(Again)

I can’t remember when I became a Personal Trainer the first time around, but it’s probably been about 15+ years.

At that time, I held the belief that I needed to look a certain way, so while I was working through the course content, I worked on losing weight and I went from about 180 lbs to 140 lbs.

But that was flawed. Even though I lost the weight over time, granted a relatively short amount of time, I shouldn’t have felt that I needed to look a certain way.  However, I had come off of competitive bodybuilding a few years prior, had a very disordered relationship with my trainer, and struggled with disordered eating and body dismorphia, so the flawed thinking was understandable.

When I was a PT the first time around, social media really wasn’t a thing. Sure, I had Facebook and I created a business page, but there wasn’t Instagram or TikTok  or Twitter… or whatever it’s calling itself now. I don’t know how I would have navigated (primarily) Instagram back then. Yes, I was in shape, but it is possible that social media may have fed more into my eating disorders and it could have done more harm than good. I don’t know.

I look on social media now, and people suck! Of course, there’s going to be trolls – those are unavoidable. Even on FB back when I trained and competed, a friend took photos of me a couple weeks before a competition, and there were plenty of comments like “feed her a sandwich”.

However, over the past couple of years, things have gotten SO much worse! Maybe it’s because of covid and people being stuck at home, I don’t know, but people are nasty!

Just the other day, I was on a woman’s profile – she was a trainer – and she didn’t have the typical aesthetic: she wasn’t super lean or glamorous – she looked like your every day woman. However, she was what some people would consider to be overweight. Like I said – an everyday woman with a realistic body. And her comment section, she was getting SLAMMED about her looks and physique!

(there were other circumstances around her getting crucified online – and I know when all else fails, people will target someone’s looks, but that’s another post)

And then there’s me… getting certified. Who, by most people’s standards, is obese and has a low level of fitness. I’m working on it, but I’m not trying to do it fast.

Here’s the thing; I don’t want a 6-pack again. And I don’t believe that my target audience will, either. I want to help women (and men!) start taking back their health. Maybe they were never able to lose post partum weight, maybe they’re struggling with depression or social anxiety. Maybe they’re experiencing weight related health issues (like I was) and they want to lose weight before it progresses.

Everyone keeps talking about the “obesity epidemic”, and yet SO many trainers body shame potential clients and use fear tactics around diet, I’m not surprised that it continues to be an issue. Yes, it goes far beyond this, but these are the same people online that make me afraid to put myself out there.

And THAT is the reason I need to.

So many people (trainers) lack basic empathy and desire to get to know their potential clients/demographics. Yes, it’s an extremely complex subject, but they’re just as deserving of support and training services as those who are chasing a 6-pack and single digit body fat – if not more deserving!

Overweight people are shamed for being “fat and lazy” and taking up space, and then they’re laughed at and ridiculed when they try to do something about it. You can’t have it both ways. Some trainers call it “tough love”, but I guarantee that all it’s going to do is back fire, cause more mental health issues, potential eating disorders, and obsessive compulsive behavior.

So this is where I want to come in. I don’t want to get fit people “more fit”. I want to take people struggling with maintaining a healthy lifestyle and healthy weight  and get them to a point where they hurt less, have a healthy relationship with food and exercise. Maybe going off medication if they’re on something for weight related issues (think blood pressure, cholesterol, and possibly insulin).

I’m tired of the fear mongering going on with food and exercise. Things have been made so complicated, I have to wonder if it was done on purpose – to confuse people to the point of needing a Personal Trainer to cut through the crap.

That’s what I want to do.

Realistic workout and dietary adjustment suggestions to produce small, manageable changes, and celebrating all wins, no matter how small. There’s so much more to life than how you look and a number on the scale, but you need to be healthy enough to enjoy it – body, mind, and soul. I’ll be able to assist with all aspects to produce a holistic approach to help you navigate through the process.

So, sure, I may not look like a “typical” Personal Trainer, but I have the training, experience, and first hand knowledge of how challenging and scary making these changes can be. I have empathy and understanding – I will never shame or use “tough love” because everyone deserves respect.