Meet Nikki Williamson, CHAARG member and PSU fitness inspiration
She lost the Freshman 15, but didn’t stop there
Nikki Willamson, a junior kinesiology major here at Penn State, came to college feeling not as confident and bold as she is now. She combatted the “Freshman 15” like a pro, and we’re all wondering how she did it. The freshman class can certainly learn a thing or two from her, especially when Canyon Pizza and D.P. Dough are still so new and exciting… not to mention the surplus of Natty Light.
What made you want to lose the weight?
I was always overweight and so is my whole family, it was just kind of a norm for me. When I went to college, coming from a small high school to Penn State, which is obviously huge, sorority recruitment was rolling around and everyone was going out looking so nice—hair done and pretty dresses—and I thought to myself, “I’m not as little as I thought I was.” I started to feel like the chubby friend in the group and I was overall not as happy as I used to be when I looked in the mirror. And of course I looked at the scale and was like, “Yep, there’s the freshman five” on top of it all. The number wasn’t the biggest thing, it was more how I felt about myself. I felt subpar, and it was a huge self-confidence issue. I wanted to do it for myself, just to feel confident when I went out, rather than having a doctor telling me that it was something I needed to do.
How long did it take you to get to your goal weight?
It was less than two years. I had tried to lose a little before coming to college, but I started to realize that I couldn’t do this all on my own. Then my friend kept telling me about this fitness organization coming to Penn State that was all for women called CHAARG (Changing Health + Attitudes and Actions to Recreate Girls) and that’s when things really started. I knew that the other girls going would motivate me because I would feel bad if I didn’t meet up with them or something. And it wasn’t like all of these super buff girls, it was all different fitness levels. It was more like, “you’ve never run a mile before? That’s awesome. If that’s a goal of yours we can work towards that.” It was always more of a teamwork thing than you, by yourself, on the elliptical, doing the same thing over and over again. Accountability was a huge part of it.
There are these fitness plans that up to 1000 girls nationwide can do and I was really unsure about it, but it came with a free tank top so I figured I might as well try it. The first day was really hard. I thought I was never going to finish. It was day one and I was sick of it, and I didn’t want to have to do it again the next day. Then at the gym, I saw a girl finishing the exact workout I was just doing. I was like, “Wait a minute…” And I don’t know how, because I used to be so shy, but I walked over and introduced myself. She was talking about quitting too, but crazy me looked at her and said, “Nope! If I can finish it, you can finish it.” And I finished the last half of her workout with her, too. I didn’t even recognize myself…I was going to quit two seconds ago, and there I was motivating someone else, seconds after I told myself I was going to quit. After that, I was like a different person.
How do you eat well on and off campus?
Well to be honest, when I lived in the dorms, I got super creative. It seems like there are limited options in East, so my biggest thing was to go to West and Pollock because they seem to have the most options. I would really take advantage of the to-go containers. And on Sunday’s when they’d have that huge brunch with all that fresh fruit laid out, I would stock up on it in my to-go containers, put it in a Ziploc bag, and freeze it so that I could make smoothies.
Another huge thing is to sit down for every meal. When people tell me that eating healthy is expensive, I always ask how much whatever you’re eating at the HUB is, because it’s almost always ten times more expensive. Eating can become so mindless, especially if you’re on your computer or something, so sitting down without distraction, focusing on eating, really helps – you feel so much more satisfied from it.
What about drunk food?
I just limit how much I go out. I go out probably at least once a week and I just tell myself to have fun. I go out with a full stomach, drink and if I want food I’ll get it. It’s not off limits. I hate when people say, “I can’t eat this. Period.” You can eat any and everything! You just have to moderate how much you eat it.
When do you find the time to work out?
That’s always the question, isn’t it? Really, it’s not about “finding the time” because no one actually has time laying around. It’s about making it a priority. The night before, I plan my day. I decide what time I’m going to work out and I plan around it, that way it’s not an option to not go. For me, the easiest way is to go right in the morning. I sleep in my gym clothes, put up my hair, put sneakers on, and go right to the gym. I don’t even give myself the time to think about it. That way throughout the day, when you’re checking the PSU gym app, wondering if it’ll be better in an hour, you’ve already done it right when you’ve woken up.
After you started eating healthy, do you crave healthy food over junk?
You do in a way, because your body gets used to certain things. I do give myself cheat days and I can bounce back from them pretty fast, but if I don’t eat well for multiple days, I feel sluggish and my body just feels heavier. You’ll crave healthy foods a lot and you’ll still crave the “bad stuff,” but even if you crave something and have it after eating healthy for a while, you’ll think about it and say, “Wow, that wasn’t as great as I was making it in my head.” You build it up a lot.
What was the hardest part of your journey?
The hardest part was getting started. The big thing was that I told people that I was planning on doing this. Everyone told me I was crazy, that I couldn’t do it, and that I would never do it. It came down to two options: either I could let them be right, or prove them wrong. Even my family was like, “We support you, but will you stick with this?” And I said, “you know what? I will wake up early and I will make this work.” It wasn’t just proving them wrong, it was proving it to myself, knowing that I could do it.
How do you recommend someone who puts on the Freshman 15 lose it?
Not to do too much too soon. A lot of people will go all out at the beginning and then burn themselves out. Going a week really, really hard – you’re just going to be super sore and tired at the end of it. Another thing is finding something that works best for you. Some girls like lifting, others really, really love Power Remix! It’s about finding something that you don’t dread, but actually look forward to. Not everyone is a marathon type of person… I will never.
What is your favorite way to work out?
Lifting. Because I feel like such a badass doing it. There is such a stigma that the weights are the “guy” section. It takes a little while to get yourself out of that mentality. I really liked going to the top of IM where they have the mats and the smaller weights, or going to REC where they have the weights and the mats on the same floor. It’s a good way to start on your own and work your way up. Going with other people helps a lot, too. If there is more than one girl down there, it’s not as intimidating. Normally, the guys look more impressed than anything. Like, “What? There’s a girl here?!” and not a “What is SHE doing here,” sort of reaction. My favorite part though, is when a guy and I are lifting the same amount of weight and he looks over and notices, gets nervous, puts his weights back, and bumps up. And I’m just like, “What’s up?”
What advice do you have for freshmen, avoiding the dreaded 15?
Packing food, getting creative with the food available to you, avoiding quick on the go foods, sitting down for meals, and avoiding having too many snacks around you that aren’t healthy options.
Here’s to hoping we can all be a confident, badass like Nikki.