How Drinking a Gallon of Water a Day Helped Me Lose Over 100 Pounds
You may know Alexis Rose from her stint at SoulCycle, or from her high-energy dance classes at Alexis Rose Xperience. Here's the story behind the fitness star.
Photographs courtesy Alexis Rose Artis.
Changing your body takes hard work, persistence, and dedication. Here’s one Philadelphian’s story. Want to share your Transformation Story? Email ccunningham@phillymag.com.
Who: Alexis Rose Artis (@alexisrosexperience), CEO of ARX Fitness (previously, an instructor at SoulCycle)
Height: 5’6″
Starting weight: 280 pounds
Current weight: 168 pounds
How long it took: Three years
Why I wanted to make a change: “After the birth of my youngest daughter was when the realization set in. Seven months postpartum I went back to take a dance class, and I couldn’t look myself in the mirror. I was no longer society’s standard of being ‘fit and healthy’ and that was disappointing. In my world of commercial dance, that meant I was not bookable. I wasn’t disappointed that I gained weight because that’s the natural effect when birthing life. What I realized was I didn’t respect my body or my precious baby by not giving or doing the best things for them during that time. That is what inspired me: Being aware as a woman that my body can be a vehicle to create miracles, joy, and love — and if treated with respect, it will produce at its greatest.”
What changed besides my weight: “The mental strength to make decisions that don’t have instant gratification.”
How I changed my diet: “At first it was portion control and food choices; [I was eating] fast food, savory foods, and tons of TWIZZLERS! Then, once I started exercising, it was the lack of food. I wasn’t eating enough food during the day and too much late at night. I listened to my body and made small but very helpful adjustments. [I drank] a gallon of infused water daily (sometimes more) and ate five to six meals a day, depending on my schedule. I still follow the same plan.”
“My body can be a vehicle to create miracles, joy, and love — and if treated with respect, it will produce at its greatest.”
How I changed my exercise plan: “At first, I worked on cardio to get my stamina back. HIIT training at Orange Theory Fitness was one of my favorite places to go. The trainers worked with me being postpartum and breastfeeding until I was stronger. Then, I would break up cardio and strength training five times a week with two rest days. Once I lost my initial 100 pounds, I felt stronger emotionally to start my journey back in commercial dance and wanted to share my fitness journey to help others reach their goals. I started my own dance company and was recruited by SoulCycle all in the same year!”
The hardest part: “The hardest part was trying to convince myself that there wasn’t a part of me that was doing this for others. I realized a part of me was. But once I defined why, I was able to move forward and realized pleasing myself first will bring happiness to others.”
What I want you to know: “When you start to separate who you are from who you need to be, that’s when life happens for you. Understand your ‘why’ and then go after your ‘YES!'”
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