Six weeks after giving birth to her first child, Brooke Strait weighed approximately 207 pounds—the heaviest she had ever been in her life—and she decided to make the goal to lose her excess weight. According to Popsugar, Strait has an inspirational story to share with the world, including her journey of how she lost 75 pounds with techniques from Renaissance Periodization. Although there are plenty of other transformation stories out there, we have to say, Strait's personal story is certainly motivating.

Say hello to Renaissance Periodization, a company that uses comprehensive diet templates and workout plans that are designed to help clients achieve their goals—-and to keep people accountable. The company has a number of PhDs and Registered Dietitians on staff to help create effective programming for clients of all backgrounds. Their mission is to help everyone make healthy lifestyle changes that are beyond a simple quick-fix, but rather a permanent way of living. Clients can choose from detailed diet templates to work out plans to achieve sound results. According to their website, the diet templates include sample serving sizes for meals, measurement information, and tips on how to stay on track.

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I know I post these pictures often, but when I do I always get the comment that I looked so sad and that now I look so happy. But when I see this picture I honestly see a woman who was ready to FIGHT! A woman who was willing to do whatever it took to feel good in her skin again. I still remember standing there taking these pictures and wondering how I was going to do this and knowing it was going to take a really long time. I didn’t know if it was possible, but I was willing to try. I recently saw a quote that said “Sometimes when you’re in a dark place, you think you have been buried, but you have actually been planted.” I feel like that quote and these pictures are exactly that! I’m so grateful that even to this day I am continuing on this crazy journey. It’s been kind of a weird process for me recently because I somewhat feel like I’m just the girl who lost a bunch of weight but, I want to be more then that. Noticing now that I’m actually capable of doing what I set my mind to has been exciting but scary for me. There has always been the “I want to get a pull up” and “I want to get a muscle up” but now I’m at a point of Ok, let’s see how strong and how fast I can get! I truly love and enjoy CrossFit and until that stops then I will continue to push myself to be the best that I can be. I am so grateful for the girl in the “before” picture because if it wasn’t for her then I wouldn’t be who I am today. #crossfit #crossfitmom #fitmom #stronglikeamom #weightloss #transformation

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After first purchasing the cutting templates from RP, Brooke Strait lost seventeen pounds and slashed her body fat percentage from 32 to 24. "Now, about three years later and a second baby, I weigh 130 pounds and have hit 18 percent body fat. The templates that Renaissance Periodization provide has been the key to my success body-image-wise, and the success in the gym." Strait told Popsugar.

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Just a little #tbt to me at my biggest and me at my smallest. I want to share something that has taken me years of failing and throwing in the towel to learn. I have tried all the diets you can think of and usually at some point "mess up" and go crazy on a binge and then say "well I failed so now I'm giving up." Almost two years ago I started a diet that actually works for me but sometimes I do "cheat" or "reward myself" but only when it's planned. Why do I plan my cheats? Because giving into temptation in the moment I realized, didn't make me happy. It made me feel like a failure. I hated that. First off eating something in the moment doesn't taste as good as you thought, it does not solve your problems and then guilt sets in. Guilt then makes you feel like "well, I already screwed up, might as well keep going." Then you fall back into bad habits. I have learned that when I set aside a special time to go out and eat what I want, I have something to look forward too and then I can indulge in that meal, enjoy myself, feel satisfied and most of all, NOT FEEL GUILTY! I then wake up the next day ready to get back at my healthy eating. I just see so many people who are emotional eaters (like me) who can't figure it out. Like I said it took me years to finally realize how unhappy I was with my eating to finally say IM DONE! I'm so done giving in in the moment. People think I'm crazy when I show up to a family meal with my own meal or my food scale to measure my portions. They think I'm crazy I won't eat just 1 piece chocolate cake. But I got goals to hit! I know when I give in in the moment that the snowball effect will hit me hard and I will feel loads of guilt. It's just not worth it to me. I don't know if this will help anyone but it's been so eye opening for me. I think true transformation happens when you can decide to say to yourself that your goals, health, whatever it is your working towards is more important than the cookie staring you down saying you need it. Because let's be honest, you really don't. My next planned cheat is in a week and a half and I will be eating pizza and cookies and not regret a single bite!

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For her personal journey, Brooke followed a series of macro-based templates, which were in spreadsheet form. For example, Brooke eats about six meals a day, spaced out between three hours or so, and consumes more food as it nears her workout time. For Strait, a typical breakfast might be egg whites and cauliflower, fruit, and peanut butter, while other meals during the day include chicken and rice, avocado, and veggies. To help save time and keep herself accountable, Brooke often does meal prep on Sunday for the rest of the week. In addition to her diet changes, Brooke has kept up with her CrossFit program. Although she started off with just two or three days a week, now she works out about five or six times a week, and plans to enter CrossFit competitions in the future. By using the RP Strength templates, Brooke accomplished something she never imagined—her first pull-up and even her first 150-pound snatch!

"Don't compare your chapter one to someone else's chapter 20," she said to Popsugar. "Don't be intimidated by what other people are doing in the gym. Believe in yourself. Be consistent. Show up to the gym and eat right. I know you hear that all the time, but its the truth!"

When it comes to tips on nutrition and exercise plans, unfortunately, there’s a lot of false information available online. It’s always important to remember to check the credentials of who is offering you advice, and as a general reminder, if you have a history of cardiovascular disease, check with your primary care physician for detailed guidelines regarding starting a new workout plan.

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