How I Changed My Entire Life And Physique In One Year
I love that I attract a certain following. Individuals who are in great shape already, or have been in the past, people that are ready to learn more about what it takes to bring their fitness to the next level. I attract that kind of person because it was me - 8 years ago.
I have always been committed to wellness – I’ve been a trainer now for 25 years, it’s all I have ever wanted to do. I love the energy of the gym, and have always been drawn to the positivity and confidence that comes along with people who take care of themselves. Who wouldn’t be attracted to that kind of energy?!?! Training, eating well and living the healthiest life was and still is who I am. I also believe that every trainer needs to practice what they preach and live by example in order for their clients to respect and be motivated by them. But everyone should know that I live a balanced life, I want my followers and the people I train also to know that you can absolutely still enjoy treats, and wine (or your favourite cocktail) and have a physique you will be happy with. It does take discipline and time, but your fun life doesn’t have to end in order to build your physique and look your best!
This has always been the way I have lived my life, and how I have encouraged my client to live theirs. Work hard, get sleep, drink water, eat healthy meals consistently. About 8 years ago, a few things changed in my life and I became sad, then angry, then sad again. I took a good look at myself in the mirror and decided the best way to shake myself from my sadness was to fuel even more energy into making me better. I already trained 5-6 days a week, ate well, but knew I could be better. I changed my training. The first thing I did was stop running – my knees and low back hated it, so why put myself through it? I started teaching spin - realizing quickly that the endorphins from teaching spin could not be beat. I also changed up my lifting sessions. I went from lifting 1-2 times a week to 5 strength training sessions/week, which made me feel strong and empowered at a time when I was feeling weak and vulnerable. I always left my lifting sessions knowing I was getting physically stronger, and mentally as well.
I also took a closer look at my nutrition. I had always had the mind set, that I workout and run everyday so I can eat whatever I want. I always enjoyed healthy food, but I knew I was not on the 80-20 train but more the 60-40. My weekends was what was sabotaging my growth – I would indulge in dinners out Thursday through Saturday, and drink wine 4 nights per week. It left me feeling crappy Sunday, so spent that day eating junk and being lazy. My Monday’s also didn’t feel great - 4 days of not being discplined was catching up on me. So I changed that too. This is what completely changed my whole outlook on my own wellness and lead me to my transformation. I love my wine - I don’t think I will ever give it up entirely. But instead of going out 3-4 night a week, we started going out once. Saturday night was was my big night for treats - some call it a re feed meal - I call it heaven. I also only had wine on this night - guess what happens? You drink one glass of champagne with your appetizers and one glass of Cabernet with your meal and that is literally all your body can handle. This was a significant difference and what I believe to be the game changer for me. I still felt a bit fuzzy Sunday morning so to guarantee a workout I scheduled a spin class to teach first thing on Sunday morning – sweat it out! By the end of that class I am back to feeling like myself and back to my new, happier, more structured, more fulfilling, controlled life! My body changed - quite fast actually. I went from looking like a pretty fit trainer who looked like she knew how to live a balanced life to a ripped trainer who clearly knew what it took. Which was true!! I learned a lot that year. I learned that I was happier being more disciplined and that the people who I surround myself with directly impacted the way I was living my life. Removing some of those people, and a few not-so-great lifestyle habits changed my life - forever.
I am not saying this should be everyone’s story - we all have our own battles and issues with food, exercise and alcohol. It also takes time to figure it out, but when you finally hit your groove and it kicks in - I am promising you this. You will never go back…the power of knowledge and the feelings that come along with following through on your commitment to bettering yourself will always out weigh the fun times you thought you used to have.
In summary - these are the key changes I made that made me a happier and living a more fullfilling life.
Removed negativity and people that were taking and draining the shit out of me
Stopped running because it hurt me and was impacting my other workouts
Started teaching spin 2-3x/week
5-6 days of strength training instead of 1-2
One evening (Saturday) and brunch was my 20% off not Thursday to Sunday which I had previously been doing
Went from drinking 3-4 nights a week to once and could only manage 1-2 glasses of wine
Got up early Sunday morning after my re feed meal and wine and taught a spin class; all fuzzies – gone!
Again - this is my story. When I posted my before and after pics a month ago a lot of people commented they preferred the way I looked before. Ok, you’re entitled to your opinion – abs and veins on a woman’s body isn’t for everyone, but guess what - I don’t do it for them! My energy and my clarity of thought outweighs their opinions. Forget the haters – the positive comments, when someone says I am their inspiration, everything becomes quite clear.
I hope this helps you reflect on yourself and how you may possibly make small adjustments to transform yourself into a happier, healthier you. As you have your health the rest of the stuff really doesn’t matter, does it?
In happiness and health
Luv, T xx