Back on My Fitness Journey with an Unwelcome Companion, PCOS

I was diagnosed with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) in December 2025.

And if you follow me, you know, I don’t just go through things. I study them. I learn them. And then I come back and share the lessons that helped transform me. So when I share, it’s not just theory. It’s not just training. It’s lived experience. I live by the code, this ain’t what I heard, this is what I know.

So here I am back on my fitness journey, with an unwelcome guest and some wisdom I had to earn.

Being into fitness isn’t new for me.

One of my earliest memories? I’m about four years old. Home before school age, towel on the floor, my siblings’ trophies nearby, tuned into what I used to call the “exercise channel” while they were at school. That’s how I started my day then. And honestly that’s still how I start my day now. Movement has always been a part of who I am.

But in 2025, that relationship with my body felt different. I stepped on the scale and saw 214 pounds, my highest weight. At my leanest, when I was competing, I was 145. But truthfully, I never obsessed over the number. I’ve always been active. I’ve always felt healthy, until I didn’t.

From about 2022 to 2025, I started noticing a shift. The weight was coming on and wasn't' coming off. Now let me be clear, I wasn’t perfect. My portions could’ve been tighter. And yes I was having my share of cocktails. But even when I tightened up, even when I pushed harder, my body wasn’t responding the way it used to. And that was new for me.

I started noticing:

• stubborn body fat that wouldn’t move

• inflammation

• my face staying hella bloated

• my body not responding to my usual nutrition and workout routine

  
  

Something was off. And I could feel it.

Around that time, I was training virtually with my trainer, TJ who I’m actually back working with now. He told me two things that pissed me off:

• Stop drinking.

• Go get blood work done.

  
  

Now the first one? I heard it, didn’t love it. The second one? Went in one ear and out the other. Because I knew my body. Or at least I thought I did.

But after another year of working, pushing, and still seeing slow progress, I finally went and got the blood work done. And after navigating a healthcare system that took its time I got my answer: Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS). PCOS Is a hormonal and metabolic condition that impacts things like ovulation, insulin resistance, and how your body stores fat and uses energy. In other words? This wasn’t just about will power anymore.There was something deeper going on.

Since I’ve been back training with TJ, I’ve lost about 20 pounds. I understand my body differently now. Not just what to do, but how to do it in a way that actually works for me. I have been forced to get honest about:

• Alignment

• Mindset

• Habits

• Diet

• Barriers

• Motivation

• Coping

• Consistency

These weren’t just concepts, they became the difference between spinning my wheels and actually seeing change. And that’s what I want to share.

So over the next several weeks, I’m going to be breaking down these 8 things, not in theory, but in practice, and walking you through what has actually helped me move forward on this journey. And to be clear, I’m still on the journey. I’m working toward losing another 20 pounds. So wherever you are in your process, you don’t have to wait until you’ve “arrived” to start. You can join me right where you are.

If you’re on your own journey whether it’s weight loss, discipline, consistency, or just trying to get back to yourself, this series is for you. I’m putting it all in one place. Join my newsletter where I’ll be walking through this week by week, real, practical, and applicable.

Because if it helped me, I feel obligated to teach it.

Stay tuned.