After the end of the Covid lockdown, I knew it was time to make a change. I joined Showcase Strength and Fitness, hoping to regain some sense of normalcy and start focusing on my health. At first, my weight loss journey was slow. I didn’t immediately jump into drastic changes, but simply getting into the gym was a step in the right direction.

However, it wasn’t until last year that I decided to take my weight loss more seriously. As I started to focus more on my fitness, I realized that weight lifting was the key to transforming my body. Cardio alone wasn’t going to get me the results I wanted — I needed to build muscle and reshape my body from the inside out.

Weight lifting allowed me to do just that. Over time, I grew stronger, both physically and mentally. It gave me the confidence to push myself and stay consistent, even on the days when progress felt slow.

Alongside my workouts, I revamped my diet, placing an emphasis on eating high-protein meals. I knew that in order to fuel my workouts and recover properly, protein was essential. My diet became focused on lean meats, fish, eggs, and other nutrient-dense foods that kept me feeling full and energized.

The combination of weight lifting and a protein-rich diet helped me see steady progress, not just on the scale but in how I felt overall.

Earlier this year, I decided to challenge myself even further by entering a Body Transformation Challenge. This was an opportunity to push myself harder than ever before. Throughout the challenge, I saw noticeable changes in my strength, my physique, and my mindset. It was a test of discipline and commitment, but in the end, I made a lot of progress.

While I’ve made significant strides, I am still working toward reaching my ultimate goal of a healthy weight. The Body Transformation Challenge helped me see just how far I’ve come, but it also reminded me that fitness is a continuous journey. I’m not done yet, but I’m closer than ever before to achieving the healthy, strong body I’ve been working for. Each day is another step forward, and I’m excited to keep going.

When I first embarked on my 12-week body transformation journey in July, my goals were, to put it mildly, unrealistic. I imagined shedding 10 to 15 pounds in the very first week. I approached the challenge with the same mindset I had in the past, relying on quick fixes and fad diets like keto or diet pills. In those moments, I chased results without considering the bigger picture—the lifelong commitment to health and well-being. This time, however, something was different. I've experienced true hardship before. I had escaped a domestic violence situation, a chapter of my life that still carries deep emotional weight.

In the wake of that, I turned to keto, a diet that helped me lose 100 pounds in a short time. But the following year, I regained all the weight. That loss and subsequent gain were a blow to my self-esteem. Guilt and disappointment weighed me down, and I fell into the trap of binge eating, compounding the issue.

The catalyst for this transformation came as an unexpected birthday gift from my best friend, Danielle. For my 32nd birthday, she gave me the most meaningful present: the opportunity to rebuild my health. She signed me up for this 12-week challenge, knowing how much I love a good competition. Shortly after, my friend Brittany gave me 12 weeks of training sessions with Carolyn, a trainer who became a beacon of hope. Carolyn has been nothing short of a lifesaver. Unlike the quick-fix solutions of my past, she helped me set realistic goals and provided unwavering motivation.

She wasn’t just a trainer; she was someone I could relate to on a personal level. I shared my struggles with her—how my relationship with food had become unhealthy, how the past haunted me, and how guilty I felt about my weight gain. Carolyn's empathy, paired with her expertise, created a safe space for me to confront these struggles and build lasting habits.

When I started, I was battling a knee injury, which added another layer of challenge. Yet Carolyn, ever mindful of my limitations, adjusted our training sessions accordingly. I remember a breakthrough moment amid the competition: I was doing lunges, and for the first time, my knee didn’t hurt. As I completed the set, I burst into tears. But they weren’t tears of pain or frustration—they were tears of triumph. I was crying because I was capable, and for the first time in a long while, I realized just how strong my body could be.

This journey wasn’t just physical; it was emotional and mental. In the beginning, my focus was solely on losing weight. But over time, my mindset shifted. I became more attuned to the deeper, more meaningful changes: building strength, overcoming mental barriers, and creating habits that would last a lifetime. My goals evolved from quick fixes to sustainable health.

A major part of this journey has been the impact on my daughter. My eight-year-old is proud of me in ways I can’t fully describe. She started coming to the gym with me every chance she got. Not only did she enjoy working out, but she also witnessed her mother’s transformation—not just in physical appearance, but in spirit. She saw me become healthier, more active, and more present. This journey has shown her that change is possible, even when it feels difficult. We changed our diets at home focusing on more balanced meals and adding protein where we can.

For instance, I subtly add cottage cheese to every item by blending it and putting it in the sauce. We switched sour cream to Greek yogurt. We added protein to our breakfast and added veggies where we could. I wanted my daughter to see there are little switches we can make to help our health, and we don’t have to restrict ourselves to treats either. I made protein pudding and changed our milk to Fairlife.

