Importance of a Support System

Three years ago I was weighing in at 226 pounds, my hair was falling out, I had no energy, slept all the time, and felt hopeless. I was warned that my lifestyle was leading to a path of diabetes and I didn't know where to begin on getting better. I started researching diabetes and how one can change their diet. I was also afraid to go to a gym because that's where all the fit buff guys workout. I had made fun of myself for so many years that I just knew that's what people would do if I tried to go to the gym. So what did I do? I started by walking. I would walk early in the AM or or late evening so no one would see me there. I started reading oxygen magazine and any fitness reading I could get my hands on just to educate myself on a fitter lifestyle. My passion grew to better myself as I began to feel better.

Fast forward one and half years later and 90 pounds lighter, I moved to Salina, Kansas. I began working out at Genesis Health Clubs to stay in shape. I chose the club because it was the only club I had been to where group fitness classes were included in the membership fee. I started attending the cycling classes ritually and eventually got my certification through Body Training Systems. I became the person who then taught those 5:15 am classes that I once attended. And after a year of being an instructor part time and working retail at the Buckle full time, I was offered to join the personal training department. I humbly accepted the job and they have been working to educate me on biomechanics and anatomy so I can train my clients safely and effectively. Then just a few months after becoming a full time personal trainer, I pursued my certification in Zumba. The director for Genesis Health Clubs in Group Fitness urged me to go to the training in Omaha and I've been teaching Zumba since July of 2012!

But who would have thought all that would have transpired? Definitely not me! And as many of you who keep up with my journey through Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, know that I just recently went to Las Vegas for the IHRSA Convention with the company I work for. It was a huge honor to go with Genesis Health Clubs to meet and network with so many amazing individuals in the fitness industry. I was able to see the newest and latest gym equipment as well as listen to amazing speakers who have been apart of the fitness industry for years. The individuals who spoke at a seminars had so much wisdom to offer someone like myself who is just starting out in this field. I was able to take away so much from each of their individual stories.

So what was the biggest lesson I learned at the convention?
The importance of human interaction! The reason why I wasn't successful on my own for the numerous years I tried to lose weight is because I tried to do it alone. I didn't know where to start. I needed a support system, a group of people who supported and believed in me, and that was what I received from training with experts. They kept me motivated, encouraged, and accountable. No matter where your gym is or what amazing gym equipment there is, we NEED people! We want to be noticed and we want to know we matter. And that's why I love the company I work for. The Genesis staff always welcomed me with open arms and they wanted to see me succeed from the time I joined as a member, to my current status of Personal Trainer, Group Fitness Instructor, and soon to be Nutrition Specialist. They care and want to see me grow because I care. As a personal trainer for Genesis Health Clubs my ultimate goal is to love the people who walk through our front doors. No matter if they're my clients or not, they're apart of a community. And our community is all working towards one ultimate goal, to better ourselves one day at a time. And that's my vision! I desire to see the people in our gym be inspired and encouraged to get moving and living healthier lives!

Challenge: chose someone you regularly see at your gym, get their name, and encourage them!

***Lastly, huge thank you to Genesis Health Clubs! Thank you Mr. Rodney Stevens, Mr. Johnny Stevens, Mr. Preston Petersen, Mr. Joe Humiston, and Dr. Mark Slavin who believe in me. Thank you for investing in me and for allowing me to be apart of such an amazing team. You all have touched my life in ways I'll never be able to explain.

Don't Let Your Past Hold You Back!

Karla Wagner

Why did you make the choice to start working out?

I had always been fit and active until I completed graduate school in 2005. I quickly found myself swamped with responsibilities. I felt pulled constantly between raising a family, commuting to work full time, and completing the necessary tasks of life. I allowed everyone else to be my focus and ignored my own health needs. So my weight started to climb and my energy dipped.

