I'm excited to announce a new feature to my blog - Success Sunday! I would like to feature interviews with various clients of mine who are achieving their goals and enjoying their fitness journey. My first client feature is Kim, a client of mine at the gym where I train.
Sarah: What initially motivated you to start working with a personal trainer?
Kim: I had lost about 50 pounds on my own without a trainer, but found I was starting to plateau and not making the progress I was ultimately desiring. On a recommendation from a gym staff member I decided to just speak with Sarah and see what she could offer. After chatting with Sarah, I quickly discovered personal training would be extremely beneficial for me. Sarah has been able to create a plan that is 100% customized to my body, my likes and dislikes, and my goals. No machine on the circuit could offer that. Sarah: What have been your biggest successes since starting?
Kim: Nutrition by far would be my #1 success! I worked with Sarah for two months before I really started taking her nutritional advice. In those two months I saw no real changes and became frustrated. In January of 2016 I decided to start really dialing in on my nutrition. Every month, Sarah and I would go over my food logs and she would help me make simple changes in my diet that would give me the most bang for my buck. Since nutrition is the most important factor in losing weight, if my diet stunk no amount of exercise was going to outrun the fork. The second most successful thing I've seen since starting is my baby muscles! I've loved watching my body composition change into a shape I never thought was possible! Sarah: What is your exercise routine like?
Kim: I try to exercise 5x a week for an hour. That consists of 3 days of strength training and 2 days of cardio.
Sarah: What kinds of nutritional changes have you made?
Kim: I think the biggest one has been cutting my fat intake. I always used to believe carbs made me fat, but really fat makes you fat. Looking back at my diet I had a ton of calories in my day that were devoted to high fat, high calorie items. Now, I aim to find low-fat cheeses, dairy, etc. Sarah has taught me I don't have to eliminate items from my diet, just find healthier alternatives.
Trainer Footnote: Excess calories, whether from carbs, protein, or fat, can all be converted to body fat. In Kim's case, she did not consume excessive carbohydrates, but her fat intake was high. Since fat has twice as many calories per gram as carbs and protein, it can be easy to eat excessive amounts. In her case, it made sense to lower her dietary fat, but some clients may need to alter other macronutrient amounts to achieve their goals. Sarah: What do you consider the most important thing that you do that has helped you to be successful?
Kim: Keeping my "why" at the forefront of my thoughts and having the right tools. I had/have a large amount of weight to lose, and it wasn't going to come off in a couple months, but rather it would take me a couple years. That journey is long and hard some days. Remembering why I started is vital, because it continues to hold me accountable and aiming for my goals. I also believe having the right tools for success is vital. One of those tools has been Sarah. Having a customized plan that works for my body rather than only somewhat for or against has is so powerful. Personal training has been the best financial investment I've made for my health!
Sarah: What advice would you give to someone with similar goals?
Kim: My advice would be to stick with it. There WILL be hard days. There will be days where the scale goes up and days the scale goes down. There will be days you completely blow your food goals and eat half of the pizza 🙈. It's a journey that can sometimes be long, BUT it really, really is so worth it. The feeling you get when you no longer have to shop in plus size, when you climb those stairs NOT winded, or when the doctor says you no longer need blood pressure medication, that is the best feeling ever!!! Those are the moments are life giving. It's freedom, not skinny we're chasing after.
Congratulations to Kim on her wonderful success and her fantastic energy and enthusiasm!
If you are interested in learning more about personal training with me, please check out my services here or contact me here.
In good health,
