By Marta Rose-Thorpe
Farrah McIntosh is a vibrant 43-year-old woman with a full life. She is a mother, wife, friend, and health coach to many. She is a certified nutrition coach, a fitness trainer, and is currently training for a bikini bodybuilding competition in June. To look at Farrah, one sees a radiant, healthy, social butterfly with a friendly smile. But six years ago, Farrah led a very different life, and since then, she has undergone a massive “size 20 to size 0” health and wellness transformation. “When I talk to people about it, I tell them it’s not when I started my diet, it’s when I changed my lifestyle,” she says. “I don’t ever say ‘I started a diet years ago’ because my whole life has changed. And this new lifestyle is never-ending… It’s going to be my lifestyle forever.”
Prior to moving to Panama City six years ago, Farrah and her family lived in Kentucky. “My son had just turned two years old, and I was just living my life and running my business,” she shares. Her business is a Kentucky-based case management company she’s run since 2012, providing services for adults with developmental disabilities. “At 5’2”, I weighed 263 pounds. My son was really active, and I just couldn’t keep up with him.” Her family has a history of hypertension and diabetes, she shares, and in the back of her mind, she worried that if she kept the weight on, she would be going down the same path. “But it was never enough to make me change, I guess.”
So, what was the catalyst? What sparked the lifestyle change? “I’ll never forget September of 2019,” she remembers. “For my little boy’s second birthday, we took him to Disney World. Wherever we went, I could not keep up. I would walk 20 minutes and have to sit down for 10 because my feet and back hurt so much, and I was miserable. He was like, ‘Come on, mommy, let’s go, let’s ride!’ Some of the rides I couldn’t even get on because I was so heavy. My husband would have to ride with him because mommy couldn’t. It was breaking my heart. That night we went back to our room, and I cried myself to sleep. I thought, I have to get healthy for my son. I don’t want him to remember his mom this way. The very next day I started my lifestyle change.”
What does this lifestyle change entail? “I wanted to lose weight, and the only thing I knew at the time was to watch what I ate – and not eat as much,” she shares. “My entire diet had been junk. I wasn’t (and still am not!) a salad lover. I have become a fresh fruit eater. I’ve never been a drinker of coffee or alcohol, but I loved sugary sodas. I have since switched to zero calorie soda. I wouldn’t allow myself to snack. I would hit plateaus, but I just kept with it. I don’t need immediate gratification; if you need immediate gratification, you’re not going to lose 150 pounds.” Farrah’s first goal was to get under 200 pounds. “I wanted to see the 100s, and once I got down to 199, it felt miraculous. A lot of people on their weight loss journeys will celebrate achieving their goals with food. I would celebrate with new outfits. I did keep one pair of size 20 pants… my whole body can fit in one leg now!” Her husband Gene, was a big support through the whole process, and went on the weight loss journey with Farrah; today, he does all her meal prep.
Farrah’s best friend got her interested in running, and in 2023 she ran two marathons. In the springtime, she ran one in Gulf Shores, Alabama, and that November, she ran the New York City Marathon. “I had already lost my first 100 pounds when I started to run,” she shares. “After running, the other 50 came off. I lost my weight naturally… no gastric bypass, no gastric sleeve, no weight loss shots. After the 150-pound loss, I did undergo skin removal surgery. I was happy I’d lost the weight, but I started to notice that I was not toned. In the beginning, my first goal had been to just be smaller, but after that second marathon, I started getting interested in the world of bodybuilding, and I underwent a mind shift: that I wanted to be fit and strong. If I could go back to the start of my journey, with what I know now, I would have integrated strength training from the very beginning. Combining strength training with cardio burns fat faster.”
In the summer of 2023, she hired a bodybuilding trainer to help her tone as well as teach her about nutrition. Last year she entered three bikini fitness competitions, and she is currently training for the OCB Emerald Coast Classic in Pensacola this June. Farrah’s go-to snacks are fresh fruit (strawberries, blueberries, watermelon), non-fat Greek yogurt, and protein-packed snacks like boiled eggs, cottage cheese (alongside fresh fruit), and almond butter. She enjoys protein pancakes with fresh blueberries every morning. She stays away from processed food. “When you can eat more natural foods and do your own meal prepping, it’s much healthier.”
It’s almost time to go, and I thank Farrah for telling me about her journey and for sharing all her healthy tips and tricks. Her eyes get the slightest bit teary for a moment as she responds. “My little boy saved my life… initially, this was all for him. If I can help just one person change their life and become healthier, it will be worth all the blood, sweat and tears I put in over the years. My number one goal is to help people realize that it is possible to change their lifestyle. Grit, perseverance, and sheer determination made it possible for me.”
Feel free to visit Farrah on her Instagram page, fit_by_farrah.
