From Then to Now.

As long as I can remember I have never really felt 100 percent confident with my body. I know this is something that women from all backgrounds and walks of life struggle with day in and day out.  In High School I tried the South Beach Diet and I also did all kinds of trial and error diets that I have found never have a long lasting effect.  In college, I went to the REC center quite often and would go to group classes which at the time was the only way I would work out. When someone was telling me what to do constantly and I felt like I was being held accountable.  Once going into the real world at work I know especially in my profession there is ALWAYS goodies to try to avoid. Thankfully since I teach I am constantly up and moving around but let's be honest, I totally let myself go last year. I wasn't as happy as I could be with my job, I had a tough class and every Friday I looked forward to going to my favorite bakery and on Wednesday since it was Hump Day I would get Shipley's on the way to work. I would go on walks with my dogs and that was it- occasional bike rides and such but nothing extreme.

After Holland and I got engaged one of my friends since Pre School told me " If there is anything I can help you with for the wedding please let me know!" My friend Anastasia is a personal trainer and zumba, abs and yoga instructor at Bella's Women Fitness.  I told her the best thing she could help me with was getting into the best shape of my life for my wedding day! She was SO excited to help me with what felt like an impossible task to me since I never had the best results when "getting in shape".  We sat down and talked about my eating which she said wasn't too bad. I told her I didn't eat very much meat but she said that was okay and she gave me alternatives on how to get more protein in my diet since I wanted to tone up.  We took body measurements and took my body fat percentage which was 30 percent on December 13, 2013.  My goal was not so much in weight but in my body fat. I don't remember what stage I was in for the 30% body fat percentage but the one I wanted to be in was the "desirable" range.

I started meeting with Ana for 30 minutes a week and she would give me a circuit to go through.  She told me just to try and go through the circuit 1-2 more times and get at least 30 minutes of cardio in 3 times a week. I thought WOW totally doable.  Every other time when I signed up at Gold's Gym I would just walk around and do machines randomly. I had never done circuits at all.

After a month we moved to meeting for an hour. I am not going to lie, the first time was tough. However, Ana always positively motivated me in the nicest way possible. Saying things like "You can do it! and " You're almost there".  Every time I meet with her it goes by SO quickly!  We would measure every 3-4 weeks and I can honestly say was the best feeling. Even though I couldn't see that my body was changing it was- drastically! Between Ana's positive outlook for my goals and her motivation for me along with seeing actual results on paper- I was hooked. I made it part of my routine to go to the gym and since Ana is such a hard worker and always at the gym- she was my accountability. She knows when I am at the gym and when I'm not because she is always there :)

Here is a sample of what Ana would give me for my circuit. This is my most recent one that I got this week.

I have been doing this for 4 months now. I eat healthy- I never starve myself and I get to cheat and have a meal once a week with whatever I want.  Ana and I still meet on a weekly basis and I look forward to going to the gym. I have lost inches all over- my hips and butt were the most stubborn places! Ana has helped design workouts for me that are tailored to what I want and need for my body. She asks me every so often how I am feeling about my body and if there are any specific areas I want to focus on and lately I have been loving all over full body workouts.

I originally saw this as a wedding goal but it has honestly turned into a forever goal. I have never had results like this where multiple people everyday ask my what I am doing and how I am getting fit.  I pulled out shorts from high school and dresses that haven't fit  me for over 6 years and my heart skipped and jumped at least 5 times because they fit. Not only did they fit but they fit well!

Looking at the photo below lets me realize how far I have come.  The photo on the left was from last year in March 2013 and the photo on the right is from March 2014 this year.   What an amazing challenge and change this has been for me. I love how Ana has positively impacted my life with helping me reach my goal in a positive and healthy way.

Thank you SO much Ana for believing in me and for helping me become a happier and healthier person! I love you!

Love,
Amanda