Spring break is right around the corner, y’all! Need a little motivational pick-me-up to get you in the gym? Check out Kelsey’s story. We are so excited to have one of our HCKU writers be our first Transformation Tuesday Campus Cutie! Keep up the work, girl! #YOUISSOFINE
Name: Kelsey Stoskopf
Twitter: @kelseystoskopf
Major: Journalism: Strategic communications, business minor
Year in School: Junior
Relationship Status: Happily taken
Hometown: St. Louis, Mo.
Campus Activities: Health and fitness writer for HerCampus and I’m taking a class at the Rec to become a certified personal trainer.
Activities Outside of Campus: I work at The Summit and I am an intern for Eco-Posh Events (a wedding planner in Kansas City).
Favorite Fitspo quote: As cliché as it is, “Just Do It”. If you want a change, do it. You only have one body, so why not do what you can to keep it healthy?
Favorite body part to work out: I would have to say back. I AM IN LOVE with my back, as weird as that sounds.
Tell me a little bit about your fitness journey. When did it start? It all started after senior year of high school when I knew I needed to lose a few pounds, except I went about it in an unhealthy way. I would restrict myself and do cardio way too much. I remember going to bed some nights starving, but I wouldn’t allow myself to eat because I was so determined that I needed to burn more calories working out than I ate. Needless to say I wasn’t happy and there was a point where my body just wasn’t dropping the weight anymore. About 4 months ago I got into lifting weights and fell in love with the changes weights were doing to my body and I was not getting bulky. This is a common misconception women have: Lifting weights will bulk you up. Right now I am currently lifting weights 5 to 6 times a week plus a little cardio, no more than 30 minutes a day. I have a ways to go to where I want to be, but I know to trust the process and each day I am seeing new changes in my body. I could write a whole book on my journey, the unhealthy things I did to my body and what I’ve learned, but that would take forever. Basically I have found something that has worked for me and I love it. Lifting weights pushes me to my limits every single day, and when I pick up a weight 5 pounds heavier than before I feel like the strongest person on the planet. I love the feeling of empowerment and independence lifting weights gives me as a woman. The changes it’s causing to my body isn’t bad either!
What motivated you to change your ways? At the end of senior year I knew I was overweight and I knew college was a fresh start for me. I started working out a lot, but not in a healthy way at all. Last semester I was going through a lot emotionally and I wanted a change; I wanted to do something I could really focus on. I started lifting weights and not relying on cardio. I fell in love with lifting and became addicted when I started seeing changes.
What is your favorite piece of gym clothing? I’m guilty of the yoga pants and bro tank.
Celebrity fitness crushes: Definitely my trainer, Britanny Dawn, she’s perfect and has been my role model since day one.
Do you have any favorite fitness accounts you like to follow on Instagram/Twitter/Pinterest? @brittany_dawn_fitness She has been my motivation from day one. She has given me kick ass workout plans and has helped me realize that you don’t need to give up junk food all together in order to get the body you want. You can have all the bad stuff, but in moderation. I follow A LOT of fitness accounts on Twitter and Instagram but she is by far the most inspirational woman I know when it comes to fitness.
Who has been the most influential person in your life for your fitness journey and why? My trainer is my role model and my boyfriend knows exactly what to say when I feel guilty about taking a rest day. My friends have seen me through it all and are there for me when I need a progress picture taken and a few have even come to me for advice which is the best feeling in the world. I do truly believe that God put each of these people in my life to help me through this journey. Without a support system it is hard to do it by yourself. When I’m down about something or want to tell them my newest accomplishment they are always there to listen. And to be completely honest, the best part of this journey is seeing the impact it has had on my parents. Seeing me get into working out and eating healthy has rubbed off on them and that is by far the best thing I could have ever asked for.
