MEET GLADYS

Gladys: Hi everyone, my name is Gladys and I am a Nigerian living in the United States currently. I have been balancing graduate school with work and also my fitness journey. I am someone who believes in growing every day—whether that is my career, my faith, my health, or generally just as a person. I love challenging myself and proving that consistency can take you places that motivation alone cannot. So yeah, that’s me!

Interviewer: [How would your friends or family describe you?]

Gladys: I would say they would say I’m caring, smart, resilient, determined, and loving. I believe those are the things they would say.

Interviewer: [What is something people would be surprised to learn about you?]

Gladys: I would say I am more introverted. I don’t like going out; I only go out when I have to. One of the ways I express myself is through cooking, gardening, being one with nature, and taking long walks. Yeah, those are the things that I know people would be surprised to learn about me.

Interviewer: [Are you an early bird or an evening warrior? What music gets you hyped?]

Gladys: Definitely an evening warrior! I don’t like waking up early, but I have to, you know? Right now, anything from Passion Music… oh gosh, they’re amazing! My favorite right now is “Just That Good.” Any gospel song in general just gets me hyped. I love it!

Interviewer: [What is your favorite workout, and which one do you dislike?]

Gladys: My favorite workout? I love walking! I don’t know if you count that as a workout, but taking walks. I can walk for 1 hour. At first, I didn’t like it, but after a while, I fell in love with it—just the breeze on your face, walking outside, not indoors. The ones I do not like are anything involving planks—side planks, this plank, that plank—or burpees. Oh my gosh, no, I do not like jumping!

Interviewer: [What kinds of meals excite you vs. ones that are just quick fixes?]

Gladys: Anything involving cooking! If I have to cook it—like making a veggie stir-fry or chicken—those are things that I’m always excited about. But stuff like smoothies all day or oatmeal, that’s just quick-quick… I don’t really like that, but yeah, it is what it is!

Interviewer: [What does a typical day look like for you?]

Gladys: I would say: don’t stop, take it one step at a time, consistency is important. In the morning, I start my day with prayers, stay productive at work and at school, and then when I come back, it’s either I have dinner before going for a workout or work out and then have dinner, depending on the timing. I just drink a lot of water—that’s one thing I’ve tried to incorporate into my daily life. And going to bed knowing that I did something good for myself today, that’s one thing.

Interviewer: [How do you handle your diet without feeling overly restricted?]

Gladys: I still have chocolate sometimes, I get to eat rice, and I get to eat swallow. Those are things that I’m happy about because total restriction is just not for me, you know? So I get to still have everything I love in moderation, and it’s all in my diet plan. Kudos to Coach!

Interviewer: [What is always in your kitchen that keeps you on track?]

Gladys: There are eggs, chicken, Greek yogurt, chia seeds, veggies, you know, and plenty of water!

Interviewer: [What is one habit you have built that you are genuinely proud of?]

Gladys: That would be showing up—even if you have a bad day, you still show up. Even if you didn’t show up today, you still have to show up tomorrow. It’s consistency, you know? You don’t have to be perfect, we just make sure that we are being consistent. That’s one thing I’ve learned, not just in my workouts, but even in school and everywhere.

Interviewer: [How do you bounce back after a setback?]

Gladys: I just remind myself that one bad meal or one missed workout will not ruin the whole week. So if I eat something I’m not supposed to eat today, tomorrow we go back—we continue. I won’t let that ruin my motivation for the whole week. That’s one way I have been able to bounce back.

Interviewer: [What non-scale victories have you experienced?]

Gladys: That would be, like I’ve said, being more disciplined and believing in myself that I can do this. If somebody else can, I can. Watching motivational videos actually helps me realize that if it’s possible for another person, then it’s also possible for me. So being more disciplined and believing in myself so much.

 Interviewer: [Who in the Fit and Feline community inspires you the most?]

 Gladys: After Coach, I would say everybody else! People in my group who post constantly with their workouts and their diet… I see those videos and I’m like, “Oh God, this is great!” That’s motivation for me every day because I look through them and think, “Okay, I need to do something like this.” So yeah, everyone in general!

Interviewer: [What physical changes have you noticed beyond weight loss?]

Gladys: I realized that I’m much stronger mentally and physically. I noticed this when I was walking with some of my family members—I realized that I’m actually walking faster and my breathing is consistent, just like how Coach taught us to breathe. Those are things that I’ve noticed about myself.

Interviewer: [What advice would you give to someone just starting their journey?]

Gladys: It’s better to focus on your own journey. Don’t compare yourself with somebody else because you see them losing weight faster—our bodies are different. Don’t be discouraged by that; just take it one step at a time and very soon you’ll start seeing results. Consistency matters!

Interviewer: [What would you tell your 2022 self?]

Gladys: I’d tell myself: Be patient, give yourself grace, and don’t always think, “Oh, you’re bad at this, you’re bad at that.” Just focus on being better than yesterday!

Interviewer: [What does the Fit and Feline community mean to you?]

Gladys: It means having a family that motivates, encourages, and reminds me that living a healthy lifestyle is a journey and not a race. Thank you, Fit and Feline community! I’m grateful to be part of this journey. Thank you, bye!

From balancing grad school to embracing every step of her journey, Gladys reminds us that true health isn’t a short-term race, but a lifelong practice of self-belief. It’s about bouncing back after a hard day, ditching total restriction, and focusing on being better than yesterday.

As Gladys proves, with consistency in your heart and the Fit and Feline family by your side, you can truly take your life places motivation alone never could.