Alicia admitted she had unhealthy habits in college, but it wasn't always that way. She was athletic growing up, and in high school she played volleyball and ran track. Her parents constantly went to the gym, and their habits rubbed off on her. She started lifting weights her junior year of high school and after that she said she was "hooked."
But when she got to college, her healthy habits fell by the wayside. "I stopped doing all sport-related activities and weightlifting due to my busy schedule as a student and being under tons of stress," she told POPSUGAR. "When I first got into college, I was a healthy 140 pounds and it declined to 170 pounds after three years." She said she constantly made unhealthy food choices and ate fast food for nearly every meal.
These unhealthy habits caught up to her. By her senior year of college, just days before graduation, she started to feel incredibly ill: sour stomach, nausea, heartburn, and a headache. Her mom rushed her to the doctor where she was diagnosed with GERD and found out her weight had gotten up to 170 pounds. "I was in tears," Alicia said. "I was embarrassed and disappointed in myself that it got to this point."
She also had ulcers in her stomach, which made it painful for her to eat. The combination of ulcers and GERD led to her dropping down to an unhealthy 120 pounds. Alicia was miserable and depressed. Luckily, her mom gave her the push she needed. "My mom encouraged me to get back into the gym to help better my life, my body, and my mind," she said.
Image Source: Alicia Rancier