Then, I had an accident in 2007 that left me with chronic back and neck pain. Since that time I have had a few surgeries, undergone many rounds of physical therapy, received numerous nerve blocks, and tried nearly all other conservative/alternative treatments available. No matter what I tried nothing helped. I only was able to go to work and function but I was never able to truly enjoy life. This accident robbed me of nearly everything in life that had been a hobby or sense of pleasure. Gone were the days of riding horses comfortably, running, softball, and living an active lifestyle. I slowly gained weight and fell miserably out of shape. Finally, one day, I woke up and thought enough was enough. I had to do everything in my power to get better as I was "sick and tired of being sick and tired".

Why did you make the choice to get a personal trainer?

I knew that with my medical history that a trainer was going to be very valuable as I needed someone with the expertise to guide me thru the exercises. I had lost a tremendous amount of muscle strength and I realized that gainging this back was going to be the key to not only sustaining weight loss but also relieving the stress placed on the body from the injured areas.

How have you benefited from having a personal trainer?

I have gained not only a ton of strength (and the start of some definition) but also a huge amount of balance improvement. Ashley has worked opposing muscle groups in a ratio that I would have been unable to do without her expert knowledge.

Who is your personal trainer?

Ashley Vernon

What have you learned from training?

I have learned that there is hope. I feel and act 20 years younger! My energy has tripled, my size is dramatically reduced, and I'm able to live and enjoy my life again.

Any tips you want to share from you experience?

Keep on fighting and give recovery every ounce of strength that you have left. It is not an easy battle to win but it can get better if you regain your health. I will never be "normal" again but I have reclaimed what was taken from me and I am not giving a bit back without a struggle.

How has your body progressed or has your body made any changes since beginning personal training?

I feel amazingly different than I used to at the end of the day. I have energy, hurt less, and do more than I have done in years. I'm in size 4 jeans and working at getting stronger. My goal has always been to be healthy and fit but the constant flow of compliments on my appearance has been a welcome benefit :-)

Kiss Fear Goodbye!

This morning I was reading a devotional on Fear from Joyce Meyer.  I find her writing very raw a real.  The lesson this time had to deal with fear.

Her opening statement had me hooked.  "Everything in life is a process in motion.  Without movement, advancement & progression, there is no life... God created us to be goal-oriented visionaries.  Without a vision, we become bored and hopeless."

Ah Ha!  That's it!  To fully enjoy life, you must have a positive outlook on life.  You have to be willing to open yourself up and move forward.  So what does that have to do with FITNESS?  EVERYTHING!

When i first stared my journey several years back, i tried the Atkins diet. I lost 40lbs, but then ended up gaining it all back. Why? because i never set a goal. My goal was just to lose weight and look hot. However, i couldn't stick with it because i didn't know how to progress from there. i reached my max of 226lbs my junior year in college and it took me seeing a picture of myself that i realized something had to change. We all have them!  We have moments of awakening where we finally realize we need to do something.  And in that moment, you can decide to keep doing what you've always done- or you can make a change!

I had always defined myself as the fat kid.  But when I finally took hold of myself, I gained a self respect for myself.  I decided that I was going to stop fearing the future and what I didn't have control over.  God has a plan for me.  There are days that I 'feel' like I'm getting nowhere, and then there are days I can SEE my progress.  And that is the key.  PROGRESSION.  We get caught up on the minimal things.  We forget that each day is a new day to better ourselves, that it's a process.  My goal each day, is to be better than I was yesterday.  Not to compare myself to this person or that person, but to dig deep within myself and make a healthier choice than I did the day before. 

I ask you, are you bettering yourself each day... or are you just going with the flow.  Consider, if you don't have goals as well as a plan of action, your backsliding.

