A formerly obese woman lost 100 pounds to become a bikini model and competitor. It was not an easy feat but nearly 30-year-old Donna Gillie slayed through it all.
Like many people, Gillie struggled with food and always ended up overeating. After graduating from college, the Nova Scotia resident ballooned to a whopping 230 pounds when she was 22.
She realized that her weight was becoming a "big" issue around that time. At 5 foot 4 and 230 pounds, Gillie felt very uncomfortable sitting at her desk at the office post-graduation.
The turning point encouraged her to get a gym membership and kick off her unhealthy eating habits. In just two years, she lost a total of 70 pounds.
Gillie began with small steps. She didn't change her eating habits drastically until she was far into her fitness journey. She started by watching her food portions and added more vegetables and fruits to her diet. She ate more whole foods and less pre-packed foods.
She also joined step and Zumba classes as well as 10K races and weight trainings. She did not just lose weight, she sculpted her body. Gillie joined a bikini competition when she lost a cumulative 100 pounds. In 2014, her first competition, she weighed 115 pounds.
For her, joining the competition is not about winning or getting recognition. She did it for herself because she wanted to prove that she can shape her frame after years of hard work on losing weight. She wanted to build her body, she added.
After she made her debut in the bikini competition world, she joined another contest - the East Coast Classic - just one year later. This December, Gillie will compete in her third bikini competition.
Now at 29, Gillie has become an inspiration for many women who wanted to not just lose weight but also sculpt their own bodies. When she first competed, she was "half the woman" she weighed when she started her fitness journey.
"I've learned not to live my life by the number on the scale because life is about balance. I'm definitely still very active and plan to stay that way - diet will always be my struggle but even that is getting better over time," wrote Gillie on Instagram.
Gillie shared that the fitness community continues to be a great support system and it is not as superficial as some people think of it to be.
