I was not always a healthy and fit person. In fact, I spent most of my adult life overweight and perpetually on some sort of “diet” to lose weight. In high school and college when my friends were a size 6 or 8, I was a size 12 or 14. I once had a doctor say to me, “If you don’t do something you are going to weigh 200lbs and be a very unhappy girl.” What he didn’t know was I already was ashamed of my weight and unhappy that I wasn’t successful losing weight, but his words stung and I never forgot them.
I worked a sedentary customer service job and although I quickly moved up the ranks to a Director level in my profession, it was full of stress and I sat 8-12 hours per day. At my heaviest I weighed 249 pounds, my dad had recently passed away and that event made me take stock of my health. I lost 60 pounds following a low carb diet but progress stalled when I became pregnant with my second child. I had baby weight to lose but it took me several years before I would find any success with weight loss, let alone fitness.
Turning points happen in everyone’s life and people come into your life that you need. I began to take yoga classes as I enjoyed the slow movement and strength I was building and the stress relief I felt from each class. My teacher encouraged me to become a yoga teacher and that is where my new life began.
I often tell my clients that when it comes to improving your health, a light bulb has to go off within yourself that says…”I am ready, I am tired of being this way…the pain of remaining the same is worse than the pain of change.” That happened for me on my 40th birthday when I looked at pictures and cried. I so desired not to be the largest person in the picture. I felt if I didn’t do anything now, I would never know what it was like to be proud of my body. I would never know what it would be like to not hide in the back in pictures or even shop for clothes and buy what I liked rather than what fit. Half of my life had passed by and I didn’t take care of myself. Many of these reasons were vain but true, and enough to push me to do something about it. I finally found the way off the weight loss roller coaster forever!
I met my future business partner in yoga teacher training – people come into your life for a reason – she was a personal trainer just starting a bootcamp business and I decided I’d join. Mind you, I had never exercised, lifted weights or anything beyond yoga and my husband doubted I would keep up the 5am classes, but I did. I learned how to eat real food and follow a healthy meal plan. I steadily lost weight, became stronger and for the first time in my life felt good about who I saw in the mirror. It took me 18 months to lose the last 50 pounds, I’ve kept it off for almost 10 years. I ran half marathons and marathons and even an Ultra Marathon (31 miles)! I’ve completed Spartan races at age 53, I’ve squatted and deadlifted over 200 pounds and taught over 2000 hours of yoga.
I live a healthy lifestyle forever. My bootcamp instructor became my business partner and we started a personal training & yoga studio, Transform U Fitness, which we operated successfully for 7 years. During those 7 years I’ve worked with hundreds of clients helping them find their fitness and health, literally transforming their bodies and their lives.
I started Over 40 Personal Training, to work with clients just like me, who aren’t happy with their current situation. Whether it be the number on the scale, or toning and adding muscle to the body, addressing aches and pains in the body from years of not taking care of it or helping clients improve their posture and movement through yoga and stretching.
I use a 3 tool approach to improve health – move everyday, eat whole foods, stretch and repair the body. These three tools look different for every client but bring about results for all. I specialize in working with (primarily) women over 40. I have several clients over the age of 70. I understand the limitations our aging bodies have and I don’t train my clients like they are 20 or 30 years old. Most of them have some sort of limitation – think bad back, sciatic pain, knees that hurt, bulging discs etc. All limitations which can be worked around and most times improved once we develop a consistent workout routine.
So if you are tired of remaining the same. If your body hurts and you think you can’t work out and you’ve given up. Read my testimonials – they are real clients. Set up a consult to meet with me so we can talk about your goals. What have you got to lose?
