Money Muse Monday Series Part 4: Natasha Harris | “My Goal Was To Do Anything To Regain Control Of My Health”

Happy Fourth (wow fourth already…), Money Muse Monday!! If you missed the first 3 parts in this Money Muse Monday Series, check them out via the links at the bottom of this post to get caught up. Today we will continue peeking into the lives of real women working towards their dream despite (and often because of) their financial situations with the story of Natasha Harris, Mom, LPN, and Kick-A@$ Fitness Inspiration.  Continue reading below to learn more about her…

 

 

 

1. Tell us where you’re from and a little about yourself?

I am a 33 year old woman from Brooklyn, my family is from Guyana. I am an LPN who is currently trying to go back to school to complete my RN (Registered Nurse) and eventually NP (Nurse Practitioner). Prior to having children I was very dedicated to the gym. I would go at least 2x/day incorporating spinning/cycling classes. My love for spinning landed me a certification to teach. I taught while pregnant with my first child, and continued to be active after. It was not until my 2nd child that I began to lose interest and my weight, energy, and all motivation went downhill.

 

2. What was the burning-in-your belly goal you set out to achieve?

In 2012, I decided to take control of my health. I was living In Florida at the time and I told myself that I needed to start somewhere. Living in South Florida at the time I quickly realized I can’t cover up like I’m used to. No sweatpants and/or jackets to run errands. Everyone was basically “naked”. That’s when I realized that I let go of myself and self esteem. My goal was to do anything possible to regain control of my health.

 

ADVERTISEMENT

 

 

3. What were and are some of the financial challenges you came across while accomplishing these goals?

I overheard a coworker speaking to another nurse about how much weight she lost and, how great she looks. She started telling the young lady that she attends fitness classes with 3 trainers that has day and evening schedules. Early as 5am and late as 10pm. I decided to butt into the conversation when I heard that the studio was literally a 4 minute drive from my home. When I got all the information from the trainer it was $100/mo for unlimited classes. Mon-Fri and Sunday at 5pm. Since I was new to Florida I must admit my funds were very limited because I didn’t have the support as I did when I was in NY. For example I had to pay for daycare, after school, groceries (my mom cooked prior), rent, car note, etc…. That $100/mo was pretty expensive especially when I could have just paid $25/mo for planet fitness. However, I knew I needed the support and extra push in order to get back into things.

 

4. How have you addressed and conquered these challenges?

I knew for sure that I needed assistance to get back into the groove. I opened another back Acct and set up my direct deposit to add $100/each pay period. I figured if the money was not deposited in my direct account I wouldn’t miss it. With that account I figured I would pay for my fitness classes and get my nails and hair done (I needed to feel better on the outside also).

 

5. What are some free or low cost resources that you would recommend other women look into when pursuing a similar goal?

There were times when I needed to dip into that “secret account” and even though I enjoyed the energy I had to come to terms that I needed to step out on my own. I began to speed walk outdoors, I wrote down the routines that we did during our group session. My speed walking eventually turned into jogging. I purchased a jump rope and would use that as another source. Later I purchase a DVD program called Insanity by Sean T. This was done 6 days/wk. I invested in this because it was not something I had to pay for monthly. So with jogging outdoors (which I quickly fell in love with), jump rope in intervals, YouTube workout videos and then Insanity I had a lot of low cost resources.

 

 

ADVERTISEMENT

 

 

 

6. What are some of your personal inspirations or aspirations when times are rough?

While taking the group fitness classes I had the opportunity to meet some great women. One woman that stood out and kept me going was Tory. Tory was the only person that I met physically who, at the time, lost 95Lbs. She told me that she started off at home on her elliptical. The. When she built confidence she joined the gym. She ate clean and worked out everyday. After a bad physical exam at the doctored office she turned her life around. It was either blood pressure and diabetic medication, or lose some weight. At that time my goal was -50 Lbs. anytime I felt discouraged I would somehow relieve a text asking if I was going to workout today? Tory was one of my biggest inspirations because she is 3yrs younger than I and she was on her way to her goal. My other inspiration were my 2 kids. My mother was never an active person when it came to recreation. She is also obese. I didn’t want my children to grow up feeling that way about me. In 2015 I decide to take running a little more seriously. On my bucket list is running the NYS Marathon. I ran all the races in 2015 so that I can qualify for guaranteed entry in 2016.

 

7. Where can we follow/find more information about you?

If you want to see some of my journey and progress so far you can follow me on Instagram @erth5 and my friend Tory @getfittory.

 

I am honored to have personally known Natasha in excess of a decade and was moved by her story. I would like to thank her for sharing her journey. If you would like to receive email updates with posts like these and more, be sure to sign up for my email list by clicking HERE.

 

Be sure to check out Part One, Part Two, and Part Three, by clicking the links for them below:

Money Muse Monday Series Part 1: Ava Duvernay | “I Never Want My Choices to Be Dictated By Budget”

Money Muse Monday Series Part 2: Tatiana Ligonde | “I Have to Keep Going And Stopping Is Not An Option.”

Money Muse Monday Series Part 3: Julian Gravesande | “It’s Really Important To Build Meaningful Relationships And Not Be A User”

 

FTC DISCLOSURE: Please note that some of the links in this post are affiliate links. Please check my Disclosure Page for more information.