What is one food you will NEVER give up? With (the website) iifym I don’t have to give any foods up, I just simply fit them into my macros for the day. In my apartment right now I have m&ms, peanut butter, chocolate, ice cream, pop tarts, Lucky Charms, bagels and Captain Crunch. Along with some healthy stuff of course.
What motivates you to get out of bed in the morning and keep going? I would have to say knowing that at any moment this could be my last day on earth. Life is way too short to take a day for granted.
What is one thing you urge women NOT to do? DO NOT STARVE YOURSELF TO LOSE WEIGHT! Your body needs food to survive and without it you are killing your metabolism. By not eating your body holds on tight to the fat you do have to live off of and your metabolism just gets slower and slower. EAT!
What piece of clothing do you wish people would stop wearing at the gym? I hate when guys wear tank tops that are smaller than mine.
What is one thing people would never guess about your journey? It has been the longest and hardest thing I have ever done. I knew I needed to lose weight after senior year of high school and it was a full two and a half years of only eating 1,000 calories a day, spending HOURS doing cardio and binging ALL the time. Yeah I lost some weight, but I have really made the healthy changes the past 4 months. Counting my macros and lifting weights literally saved my life in more ways than one.
Favorite music/playlist to work out to? I always listen to pregame Pandora, weird I know. Or lately Lil Wayne Pandora.
Favorite cheat meal: Mexican food, hands down. All about that chips and queso.
Favorite store: Target or Kohls
What’s one habit you have at the gym? Probably my bad habit is staying there way longer than I need to. I kind of tend to work out a certain body part until it’s screaming at me and I literally can’t do anymore.
Advice you would have given to those who are just starting on their fitness journey: Never give up. I’m guilty of getting upset when I don’t see results right away, but they will come don’t worry. One workout isn’t going to change your body. You have to keep at it day in and day out and when you start seeing the changes, that’s when it becomes a passion, an addiction. Also: Never compare yourself to others. I follow so many fitness accounts on Twitter and Instagram and it is easy to be like I want her legs and her abs, but everyone’s body is different and everyone’s body is going to change differently and at different rates.
How do you feel about people hitting on others at the gym? I personally don’t like it. Going to the Rec there are so many girls that I can just tell are there for a boy’s attention. Most of the guys that go to the Rec don’t even pay attention to the girls there. They are way more into themselves and their workout than what some girl is doing.
What else do you have planned for your future in fitness? At The Summit I actually am doing their social media and starting to write blogs for them. What I do for HerCampus is exactly what I want to do when I graduate. I want to incorporate my love for fitness and writing into one by writing for a health and fitness magazine. I also want to do personal training on the side. And maybe one day do a competition, but we will see.
What’s your favorite protein shake recipe for those of us who have a hard time with the getting in our protein in the appropriate anabolic window? After I workout I always have a whey protein shake. Sometimes I just have it plain, but I like mixing fruit or peanut butter in it as well. At night I have casein protein. I made protein frozen yogurt with casein, Greek yogurt, almond milk, ice and water, but lately I’ve been obsessed with protein pudding. I literally just mix cookies and cream casein in with pudding mix and it’s SO good. I mix peanut butter in too and top with cereal or a fiber one bar or whatever.
What’s been a highlight of your fitness journey? The highlight of my fitness journey was actually this past week. I was in a slump but managed to pull out of it reaching my lowest weight in I can’t remember how long AND lowest body fat percentage. Oh and doing it all on top of eating more than I ever used to!
Is there a path you would have liked to take than the one you’re on now? If I could change one thing it would be to do it the healthy way. Eat food and lift heavy weights. But I think the journey I went through made me the person I am today. It taught me a lot about what to do and what not to do. It’s a process and a learning experience and all my struggles have led to me to the fitness journey I’m at now.
How’s it feel to be featured as HCKU’s Transformation Tuesday Campus Cutie? I am completely honored. As embarrassing as it might be to show pictures from my past, I hope that girls see that they are in charge of their bodies and I hope by sharing my journey and advice I can help at least one girl out there.