Fitness NOMAD

The other day I ran into a friend I hadn't seen in a while.  She was so excited to introduce me to her family and friends that she was with.  However, she introduced me as "Hey, remember that girl I told you about that had lost all that weight?  This is her!"  I smiled and introduced myself to them.  And the first thing to come out of their mouths was, "HOW DID YOU DO IT?" I get this question a lot so I always respond with a generic, "had to make some changes".  That didn't satisfy them and they kept asking more questions.  Finally, I just told them that it's a lifestyle change.  That I finally decided I was going to commit to one program, eat right, and make no excuses.

Their response:  Ugh!  That's so hard! And proceeded to tell me all the diets and workouts they had tried in the past.  I shared that I had tried the fad as well and finally stopped with all the nonsense and committed to being healthy. 

I would like to name this group of people the "Fitness Nomads".
We all have been there once or twice and so I'll explain what I mean...

Nomad- "People who have no permanent abode and travel from place to place."

Let's admit it.  Those who are unsuccessful when it comes to being fit and healthy are nomadic.  We jump from fad diet to fad diet, jump from work out to work out, and try various "RAPID WEIGHT LOSS"  supplements trying to find the "easiest" way to lose weight.  AND (sadly) IT DOESN'T WORK and you PAY FORTUNES!

WHY?  Lack of commitment.

I compare this to our faith in Christ.  We read our bibles, do our devotions, pray, go to church, tithe, serve, and the list goes on.  We do all of it because we are committed to serving Christ.  The same with being fit.  You have to commit to the lifestyle and practice the same self control and disciplines.  Clean eating is just one of them.  Just as your spirit is fed via church, scripture, family, friends... Your body needs fed the 'right' things too.  What happens when the wrong people or things feed into you?  It shows!  My parents always told me to choose my friends carefully.  Same goes for your eating, make smart choices!  Your body, it's a walking journal of what you are consuming! When it comes to working out, it takes repetition. 

So here is the SECRET:  Your health and fitness will come together when you decide to sink your feet in.  Stop wondering and looking around for the "Next Best Thing".  What works is clean eating and working out.  Find a trainer in your area if you need more guidance, but stop wondering.  Stop trying to make things easy.  Make your health a habit and stay as dedicated to your temple (your body) as you are the one who created you.

BeBlessed

A

Use your SCARS as empowerment!

“Scars have the strange power to remind us that our past is real.”

― Cormac McCarthy, All the Pretty Horses

This week I had a huge realization.  The realness of scars.  I had the opportunity to sit and talk with a woman about her weight issues just recently and she told me of the 9 different medications she was on, the 11 different surgeries she has had, and another coming up in a month.  I'm not sure if she didn't think I believed her about the surgeries, or if she just wanted to show me all of her scars, but each scar she showed me I also listened to a very in depth story.  That was fine, because I told her I wanted her to be as real as possible with me, leaving it all on the table so we could assess her and get her started on a plan of action for better health.

 

It occurred to me later in the day about how closely linked our scars are with our health.  Another client was telling me that she HATED to watch the Biggest Loser because it's "too emotional" for her and she just wanted to watch people workout and get their butt kicked.  I laughed but then thought about how weight loss and gain isn't just the physical pain of sweating.  It is very emotional!  Gaining, losing, or maintaining weight is a mental game.  Getting started in working out is mental.  Making the conscious decision to eat cleaner is mental.  EVERYTHING is mental!  I'm a living example of this.  Like I've said before, I've had numerous surgeries including two hips surgeries where the surgeon put a pin and screw in both of my hips because I had dislocated both of them.  The healing of each surgery was 2 months worth of being on crutches and in a wheel chair.  What else was I going to do besides sit and feel sorry for myself.  I ATE!  I ate because I "felt" bad about myself.  I ate because I was insecure.  I ate out of boredom.

