There’s a certain magic in waking up at 4:15 a.m. when the world is still asleep.
The streets are quiet, the sky’s still holding its breath, and I’m standing there, coffee in hand, gym clothes on, getting ready to sweat before sunrise.
I used to call it starting over.
Now, I call it rising.
Because I’m not the woman who’s beginning again out of guilt. I’m the woman building something stronger; one early morning, one meal prep, one promise kept at a time.
This week wasn’t about perfect macros or hitting PRs. Week 0 was about getting my mind, body, and environment ready to go all in for the next sixteen weeks.
The Foundation Before the Fire: Prepping for My Plus Size Fitness Journey
I’m calling this my Powerhouse Prep.
Before I even set foot in the gym, I made sure everything in my life whispered “I’ve got you.”
That meant laying out my gym clothes every night, setting my sunrise alarm clock, and filling my fridge with meals that didn’t require a single ounce of willpower at 5 a.m.
Chicken thighs, jasmine rice, roasted veggies, and my new obsession—mackerel. (Yes, I’m officially that woman ordering canned fish in bulk on Amazon.)
And the real game-changer? Sleep.
I used to treat rest like a reward. Now it’s a requirement. My nighttime routine has become non-negotiable; valerian root, magnesium, phone on airplane mode, lights out by 9:30.
Because if I want to train like an athlete, I have to recover like one.
Redefining Beauty and Strength on a Plus Size Fitness Journey
When I was younger, I thought beauty meant being skinny.
I thought if I could just fit into the smallest jeans possible, life would magically become perfect. Spoiler alert: it didn’t.
It took a global pandemic, some serious emotional healing, and one literal collision with a bicyclist (I flew, landed belly-first, and thank goodness my curves broke the fall) to teach me what real strength means.
Real beauty? It’s confidence.
It’s showing up for yourself when no one’s watching.
It’s training for the life you want, not punishing yourself for the body you have.
If You’ve Ever Thought...
“I'm tired of starting over."
“I just want to feel strong again.”
"I want to see someone who looks like me doing this."
Then this is your sign to tune in each week because you’re not alone in this journey, and together we’re rewriting what getting fit looks like.
Get Ready to Rise!
Energy Doesn’t Lie: What My Body Taught Me This Week
Here’s what I learned tracking my macros and mood this week: energy tells the truth.
When I under-ate (like my 700-calorie day), I felt wired but empty.
When I fueled properly, around 1,400 to 1,600 calories with solid protein, my body thanked me with calm energy and better sleep.
The scale dropped from 251.2 to 249.4 pounds, sure. But the bigger shift was internal.
My energy steadied. My mood lifted. My body exhaled like, finally! She’s feeding me again.
Lesson learned: consistency isn’t boring. It’s freedom.
The Rise Begins: Owning This Chapter of My Journey
By Sunday night, I wasn’t chasing motivation anymore. I had momentum.
Meal prep was done. Clothes laid out. Mind quiet.
I realized transformation doesn’t start when you hit the gym; it starts when you decide to believe in your own follow-through.
This week was my reset button, not my redo. The prep before the rise.
And I can feel it in my bones. This is going to be powerful.
Curvy Goddess Pep Talk.
You don’t have to start perfectly. You just have to start prepared.
Fuel your body, honor your sleep, and move like you mean it.
Stop calling it a restart—it’s your rise.
Now tell me in the comments…
👉 What’s your version of getting ready to rise this week?
Ready to Rise with Me on Your Own Plus Size Fitness Journey?
Join me on this 16-week transformation journey!
Every week, I’ll share my progress, lessons, and the real behind-the-scenes of what it takes to lose weight and build strength as a curvy woman—without the diet drama or extremes.
(You’ll get weekly updates, motivation, and tools to help you stay consistent.)
I was going strong for a long time. Moving my body had finally become a real and vital part of my life. Unfortunately, as life sometimes does, I was hit with some mental and physical challenges, and movement took a backseat to just getting through the day.
I’m still not feeling 100%, but I do want to get back to my routine. But, honestly, there’s a big resistance. It’s easier to just stay inert. I could come up with a gazillion reasons not to start again. But for me, the biggest reason to start again is simple: I need to show up for myself.
So, even though I would love nothing more than to lie in bed and doom scroll, I won’t. I’m going to just show up, take it moment by moment, and just do what I can. That’s good enough, and I’m good enough.
I love your reflections. Continue being aware. You’re not resisting how you’re feeling, but feeling those feelings. Do you remember how it felt when you consistently showed up for yourself? How did that feel?
I’ve found myself slipping into bad habits in a lot of areas of my life, so I’m going to use these 16 weeks to clean up more than just my physical health. I believe that getting back to basics and holding myself accountable every day, versus once a week when I step on the scale, will garner great results.
I plan to make the time to get back to my home gym workouts, learn to cook some simple, healthy meals for the nights when my husband gets caught up late at work rather than defaulting to ordering take out, and focus on NSVs as much as I do the number on the scale.
How fabulous! This is an adventure. I love it!
This week I am going to drink mire water and eat healthy. Also going to check out a gym membership. Had hip surgery 1 year ago, so have to start slow
What gym are you thinking of joining? I joined one and the grand opening was yesterday morning. I was like a kid in a candystore! I was so so happy.
This week is about getting back on track. My eating never wavered and has been as healthy as possible and protein stacked. This week has been 2 for 2 so far with a workout slotted for after work. Just finished 3.5 k now to shower and start my work day.
Great for you, Holly! Love to see your successes.
For me I am tired of starting over. I want to get off this merry go round. I need and want to get back on track with my lifestyle change because it is VITAL to my health. I had my gallbladder removed earlier this year. Two weeks after surgery in April, I was at 220lb, now I’m weighing in at 254lbs. I look and feel disgusted. My clothes don’t fit right & I just plain don’t feel good. I am always tired and and I lack motivation to do anything. I want to feel better. I need to take better care of myself, especially now that I have no gallbladder. So my rise for this week is acknowledging that that I need help, and I need to take ownership and accountability for my bad habits and health and what changes I need to make that happen.
I need concrete action steps from you. You’ve already acknowledges that you need help by commenting here. Now take ownership. Real ownership. Take action. What are you going to do this week to show yourself that you own your health and your fitness?
I have very small but important goals to start this week: Add fruit/vegetables to meals, Drink more water (No More Soda), Walk, Move!! These days, it is painful to walk, so doing stretching and Yoga exercises to help alleviate the pain.
Very good, Andrea! I’m glad you replied to my question with more specific targets. Thank you. This will help you.
I may be starting late but my goal for the next 15 weeks is to eat better or in my case, eat more and up my water intake. I’m struggling in those areas. I’m not a snacker of any kind and I only end up eating two meals a day but I make sure that my meals are protein focused and healthy. I brought a 50oz bottle to drink water and trying to drink 2 a day. I’ve only done that 3 times this week. It’s better than what I was drinking. I wasn’t even getting 32oz better. I’m a work in progres