Looking back at these 12 weeks, I am forever grateful for the experience. The competition itself may have been the initial motivation, but what I’ve gained is far more profound. I’ve learned that success is not about rapid weight loss or extreme diets—it's about creating a lifestyle that fosters health, self-love, and balance. I’m not just lighter in weight; I’m lighter in spirit, free from the guilt and disappointment that once held me back. This transformation has built a foundation of habits that will last a lifetime.

Where to begin?! I suppose the basics and how I ended up here, writing about the journey I recently found myself on. My name is Jennifer Gibbons. I’m a 45yr old local business owner and have spent the last 25 years married to my best friend, Brian. Together we have 5 children ranging in age from 24-9 months. As you can imagine, time is not something I have much of. Our children are involved in competitive soccer, boxing and weightlifting. Because of our schedules, and endless list of responsibilities we would regularly find ourselves stopping for fast food, choosing quick, unhealthy meal options and eating all the processed junk you’re not supposed to.

Why? Because it tastes good, it’s easy and takes away from the already overwhelming responsibilities at the end of a very long day. Working out wasn’t an option. There was no time, there was always something else that was more of a priority and any other of the million excuses you can make. But, let’s face it, we haven’t been setting a good example for our kids and we haven’t been teaching them good habits.

Weightlifting is what led me to Showcase Strength & Fitness. A friend referred me to Jordan and his gym for a teen weightlifting program my son, Conner, participated in. This is how I learned of the transformation challenge and ultimately not only became a participant but managed to convince my husband into joining to help become the best, healthiest version of ourselves and set a better example for our children to follow.
Together, we pushed each other, meal prepped and committed to changing our lifestyle.

I’ve worked out in the past but busy schedules, pregnancy and now an infant proved to create multiple challenges. This was a reset for me… starting over. It was difficult but it was a priority. Showcase and its members proved to be a great support and community for not only myself but for my husband and son as well. The transformation challenge was a great platform to assist our whole family in making healthier choices when it comes to working out, staying active and building healthy habits.

I have been thinking for months on how to start my essay. However, I figured I would just focus on these last few months of the Challenge and the reason I joined it. Last year I fell into a deep depression, gained 30 pounds and felt like a failure. I finally got help earlier in the year and was starting to feel more like myself. June hit and I saw the transformation challenge and knew I needed to do something. Started the challenge and our family went through one of the worst times in our life. Basically, our dog died suddenly on a Friday, we had a Funeral for our Cousin (who was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer in April) on Saturday and that evening we had to drive our first born off to College.

It was such a world wind of events that we are still trying to coop with all of it. That being said, when I feel out of control I will eat. This time around I realized that the only thing I can truly control is what I put in my mouth. Believe me, I have heard it before…but this time around I FELT IT. This time around, I made sure to keep up with MY health and to keep up with MY healthy eating. I really didn’t see any changes in the month of July and August, but September!!! I’m feeling and looking better, I’m able to fit into my “skinny” jeans and I’m back to the size I was last year before I spiraled from my depression.

I may not have had the best body fat loss, or weight loss during this Challenge but I feel I had the best mindset change. I have lost some inches which is great, but the change in my mindset makes me feel like a winner.

My why for participating in the Showcase Strength and Fitness Challenge started out one way and ended another.

I have been on a pretty intense personal fitness journey for a little over 3 years now. Totally life changing. I lost 75+ pounds and felt the best I have ever felt in my life. But in losing that weight my body did not reflect that for me. So in January of this year I underwent a procedure called a “mommy makeover”. The recovery has been quite grueling and due to the inability to workout the way I had been pre-surgery, I gained some weight and lost muscle mass in the first few months of my recovery.

This was very upsetting as I had worked so hard to get to the point that surgery was possible to then feel like I took a bunch of steps back. When I heard about this challenge I decided to use this to “get back at it”l. To dial in my diet and start pushing myself in the gym again.

This challenge did not go exactly how I had planned, but really what does. Setbacks like pushing myself to much to soon, or not being able to do as much as I would have liked, plus a couple injuries over the course of these past 12 weeks, just to name a few. But in the end I am happy with the results I was able to achieve. Most importantly I got to not only watch my fellow participants/friends work hard towards their goals, I got to do this challenge right along with some of my own training clients.

This challenge was not only a “restart “for me but the biggest reminder as to why I get to and want to continue being a personal trainer and help others as others have helped me. Watching others work hard and succeed is at the end of the day most motivating to me. This is the end result I didn’t know I needed.

So, in closing this challenge was a success for me. Eye opening, humbling, motivating, encouraging, and even fun. Thank you to Jordan and all the Showcase Family for your encouragement and support over these last 12 weeks. Can’t wait to see what the future holds for us all!