 

Those scars led me down a path of becoming a 21 year old reaching 226 pounds, with hypothyroidism, and eating myself into becoming a diabetic.  It was my past scars that allowed me to make excuses why I could eat whatever I wanted and not workout.  I allowed my mindset of "I'm not worth it" to keep me from succeeding.  And this was why I was able to relate to this woman.  SHE IS WORTH IT!  And why I write these blogs, WE ARE WORTH IT!  We deserve to be healthy and feel good.  Yes, our days won't always go the way we want, but that's no reason to give up on ones self.  Don't allow your scars of physical, mental, verbal, or any other pain become a disease to your body.  Get your mind right, and start focusing on what you "CAN" do.  I pray for all of you and pray you see your worth.  I pray that all of you will use your past scars as empowerment.  Allow your scars to move you and make you better!

 

This weeks success is looking at my scars and giving myself every reason why I CAN, instead of why I CAN'T.

 

BeBlessed

A

 

This last week while doing my morning workouts & devotionals the word scars kept coming to my mind.  My heart has been consumed with thinking about where I have been and who I used to be.  It came to me just the other day that those old pictures of myself I used to hate to even look at, are surfacing more and more.  I see the old me and have to ponder because even though I wasn't "sick"... I was sick, broken, and hurt.  Through losing my weight, like I've said before, found a new self respect for myself.  And that is why I currently do what I do now.

 

 

 

Some of my clients are complete beasts and want to workout to continue bettering themselves, they need challenged.  But there are also many of clients who have had dramatic pasts that have hurt them.  They maybe have had surgery, divorced, abused, numerous health concerns, and/or life had just got the best of them and they stopped taking care of themselves.  Those clients are working out for dear life.  They need to eat right and SAFELY exercise to heal their bodies.  They need to do it to be around to see their children grow up and their grandchildren graduate.  But how?

 

I looked up on Cleveland Clinic and this is what it had to say about scars:

 

"The skin is a seamless organ protecting our body from infection. Throughout our lives, we have experiences that injure our skin, leaving behind a scar. Scars depend on many factors. These include: the depth and size of the wound, your age, genetic factors, and even your sex and ethnicity. There are four main types of scars and various treatments can help reduce their size and appearance. Before you begin, however, remember this basic truth: scars will never completely disappear.

What are the four main types of scars?

1. Hypertrophic scars: These are raised, red scars that are similar to keloids (see below), but do not extend beyond the original injury site. Possible treatments include steroid injections and laser surgery.
2. Keloids: These scars protrude from the skin and extend beyond the original injury site and are due to overproduction of certain cells. Over time, keloids may affect mobility. Possible treatments include surgical scar removal, laser surgery or steroid injections. Smaller keloids can be removed with cryotherapy (freezing therapy using liquid nitrogen). You can also prevent keloid formation by using pressure treatment, silicone gel. Keloids are more common in darker skin types, specifically people of African or Asian descent.
3. Contracture scars: These scars cause tightening of skin that can impair the ability to move. These can happen after a burn. Additionally, this type of scar may go deeper to affect muscles and nerves.
4. Acne scars: Any type of acne can leave behind scars. There are many types of acne scars, ranging from deep pits to scars that are angular or wavelike in appearance. Treatment depends on the type of scars. "

This is how I view fitness.  We all have levels of scaring and we all have levels of fitness.  Some are in decent shape and have minimal scaring.  Others of us have DEEP, DEEP scaring like the Contracture scars and to progress from just the deepest scaring we have to take baby steps towards fitness.  It will take determination, willpower, but ultimately: GOD to heal you.  "Willpower and discipline are important and vitally necessary to a successful life, but willpower alone won't be enough. Determination gets you started and keeps you going for awhile, but it is never enough to bring you across the finish line. Zechariah 4:6 (NKJV) says, "Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit," says the Lord of hosts. (From the book New Day, New You by Joyce Meyer. Copyright © 2006 by Joyce Meyer. Published by InProv.)

