Today we’d like to introduce you to Ivy Jackson.
Ivy, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I was always active as a child. I participated in sports and marched in the marching band. My activity decreased when I got to college and since I was on my own, my eating habits were wild. The freshman 15 plus some came fast. I was in school working on a degree in Sports Medicine and as I got deeper into the program, I started working on being fit. Fast forward to after college, I was working a desk job and kept my head in books planning my next move. I completed two master’s programs. One was Health Communications. Having a desk job (not in the health and fitness field) started to show on my body and the weight gain started coming back. So my girls and I became accountability partners and started working out together. After seeing progress, I would find myself celebrating too hard and too often, which led to starting over. That cycle continued for a few years and then I just stopped altogether. I stopped thinking about a career in health and fitness, as well. The weight kept coming and I think the highest I ever saw on the scale was 286. I’m 5 ft and almost 3 inches. I never had health issues, other than allergies, eczema, and heartburn/indigestion.
August 2016, during a physical, my physician stated she wanted me to have a test done with a heart specialist. She stated, things didn’t seem bad but she wanted to make sure everything was ok because I was severely obese. And that was all it took to scare me straight. I slowly started tracking my steps. Then I moved to make changes to my diet and began walking in the parking deck at work. Those were my “smoke breaks”. I became mindful of my eating habits. I learned to listen to my body. I learned how to maintain and manage my weight. I started in the middle of January 2017 and weighed 273lbs. Mid-February 2018, I was down 100lbs. All, while I was working to lose weight, people that recognized the transition, would say you’ve gotta write about that, or you’ve gotta help others. Then it hit me. This is what I was supposed to be doing. I’d been preparing myself for it, I promised my best friend that once I kept off 100lbs for a year, I would start helping others. In February 2019, I purchased my first URL and in April 2019, I launched my blog, Figurin’ it Out. And I’ve kept off 117lbs.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
In the beginning, blogging was smooth. I’d been preparing for months ahead of time. Everything I wanted to talk about was already in order. Initially, it was a struggle choosing old pictures because a lot of them I look back at and it’s like do we really have to revisit the past. I had to learn that to help get people started, I needed to share them.
Its also been a struggle getting people to open up or freely interact with questions. Most of the topics I write about are from private conversations I’ve had with people. I want people to be comfortable having these conversations publicly. You never know who may have the same concerns. That could be a new accountability partner. Juggling my personal fitness goals, work, and keeping current with blog posts was another struggle.
We’d love to hear more about Figurin’ it Out.
Figurin’ it Out offers free weight loss and fitness tips to people beginning their journey to a healthier, fit self and those wanting to get back on their journey. It’s for those already doing the work and wanting additional aid or motivation. What sets Figurin’ it Out apart from others is I break down and explain the science and combine it with my experience to paint a picture the reader can understand and use to help them progress towards their goals. Often times, these tips can be applied to other things in life and not just fitness. I’m most proud of its existence.
What were you like growing up?
I was an athletic kid that always asked why and had to figure out how things worked. I loved learning about new things.
Contact Info:
- Website: figurinitout.com
- Email: Figurinitoutblog@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/figurinitoutblog/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Figurinitoutblog/
Image Credit:
@beautifulsoul_photography for the very first pic.
Suggest a story: VoyageATL is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
