Amber-Joi Watkins

In Studio Training

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Neighborhood where you live around Philly: Rittenhouse

Occupation: Mom, Model

When did you decide you wanted to make a change? What inspired it?
After having a baby I wanted to get back to my pre-baby body . Motherhood comes with countless amazing changes; but, I did not like what pregnancy did to my body, so my goal was to get back to old ME. I don’t get a lot of “me time” as new mom so this is one of the few things that I really wanted accomplish. Other than that it’s all about my baby girl.

Height: 5’7″

Starting weight: 159 at 39 weeks pregnant

Current weight: 129

What all changed (besides your weight — are you stronger, faster, more energized, happier, etc., etc)?
All of the above. I haven’t quite reached my pre-pregnancy strength and speed but I’m energized and happy and thrilled with the progress Ive made.

Are you happy where you are now, or are you still working to change?
I’m STILL working to change. I’d like to get more lean, stronger, faster and more flexible too.

What changes did you make to your diet? What kinds of things do you eat more of now? Less of?
Under the guidance of Josie at RippedPHL I added a ton more protein to my diet. I also cut back on sugar and bad carbs. I’ve always been really good about eating fruits and veggies. I still incorporate complex carbs into my diet but I’m just making better choices because I’m being held accountable and have a distinct goal in mind.

What changes did you make to your exercise plan? What’s your weekly exercise regime? I had to ease back into workouts after going through labor. After 4 1/2 months I’m finally starting to feel like my old self in my classes which include lots of RippedPHL as well as Solidcore, Soul Cycle and Yoga .

What part of your transformation are you most proud of?
I’m most proud to be a breastfeeding mom with a healthy and happy baby.


What was the hardest part of your transformation — and how did get through it?
The hardest part of the post partum journey is TIME. Its hard to make time to work out . And making healthy choices in my diet takes more effort because I can’t grab and go when I want. On top of this I’m still nursing and need to take in enough calories to maintain my milk supply. Its a complicated balance but with Josie’s (my nutritionist) help we’re making it work

What do you want people to take away from your transformation?
I want people to know that its okay for expecting mothers to work out. I exercised my entire pregnancy under the supervision and encouragement of my doctor. Its healthy for mom and baby as long as its done right. I think maintaining discipline with fitness during pregnancy helped me in so many ways by limiting my pregnancy weight gain , boosting my mood, aiding with labor and making the post pregnancy healing process easier .

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