About Carolyn Chaplin

My Mantra

Anything worth doing must be done with passion, focus and the best effort you can bring

What I had to learn on the fly…

Success comes when you let people help
You can’t be perfect every day
Stepping outside your comfort zone is scary but the most rewarding thing you can do

I never apologize for…

My intensity. It’s what got me to where I am today.

I am a time-starved independent girl who has always wanted to have it all – a successful career, fabulous friends, the perfect soul mate – all while looking great and loving life.

But, at 37, my Iife had spiraled to an unhappy place. I weighed 220 pounds; felt drained and stuck in a personal relationship long past its prime. I was going through the motions according to the expectations of others, not my own. Against the backdrop of an unexpectedly electrifying weekend in New York City, I woke up motivated to face tough decisions. I promised myself I would truly start living life to the fullest.

I joined a weight loss program the next week. As the pounds melted away, I talked myself through the doors of a gym, hired a trainer and embraced an exercise program. I realized that being single is empowering. Lifting weights gave me strength in more ways than one. Strangely calming, it made me fearless and restored my belief I could take on the world.

I lost 96 pounds in nine months. People who have known me my whole life didn’t recognize me in my new skinny jeans. I felt vibrant, energized and confident. I developed a new passion for nutrition and cooking. In the fall of 2009, I entered my first figure physique competition and fell in love with the sport. As someone who was always picked last in gym class, flexing my muscles on stage in front of 800 people was a defining (and thrilling) moment.

Today, I am still the girl who wants it all and I wholeheartedly embrace the pursuit of making it happen…healthier and happier. I am a Vice President of a marketing agency. I am a competitive figure athlete. I am a better friend and a much more open-minded person.

I will always be the girl who went from fat to fit in less than a year.