5'1, I weighed 204lbs which is a lot for a small girl to carry. After having my second child and making the decision to quit my job as a teacher, I started to be less active and began to gain weight - and fast!

I was never into working out much, other than going to my local gym and going on the elliptical for about 20 minutes tops. Of course, that was not doing anything for me because I didn't understand how to work out and most importantly, I didn't understand how to eat right.

I must credit my son, Landon, who was only five at the time, for giving me a wakeup call. He had just started kindergarten and would be very aware and vocal about how different I looked from his friend's moms who were fit, in shape, and "skinny" as he would say.

I would pick him up from school, and he would openly say, "mom! You're the chubbiest of all my friend's moms! I want you to be skinny".

After hearing this often, I realized that I needed to make my health a priority. I wanted to be the kind of mom my kids would be proud of. I didn't want my son to think of me as a chubby mom, and I knew I needed to lead by example. Kids mimic their parents, and I did not want obesity to be in my children's future.

I had a fire within me, and I would not stop until I turned my life around.

I was determined to lose the weight and make better nutrition choices not only for myself but for my family as well. This is when I found Erick Salgado and The Camp Transformation Center.

A friend of mine had gone through the program, and I saw she had amazing results. I wanted that. I was ready for that. I joined as a member in January 2014, which ended up being the best decision of my life.

The Camp provided me with guidance in nutrition, effective HIIT workouts and all the support I needed to succeed. This soon became a lifestyle change, and I was not going to turn back.

I changed the way I would cook for my family. I learned how to meal prep and cook whole foods vs. processed foods. I worked out 5-6 times a week, and I quickly fell in love with my new daily routine. I had found a new passion I never knew existed. Not only did I make a lifestyle change for myself but also for my family.

In just 7 months of starting my journey, I had lost over 70lbs. I was in the best shape of my life and felt amazing! I could see the muscle definition in my body and found a confidence I didn't have before.

I had transformed not only on the outside but the inside as well.

Fast forward to today, I have not only been able to keep the weight off but was given the opportunity to work at The Camp. I am now Co-District Director for six of their gyms. I am also currently working on getting my ISSA personal training certification and am excited to see what the future holds for me.