Ingrid’s story: training, family and change

Ingrid’s story begins with a familiar moment: a wardrobe full of clothes, but nothing fits properly anymore. She returned to the gym, changed the way she ate and went from 83kg to 61kg, all while raising four children.

This isn’t a polished sales pitch. It’s an honest account of one community member’s experience: a woman who lived in Finland, trained at PORIHALLI Sport Club and found support, advice and a new routine through Fitness.ee.

Why does Ingrid’s story resonate?

Name: Ingrid Jokiranta. Fitness.ee username: ingrid81. Age: 28. Lives in: Finland. Height: 162cm. Her highest-ever body weight was 89kg. Before she began her diet and training, she weighed 83kg; at the time of this story, she weighed 61kg.

Those numbers give the story substance. Not because weight measures a person’s worth, but because they show how much can change when someone finally decides: enough is enough.

Ingrid’s first serious involvement in sport came at 13, when she started going to the gym. Her reason was simple and relatable: someone she liked trained there. Later, at 17, she took a break. Other things seemed more important.

After moving to Finland, she started again, but life got in the way. Marriage, her first child, a new daily routine. When her son was 1, Ingrid found herself back in the gym. After 3 years of dedicated training, she met her second husband there, and later had 3 more children.

Ingrid’s story: starting again

What got her moving again? One day, Ingrid looked in her wardrobe and felt frustrated. Her old clothes no longer fit. Nothing felt right anymore. On 14 February 2009, she was back in the gym.

In May 2009, she met Aktivist online and, through them, Joker. Those two names would remain important in Ingrid’s story. Aktivist suggested contacting Joker for more specific training and nutrition advice. They often chatted on MSN, as was quite normal at the time.

Joker helped her understand what to eat, when to eat and why it mattered in the first place. One of her biggest discoveries was simple: Ingrid wasn’t eating often enough. Previously, she had skipped breakfast altogether. She started with a training program from the Fitness.ee website, and her routine gradually began to take shape.

She planned to visit the Fitness.ee Photo Studio in Tallinn later that same year, where Joker had promised to take photos of her. It was a concrete goal. Sometimes you need something tangible to give you a reason to work out.

How did she fit training around four children?

Ingrid was a mother of 4. Her children were aged 8, 4, 3 and 2. That sounds like a full schedule even before you add training.

At first, her former husband, the father of 3 of Ingrid’s children, stayed home with them while she trained. Later, after they separated, their daytime routine helped: the children went to kindergarten and the eldest went to school. This gave Ingrid a calmer window during the day to work out.

Sometimes she also did cardio in the evenings. A friend would look after the children, or they would play in the gym’s playroom. Ingrid’s own conclusion was straightforward: training hard while raising young children on your own is possible.

She encouraged her children to be active too. She took them to the stadium to run and wanted them to develop a love of sport early on. Her eldest son was especially proud: as far as he was concerned, his mother was the strongest of all the mothers of children in his class.

Nutrition and training: Ingrid’s story in practice

Ingrid’s diet was simple and followed a fairly consistent routine. She started the morning with a substantial omelet. After her workout, she had a protein shake. Lunch was salad and meat, such as chicken, or fish. For a snack, she had yogurt, fruit or cottage cheese. Dinner was porridge, followed by a slow-digesting protein shake before bed.

She also used supplements. The reason was practical: with 4 children, it was hard to eat exactly as she should 100% of the time. After training, she used Spirit POWER Recovery, and before bed she had Fast PROMIX Night Time protein.

Did she ever stray from her diet? Yes. Once a week, she allowed herself a treat. Her favorite was pancakes, which she made for the children every Sunday. To be honest, it would have been strange if she never had any herself.

Before starting her diet, Ingrid ate whatever came her way. She often ate at restaurants and went to barbecues. By her own admission, grilled sausages were a real weakness.

Her training changed over time. When she started her diet, she went to the gym 3 times a week. Later, personal trainer Mika Valkama added one more gym workout to her program. Ingrid also went swimming or took a spinning class once a week.

What can you learn from Ingrid’s story?

The first lesson is simple: the perfect moment may never come. If you wait until the children are grown, work is quiet, you’re sleeping well and your meals are always prepared in advance, you may keep putting off starting until tomorrow.

The second lesson is even simpler: support matters. Ingrid had Aktivist, also known as Annika Summel, Joker and, later, Mika Valkama. She did not have to figure everything out on her own.

The third lesson is consistency. Ingrid had been visiting Fitness.ee since the summer of 2008. At first, she simply read. In the spring of 2009, she began getting to know people, receiving advice and visiting more regularly. Sometimes change starts with reading and thinking before taking action.

Ingrid’s sporting ambition was to compete on stage in fitness, and she dreamed of taking up bodybuilding further down the line. She also enjoyed mountain climbing, cycling and ice skating in winter. She used to cycle 20 km a day and promised to take it up again.

FAQ

Is Ingrid’s story a good example for beginners?

Yes, especially because her start was not perfect. She started again with small steps, received advice and changed both her training and her eating habits.

Can you really find time to train with four children?

You can, but it takes planning. Ingrid made use of daytime hours, childcare, a friend’s help and the gym’s children’s room. Not everyone has the same options, but the principle remains the same: you need to build a routine around your own life.