 

How do you start?  Acceptance.  Accept yourself as you are.  Humble yourself and realize that it's going to be hard to and ask for help.  As I see and meet new people who have set a goal to lose weight and get healthy for 2013 I see my old self in them.  Uneducated in what a "Fit and Healthy" lifestyle looks like and how they plan to get there.  I ask them to let me help them.  Some desire and commit to my help, while other inform they can do it themselves.  However you plan to reach your goal is your own decision, I'm here to help if you want to take it.  But realize those scars will never go away, they will just empower you.  Every morning I wake up, I look at the scars from my gallbladder being removed at the age of 10, the scars from my two hip surgeries down my leg, the numerous stretch marks on my body from being 100 lbs over weight and tell myself today is a new day.  I will get up stronger and more determined to live a life pleasing to the one who created me.  I will no longer feel sorry for myself and my past.  My past doesn't define who I am.  I define who I will be in the future and that goal is to be a stronger, fitter, healthier me. 

 

This weeks success is recognizing who I was and setting my eyes on who I desire to be in the future.  No matter what, I desire to be a vessel of God and encourage others on their journey.

 

BeBlessed

A

New Year, New Goals!

Similar to last week, I featured Amy Meyer who had lost 130 pounds all because she took time to set goals, but then followed through with them.

This week I wanted to feature Strawn Wilson, a personal trainer in North Carolina.  After speaking with him about the reasons behind goal setting, I thought everyone could benefit from hearing the reason and purpose behind what he does.  All of humanity is motivated by something.  It could be for a gold medal, money, recognition, and the list goes on.  But the most successful trainers are motivated deep within.  They have a PASSION for the people they invest in and they truly want to help.  This is why I wanted to feature Strawn.  His drive to succeed goes deeper than money.  He invests in them because his heart is rooted in Christ.  He loves his clientele and wants to see them healthy and happy.  He understands they have one life, one body, and desires to be the man who brings out their fullest potential.  His clients are his ministry.  God gives us all gifts and the way he is able to relate to them all is amazing!  Every single workout, is as if it were his last... He gives his very best.  Read learn more about him and the reason for setting goals!

Why are you a Personal Trainer?
>I've been into fitness since I was a kid. So, having the opportunity to help others become fit and healthy gives me joy.

What is Wilson's Training?
> The Ultimate Fitness Destination, that provides intense workouts and nutritional programs catered to each clients needs and abilities and goals.

What do you find the most rewarding in being a Personal Trainer?
>The highest reward of being a personal trainer is the moment my client understands and applies that this is a lifestyle change, not a hobby or resolution.

What do you do as a PT?
> As a PT, I create fitness/nutritional programs for clients and help them reach their desired fitness/wellness goals. I also lead Intense group Bootcamps.

What would you say is your specialty when it comes with training?
>My speciality when it comes to training is motivating my clients and getting them results!! When clients stick to the plan, they are guaranteed success. BODY BY STRAWN!!

As a personal trainer, do you or your clients set goals?
>Clients set their own goals, and I also set goals for them. Most clients in the beginning don't realize how strong their bodies are, after a few sessions, they raise their own bar.

Do you have your clients write out their goals?
>Yes, I have each client write down their goals. A vision to paper becomes SUCCESS!

Do you find it important to have goals?
>The goal set for each client is to be the best version of them they can be!!!!

What are your goals (motto) for your clients?
>Never Give Up "Can't Stop Won't Stop". Leave a Powerful, Inspirational, Fit Legacy.

Do you set goals for yourself?  What are your 2013 goals?
 >I am constantly thinking of ways to challenge and increase my fitness level.  2013 Goals.....Get my Pro-Card in NPC Physique. I'm getting ready for NC State Championships in April and USA Championships in Vegas in July!! Of course, taking Wilson's Training Brand to the next level.

Words of Wisdom:  At the end of the day everyone has their own journey and I believe we can do all things through Christ who strengths us. I love networking with trainers, coaches and who ever is in to fitness/health. Let's do this together and continue to grow a fit nation!

You can visit Strawn's webpage at: http://www.wilsonstraining.com/#!home/mainPage
Also find him on Twitter and Instagram: @Strawn1979