My journey from overweight to athlete started around five years ago. Those who know me as a young teenager know a different version of me which I feel does not exist anymore. A shy, chubby girl whom thought her abilities were not much.
I spent most of my twenties and early thirties yoyo dieting and trying different kind of sports but none of which made me feel any happy or comfortable with myself as bodybuilding and fitness. Throughout these years however I never stopped working on my inner self to change my weak points and embracing myself to become more positive. Once I was confident and strong from the inside I started to look up how I can change my outside to match my real personality.
It all started by going to the gym and trying different exercises, after a while I felt that I had to take my fitness a step further. This is where I met two beautiful women, my first coach Louise Agius and my nutrition advisor Susan Borg. Both introduced me to my fitness lifestyle on a much better level and till today support me and encourage me. We embarked on a year self project of working hard and eating well. Under their supervision I did my very first photoshoot. It was no easy task to convince me to relax in front of a camera but we were all incredibly happy with the outcome.
At this point I started thinking to take a step further and maybe compete in a fitness competition. This was mid 2019, preparations started, but then covid came and everything stopped. This included my time to shine on stage and most importantly to accomplish my wish to perhaps inspire others to start embracing a fitness lifestyle. In April 2021, things seemed to settle down, so again I started preparing to hit the stage under constant support of my nutrition advisor Susan Borg and fitness coach Isabelle Zahra. Yet, when the time was approaching lock down happened once again. It took me a while to recover from this disappointment but with the incredible support of these amazing women I managed to keep positive and work even harder towards my goals.
A fitness journey is made up of ups and downs, the most important thing is to rise up even stronger when things don’t go the way you plan them. In fact I pulled myself together and once again I am hoping to debut as a national IFBB athlete this August. My fitness journey so far allowed me to meet incredible athletes who inspire me to become a better self. Apart from feeling good and healthy, my main goal is to help other women feel empowered to embrace a healthy lifestyle and follow their dreams. No dream is too big.
If I had to give advice to anyone starting their fitness journey, it would be to get a professional coach to guide them properly. This makes all the difference. Learn to enjoy each step of your fitness process and love yourself, strive for progress not perfection. My fitness journey helped me discover who I am and be proud of it, meet a lot of different people and make amazing friendships which I will cherish throughout my life. Sharing our experiences especially our vulnerable sides helps us become stronger. Honestly, I believe to achieve a body that you feel comfortable with, you first have to work on your inner peace. No fitness regime or number on the scale can give you that. Inner peace is only gained if you start to believe in yourself and in your dreams. However, being healthy leads to become more optimistic towards life, the aesthetic part will follow gradually. Do not focus your success in your fitness journey by how many kilos you lost. Instead be grateful for the energy you gained after a workout, the improvement in your strength and the good feeling of doing something for yourself.
Nowadays, I can’t imagine myself without my healthy food and exercise, they are two basic tools to help me smile and be grateful towards life. Although so far as I said earlier I am still hoping to debut as an athlete, I am more than proud of how much I learned about myself, how stronger I became both physically and mentally but most importantly how I became more conscious of how lucky we are when we love ourselves.
Thank you wham for giving me the opportunity to share my fitness journey from overweight to athlete. If you like to follow my healthy habits and fitness tips I learned so far throughout my fitness experience, follow my Facebook page https://m.facebook.com/BalancedBitesMalta/
Do you have a life-changing experience you’d like to share with us at wham? Contact us or send us an email at [email protected]
Loranne Briffa started her bodybuilding and fitness journey around five years ago and will be debuting as a national IFBB athlete in August 2021. She works as a Computing teacher and believes that women empowering women can help others achieve their goals. Through her writings, Loranne loves to share healthy habits and fitness tips that she learned throughout her own fitness experience.
