Sara and daughter Elle – Photo by Sarah Lyons of PictureGroove

To say that I’m proud of today’s AMAZING transformation is an understatement! Sara Sutherland is a Hitch Fit Transformation turned TRANSFORMER. Since her original transformation back in 2011, she has not only become a part of the Hitch Fit team here in Kansas City (she trains and transforms clients at the Overland Park location), she has transformed the lives of SO many others and is truly paying it forward!! Sara and her husband Dane were blessed with their first child, Elle, in August 2014. Now that fitness is a regular part of Sara’s life, she knew she had to stay active throughout her pregnancy, and she was determined to get back in great shape post pregnancy. I couldn’t have been more delighted when she asked me to be a part of that journey with her! Sara set her sites on competing at the WBFF Kansas City 2015, she wanted to be in her BEST shape ever. She began her transformation journey in December (the show would be in May) so that would give plenty of time to do things gradually and in a healthy way. Sara was also breastfeeding throughout the entire process, so that meant calories were going to have to be high enough throughout in order to support milk production. Sara was amazing throughout her transformation. She was dedicated and found a way to balance a new baby, work life and working towards her fitness goal. At her heaviest weight during pregnancy, Sara weighed in at 230.6 pounds. On May 30, 2015, show day, she weighed in at 145.6 pounds and WOW’d the audience with her 85 pound weight loss! Congratulations Sara on an amazing job!! What an INSPIRATION you are!!

Check out Sara’s feature and At Home Workout Plan in the July/August 2015 issue of Hitch Fit Living Magazine:

Sara’s Stats:

Heaviest Weight During Pregnancy: 230.6

Starting Transformation weight: 180

Ending Transformation weight: 145.6

Starting Transformation Body Fat: 22%

Ending Transformation Body Fat: 9%

Sara’s After Photos by Steven Smith

Sara’s Story:

“The past 10 months have been the most amazing journey of my life to date! In August 2014, we welcomed our first child into the world and she has rocked our world in the best way possible! And here is how it all began…

In November 2011, Hitch Fit became a part of my life in when I purchased my first online program with Diana. After my first transformation, I went on to compete in 4 fitness competitions as well as get certified as a personal trainer to have the amazing opportunity to work with others as a Hitch Fit transformer! When the time came to start our family, I had moments of fear and nervousness as I wondered if I would ever get my body back after baby. After all, I had just spend 2 years consistently in the gym, weighing my food and seeing the changes of my hard work show on the outside. Even with all of these emotions, I KNEW that I was on the right track starting my fitness journey before having kids because it was going to be easier to get back at it after the baby arrived.

Throughout my pregnancy, I did my best to do workouts when I could and ate the best that I could, but let’s be honest… I was far from perfect! Chicken, veggies and protein shakes were the last thing that I craved, which I took that as a sign that my body was rejecting the foods I had been eating so much of!

After our little girl arrived, I was anxious to get back at it. Since I had a c-section, it was 6 weeks without gym time and I had to focus on what I did have control over… what I was eating! I started with a few rules:

Eat whole foods as much as possible
The baby eats = you eat. This keeps you on a 2-3 hour schedule during the day.
Drink 1 gallon of water every single day

Although they are simple, definitely not easy with a newborn but so very important when it comes to taking care of yourself after baby. The laundry, the dishes, and other household tasks can wait! Then, once I received medical clearance to get back to working out, I started with only 2-3 workouts per week for about 30 minutes each. Nothing too strenuous, just listening to my body and doing what I FELT like doing so I would enjoy it!

Flash forward a few months to January 2015, when it became time to start prepping for my return to fitness competitions. I specifically picked the WBFF show in Kansas City for a few reasons: It was where it all began for me in 2012 as the first show that I competed in AND it marked a very specific time milestone. My pregnancy went to 41 weeks and the show was 41 weeks and 5 days from her birthday. I figured if it took 9.5 months to make a child, it could take me 9.5 months to get my body back!

Just like my first transformation and all of my previous competition preps, Diana was the only person in the world that I wanted to have tell me how to get to my goal. She is the best coach, trainer, friend, and mentor that I could ever hope for… and most importantly, the thought of disappointing her tore me up more inside than if I just had to report to myself! Finding that person that makes you more accountable is SO important!

This transformation was going to be different than ones before baby. There were new and different variables in the picture now that definitely changed our approach. First, we started extra early with a 5-month window versus the average of 12- to 16-weeks. Second, my schedule during the day evolved around an infant and not just myself, so finding time to make sure I was prepping food and getting workouts in was a little challenging! Third, my body was expending an extra 600-1000 calories every day by breastfeeding, so keeping an eye on that as I was cutting fat was super important!

The time flew by and show day had arrived. After 2 years in the making, it was finally time to reveal the “new” me! It is still crazy to see all of the photos side-by-side, realize how amazing the human body really is and know that I had complete control over how it was going to look on stage! I am in the best shape of my life, and I owe it all to Diana and Hitch Fit. I will be forever grateful for my experiences as a client and as one of their trainers!

The journey is never easy, but it is ALWAYS worth it! The best words of wisdom that I can share from my experience are:

Do the best you can every day, even if it isn’t perfect
Do not be too hard on yourself
Do not blame your kids! You can absolutely take care of yourself and take care of them!
If you have an established workout routine prior to pregnancy, keep doing what you are doing and listen to your body when it may be time to pull back. Discuss with your medical provider and do what is best for you. I was able to continue heavy strength training until 2 weeks before delivery since that is what my body was used to. I would have went longer, but AJ Ellison was getting a little scared during my 405lb sets on the leg press ;)
Do not wait until after kids to start taking care of your own health! Start now! However, if you do not have an established routine prior to pregnancy, do not start something drastically new once you become pregnant. Walking is a great way to still be active without too strenuous.
If you do breastfeed, BE SURE TO EAT ALL OF YOUR MEALS AND DRINK YOUR WATER! It is not only helpful to keep your supply level where it needs to be, but it also helps ensure you support your metabolic needs to keep you going and fuel your body to produce the milk. It is absolutely possible to build lean muscle, lose the fat and keep your milk supply where it needs to be for baby!
Involve your little one! If you are unable to make it out to the gym, they can be the little extra weight you need to get a really good workout in at home!

If you are in the Kansas City/Overland Park area and would like to train with Sara one on one at the Hitch Fit Gym Overland Park contact her at [email protected] or check out her Trainer Profile here: http://hitchfitgym.com/trainers/overland-park-fitness-training-sara-sutherland/

Check out Sara on Better Kc

Hitch Fit Post Pregnancy Weight Loss Plan – Perfect for Losing Weight While Breastfeeding

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