Due to the stresses and pressures of work, Christy had let things slip when she walked into my gym. Once fit and mindful of nutrition, she had lost sight of her fitness goals and was seriously overindulging in her favorite hobby — food. Working out on her own did not achieve the results she was looking for, and she quickly found herself in a rut.
Ten months on, I caught up with Christy to see whether our sessions gave her the jump start she needed. Turns out, she wasn’t the only one who achieved a lifestyle transformation.
Want the best of MindSets Fitness straight to your inbox? Sign up here.
Hi Christy, thank you so much for telling your story. Let’s start at the beginning. Why did you decide to start training?
I came to you with a new goal for 2016 — to work out more consistently, get stronger and have less body fat. Working out on my own didn’t get me the results I was looking for so I decided to find a trainer. Previously, I used to work out 4-5 times a week and eat responsibly. I felt good about my body. By the time I came to you, I didn’t work out regularly anymore, did not pay attention to what I ate… I couldn’t stand the lifestyle I was living anymore – lot’s of fatty foods, lot’s of sugars, not enough exercise. Something had to change.
What made you decide to train with me?
I found you on the internet and after my consultation with you I knew I had found the trainer for me. It was a gut feeling. I wanted to train with someone who is serious about helping me reach my goal. I have spotted distracted trainers in my gym and trainers who talk to their clients more than helping them work out. I did not want that. I wanted someone who would motivate me and push me to actually achieve my goals. I had a pretty stressful job. I was eating poorly and I had stress-related stomach issues. My sleep was low quality, too. To fix these problems, I had some serious goals in mind:
- Train regularly and lose at least 25 lbs to get to a healthier body fat percentage (down from 30%)
- Build muscle and get stronger and increase flexibility
- Develop a balanced and easy-to-maintain meal plan
- Lose two dress sizes and fit into my old clothes.
These weren’t easy goals and I knew I needed a serious trainer to keep me on track. You were exactly what I was looking for.
In the time we’ve worked together your physique and your athleticism have improved dramatically. What do you think has changed? What has improved since you started working with me?
First, I have learned a lot about doing exercises correctly and effectively – things I was not able to do on my own, not even after watching workout videos. Now I know how to train properly.
Second, you taught me how to eat better, a key aspect for me. I’ve always have been a foodie. I love to try new restaurants and new dishes and I used to overdo it, really overdo it! I honestly didn’t know how to eat right on my own, so it’s no wonder that my weight-loss attempts were not successful. I remember you tracking my food intake in the beginning and talking to me regularly about what I can do to improve. You kept me motivated and held me accountable – I needed that.
I also needed and appreciated the accountability to show up and train with you. There were many times I did not want to show up; wanted to find reasons not to exercise. But you always encouraged me to stick with it. And I always felt better after the workout.
One specific thing I noticed was your attitude change. You went from bargaining with me: “But you said only 10 reps…” to “Ok, let’s do this!” Your strength improved quickly and you seemed to enjoy the workouts so much more.
I think you have some magic power! (laughs) Not that you are strict or scary, but sometimes you asked me to do something and I didn’t think I could do it. But because you encouraged me, and believed in me, I tried (which I would never have done on my own). Sometimes you were right and I was totally able to do that extra rep, other times we had to lower the weight. The important thing is that I learned to challenge myself and to trust in my own strength and abilities. “No, I can’t do it” turned into “ Yes! I want to give it a try!”. Achieving that sense of self-belief was the coolest thing about working with you.
You were much stronger that you gave yourself credit for. I wanted you to see that, and to be proud of your strength and not hide it.
You helped me get clear in my head and focused. It gave me a way forward to challenge and push myself. I’ll never say “I can’t” again!
Thanks to our work together, I feel stronger, leaner and just overall healthier than ever before. The evidence is in my wardrobe – I can fit into smaller-sized jeans and shirts.
My friends and colleagues started to notice and complimented me on looking leaner and stronger – they especially noticed my biceps. I’m so happy about the results I’ve achieved!
Awesome! Keeping a regular training schedule and choosing healthy meal options has proven beneficial to you.
Yes. Now I consistently eat better (a lot less sugar, more protein) because it makes me feel better. I’m still a foodie, and I’m so happy that I did not have to give that up. My husband and I try new foods all the time; only now, my mindset has changed. Before, I used to overindulge and have a big meal with drinks and dessert and felt like I failed. Now, that I give myself permission to enjoy it I don’t feel the need to overdo it and go back to eating my regular healthy and clean meals.
I like this new image of me. I have proven to myself and those around me that I wasn’t just chasing quick results when I decided to try personal training, but that I have changed my lifestyle. Everyone knows that I am serious about training regularly and eating healthy. That’s me now. In the beginning, people didn’t quite believe me when I told them that I wanted to make those changes. Sometimes, they even tried to sabotage me – my co-worker would bring me chocolates during lunch break. Now they are supportive and understand that I would rather not eat sweets every day. I am known as the person who is healthy and fit and I like that. Now people come and ask me how I did it.
You have learned a lot and your progress shows. You are now an expert and people come to you for advice how to be healthy and fit. Amazing!
Yes, definitely. People I work closely with know that this is my new lifestyle, and they admire it. And, yes, they come to me for advice and want to know what I eat and how I train. I also connected with some new teammates who are living a similar lifestyle and we swap stories from time to time. I have gone on a couple of trips with friends and when the time comes to prepare meals, my friends are always asking for my input.
That’s probably my favorite story you have told me. You know why that happened? Consistency!
(Laughs) Some expected me to give up after a month or two. But I didn’t.
I used to find it so hard but now, I love working out and taking better care of myself. And I’m not going to lie, it feels great when people notice.
I believe you took a trip to Tibet last year. Tell me about that.
I went to Tibet, and it sure as heck took a lot of physical strength. Lots of walking in high altitude. I’m not sure I could have done this before training with you. I felt thoroughly prepared and the treks did not feel difficult, especially compared to my husband and others traveling with us who had a harder time walking the distance. I can tell that my physical strength has improved and that I can walk longer and faster on hikes.
This all sounds fantastic. I’m really proud of you and everything you have achieved. What’s next?
My goal for 2017 is to continue this new improved lifestyle on my own. I really enjoyed working with you and I will miss it, but I’m ready to do this on my own.
Will you be next?
Would you like to achieve what Christy has and take your fitness and lifestyle to the next level? Schedule a call with me and let me know how I can help you. Together we’ll uncover what’s holding you back and get started on your transformation goals.
Leave a Reply