Andrijana Got FIT and Regained FULL Confidence

“Make a plan that works for you and that you won’t hate” -Andrijana

 
Name: Andrijana Markovic
Transformation period: 2 years
Start weight: 78 kg
Current weight: 61 kg
Height: 165 cm
Total weight loss or weight gain: 17 kg

Why did you decided to transform your body?

I was really unhappy with the way I looked and hated myself so much. I was the chubby one my whole life. I felt all alone and I was really depressed. I only had ”friends” whom I met online because I turned to playing Counter Strike all day long so I could forget about reality. When there was a party, I was never invited. I could only dream about guys finding my attractive like the other girls in my school. I didn’t feel comfortable leaving the house.

I remember sitting and crying while finding what to wear because nothing looked good on me. I was ashamed to go out and would just put on some over-sized baggy clothes to hide myself. I was always shy and quiet, sitting alone and that was killing me even more because nobody really tried to get to know me and I never got attention because I wasn’t pretty enough. I felt really awkward when I had to switch clothes for gym class in school and all the other girls were looking at me and laughing about my stretch marks and calling me fat.

I was the always the last girl standing in class because nobody wanted to pick me in the volleyball team, and then the teacher would give me something else to do out of pity. I couldn’t live like that anymore. I had to take control of my life.

How do you stay motivated?

First I was doing it because I was trying so hard to get accepted. Then I fell in love with with fitness and it just became the way of life for me. I gained so much knowledge in nutrition and workouts and it just makes me feel really good, strong and confident. I got addicted to pushing through my limits and putting a lot of effort into something and just being a better person every day, both mentally and physically.

I feel happy seeing myself in the mirror now. I am going out and wearing everything I want and I’m not afraid of taking pictures. That feeling is a lot better than sitting by the computer and eating junk. I don’t ever want to go back to that.

 

Did you hit any plateaus during the process? How did you overcome them?

Ooh yes I did. My starting weight was almost 80 kg. I had no knowledge and just followed every diet tips and workouts I found on the internet. For the first year of my journey it was all about getting skinny. My diet was poor, I was doing cardio every day, starved myself then binge, then found ”balance” living on rice and apples. I dropped down to 47 kg. I was like a skeleton, weak but happy because I was getting so much praise for losing weight. But my hair started to fall off, my bruises couldn’t heal, I didn’t had the energy to stand and some thing happened in my life and I got really depressed again.

Then around New Year 2016 I just gave up and started eating everything I couldn’t. Ice cream, chocolate bars, coke, fried foods, cheese, cake, alcohol, peanuts… And got up to 70 kg in a month. I got back to being miserable again and house isolation. Then I asked myself, what the hell are you doing? I just stopped the crazy starve-binge circle and crash dieting. Eating intuitively and clean, finding healthy replacement for junk foods I liked. ”Eat to live, not live to eat”. I learned how to love myself no matter how much I weight, I threw the scale out of the house, I stopped comparing myself to othergirls and just focused on being a better person, sister, daughter, girlfriend, neighbor, student and a friend. I found peace and happiness, and a fitness plan that works for me.

How often do you workout?

5-6 times per week

What type of workout routine do you find the most effective?

Less cardio more lifting! I do 1 hour of HIIT per week, so I split it to one or two days only. When it comes to gym – it’s a five day split. Doing 3 circuits, 8-10 reps with 70% 1RM weights, about 30 minutes per day. Pushing myself to do just one more rep or increase weights. I’ve been doing this the past 2 months and it works great, My body transformed rapidly like it didn’t in 2 years.

Please share your workout routine:

Monday: Chest + calves + abs
Tuesday: Back + glutes
Wednesday: HIIT + abs
Thursday: Shoulders + calves
Friday: Arms + abs
Saturday: Legs + glutes
Sunday: optional: morning or night running

What’s your most favorite exercise?

Squats, deadlifts and bench press.

What does your diet consist of?

Breakfast: Oats, low fat yogurt, flax seed and fruit / Oil-free scrambled eggs, toast and veggies with feta
Lunch: Brown rice and chicken or turkey + low fat stir fry veggies / Green peas and lean beef / tomatoes, lentils and feta / pinto beans and fish
Dinner: fish with grilled veggies
Optional dessert: protein bar/ chocolate protein pudding / microwaved banana with salt-free peanuts and unsweetened cocoa powder / apples and almond butter / grapefruit parfait

Are you currently taking any supplements?

No.

 

Your favorite gym tracks, if any?

I love listening to Serbian or Balkan pop-folk-trap music. It’s a really weird genre mash-up but it sound really good. But most of the time I workout with Selena Gomez, John Newman, Ellie Goulding and 2000’s MTV hits. I use Beyonce as a secret weapon for tough lifts!

Do you have a favorite quote?

Do what you love and love what you do.

 

Any advice or tips for aspiring transformers?

Do it for yourself, do what you like and what makes YOU feel good. It’s your life, your body, your dreams. Don’t listen to anyone. Strive to be better but don’t let it take over your life. Research. Make a plan that works for you and that you won’t hate. Listen to your body. Eat when you’re hungry, stop when you’re satisfied. Have a treat once a week. Make it not feeling like a diet, but like a lifestyle. Learn to love yourself no matter what. What you think you become, thoughts are a powerful tool. It’s all in your head. Your body won’t go where your mind doesn’t push.

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