“I am glad I didn’t quit” – Sofia’s story

Sofia had always enjoyed working out for the mental and physical benefits that moving her body had to offer. But admittedly, she was eating out too often and lacked structure to truly see just how far she could push her limits. 

That’s when she decided to sign up for the Transformation Challenge. Her goal wasn’t just to lose those last stubborn pounds – she wanted to get stronger, embrace structure, master Pullups, and discover just how far she could go. Here’s her story:

“Growing up, I didn’t do any sports. I always felt like I wanted to, but there was no one in my environment doing it, and I wasn’t even sure how to start.

Finally, in my mid-twenties, I started going to the gym and really got into lifting weights. I kept at it for six years and got pretty strong. I also like trying new things, so over time I picked up many different sports, from HIIT to bouldering, and kept very active. So this part of my life was already in check.

Nutrition-wise, my understanding of it was pretty decent, as I studied it in my gym years and was used to prioritizing protein and avoiding highly processed foods.

However, living in a fun and outgoing city like Barcelona, where meeting friends is a several-times-a-week affair that tends to happen over food and drinks, what was meant to be good nutrition was marred by eating out (and ordering in) many times per week.

On top of that, if you eat out at night mid-week, especially if you also get a drink, it means going to bed late. Looking back at those times, I realize I often sacrificed my sleep to socialize late and wake up for work early.”

“Ever since I started doing sports, I saw that it works like a math formula. If you actually put the right variables in – consistent training, progressive overload, enough protein – the result follows.

My gut feeling was telling me that if I stuck to the formula, I could achieve any result I wanted. At the same time, I felt like my progress was only “good enough.” Even though I was improving, the process had slowed down. It made me realize that something was missing in my formula, and I needed a push to find out what it was.

When I was applying for the Transformation Challenge, I tried to remember what I ate that week. And I counted more croquettes and ice creams than I’d like to admit. I realized that even if I thought I knew about nutrition, in practice, it could be much better.

I also had a bonus goal of learning Pullups. I thought I was meant to be able to do them, having upper body strength and a relatively small body, but I was actually never able to do even one, and didn’t know how to get there.”

“My biggest fear was that I would not be able to stick to the requirements and would drop out. It was not about anything specific, like exercises or diet, just about having enough discipline to follow through.

Fitness is not only about training – it has several components. And to put all of them into practice, you need discipline.

The first two weeks were the hardest.

First, you need to make a schedule to plan all your workouts and healthy meals. I had to reinvent some of my habits because I was used to eating out often, and now I had to relearn cooking and prepping food in advance so I could take my own lunch to the office.

Then, at the very beginning, an unforeseen event meant I couldn’t do two workouts or follow my planned meals. At that moment, it felt like everything had gone wrong, and I felt like quitting.

But in the fitness routine of every person in the world – from an occasional gym-goer to an elite athlete – there are unforeseen events like home emergencies or sickness. What matters is getting back on track once they pass.

I am glad I didn’t quit and continued. From that point onwards, it actually became easy, as I got into the routine.

Starting is hard. Resuming after a hiccup is even harder. But if you do these two, everything else is actually easy-peasy.”

“I used to always eat out at restaurants for lunch, which is quite common in Barcelona, where I live. During the Transformation Challenge, I started bringing my own healthy lunch and snacks into the office.

For the first time, I brought my own food onto the plane, started taking my own snacks when going to the beach, and packed a lunch with me when I went to a museum. I never did it before. It kind of never occurred to me that this was possible.

Now I see how convenient this actually is. This way, you can make sure you’ll be properly fueled and won’t have to pick up some junk when you get hungry, since you never know what kind of food is going to be available in such places.”

“One thing I didn’t really expect the challenge would give me is that I started to feel much more energetic. I was pretty much never tired during the course of the transformation, despite the frequent and demanding training.

I attribute this energy to not drinking alcohol and eating a more balanced diet with sufficient carbs. One thing many of us don’t realize is that even one drink can make us feel less energetic and less motivated to stick to our planned routine.

It is much easier to suddenly decide to skip the gym the following morning just because we “don’t feel like it.” The motivation is gone.

Another issue I see over and over is that people, especially women, often undereat carbohydrates when trying to achieve a better shape. We have all been told that we should reduce carbs, but I believe that this is misguided. Carbs (from proper food, not ultra-processed) give us energy and prevent us from crashing and getting cravings later.”

“I achieved and probably over-achieved my goals.

My diet has become what I would consider very clean and balanced. And I didn’t just learn to do a Pullup, now I can do ten of them in a single session, something I could never have imagined when I started the challenge – or ever before.

When the Transformation Challenge ended, I felt happy, accomplished, inspired, and like I could take on the world. I asked myself, “What now?”

Almost immediately, I had the internal answer that I wanted to continue with the new routine but with small adjustments: 80% strict with training and nutrition, and 20% flexible to allow for social life and hobbies. By that time, the routine had actually become my second nature and seemed easy.

On top of that, I felt like I needed a new goal. Fitness had been a long-time passion of mine, and doing the challenge made me go even deeper into it.

At first, I didn’t know what my new goal was going to be, so I decided not to push it and let it come to me. After a couple of months, through meeting new people, the goal came to me – I decided to run my first Spartan Race.”

“Following the Transformation Challenge, I am continuing the clean eating philosophy. I don’t really believe in short-term diets. To me, a diet is not something temporary – it is a lifestyle and a sustainable habit.

I prioritize stocking up on whole, unprocessed foods. This way, I always have the ingredients for cooking a complete healthy meal and feel less tempted to order in.

To be able to juggle a full-time job with training, social life, and cooking, I batch cook the base parts of my meals. This way, I can throw a meal together in under 15 minutes. I rotate between bringing my own lunch to the office and eating out with my colleagues, which is a good balance for me.

And I love my new habit of taking my own food with me on flights and other trips, which makes me feel healthier and less dependent on the availability of cafes.”

“Don’t aim to never miss a workout or eat perfectly every day. Aim to always come back. Consistency isn’t about perfection. It’s about getting back after a slip.”