This Motivation Monday, we caught up with Ronnie Friedman of Inspired to Be Fit. Ronnie started Inspired To Be Fit as a personal fitness journal in December 2012. Now, Ronnie inspires more than 100,000 people through Instagram alone.
When did you start your journey and why?
I started my journey and @inspiredtobefit in December 2012 to keep myself accountable. I wanted to lose weight and I felt that having a secret account specifically dedicated to health and fitness would help me achieve my goals.
What has been the most rewarding part of your journey?
I would say the most rewarding part of my journey, besides reaching my weight loss goals, would be inspiring other motivated individuals just like me. The fact that what I post on Instagram actually inspires and helps others across the globe is the most rewarding feeling ever. I truly enjoy helping others achieve their goals just like I did.
What does a typical grocery list look like for you?
My grocery list looks something like this: salad, spinach, broccoli, carrots, mushrooms, celery, cauliflower, zucchini, tomatoes, cucumber, avocado, apples (pink lady, granny smith and honey crisp), kiwi, grapefruit, pears, all berries, egg whites, eggs, organic oats, green tea, 0% plain greek yogurt, sugarless seeds (walnuts, raisins, sunflower seeds) almond milk, organic peanut butter, plain rice crackers, skinless boneless chicken breast, tuna, salmon, quinoa, sweet potatoes, spaghetti squash, popcorn.
Have you achieved your goal? What inspires you to keep going?
When I started my journey my goal was to lose 20 lbs. I had gotten to the point where I would put on every piece of clothing in my closet and hated how I looked. I broke out into tears. I knew I had to make a change. I worked my butt off for over a year, slowly getting the results I wanted. My goals had changed from losing 20 lbs to being healthy and feeling good. One day I stepped on the scale and realized I had finally hit my goal weight but it didn’t really matter because goals will change and evolve. There is no “end” to the journey because we all should never stop trying to improve ourselves physically, mentally and spiritually.
What keeps me going is the way this lifestyle makes me feel. I have energy, I feel good, I look good, I’m not getting constant stomach aches and I finally feel the way my body is designed to feel. When I lose motivation I look back to my own Instagram and reread the advice I give to my followers. I remind myself why I started my journey. I also see how many people I have helped during my journey and I do NOT want to let them down. They are my biggest inspiration.
If you’re going to cheat on your diet what do you consider your cheat foods to be and how often do you do it?
Cheat food is most likely a comfort food that you probably should not have more than once a week. I have my cheat meal every Friday at 7pm: all you can eat sushi! I stuff my face with rice, raw fish, spicy mayo, fried crab and froyo for dessert! Pizza is also a favourite!
How does it make you feel to have such a huge following? Did you expect to have such a large following on your journey?
No at all. When I started my account it was actually completely private and the only two people who knew about it were my boyfriend and best friend. I kept it under wraps for about three months until I accidentally linked my Instagram to my Facebook. I would say that was a blessing in disguise because of all the surprisingly positive feedback I got from my friends. My account has now grown to have over 115,000 followers. It makes me feel like I am doing something right. It shows that hard work and dedication can get you anything you want in life, you just have to put the effort in. Because of the large following, it has sparked a little entrepreneurship in myself, giving me an outlet to start my flourishing online business. (www.itbfshop.com) which I don’t think would have ever happened without my account.
