Meet my client Marisa
Her accomplishments far exceeded even my own expectations, and I am so proud of her and the commitment she made to herself.
I continue to be overwhelmed with her progress.
I can still remember my first meeting with Marisa at the Mid Island Y JCC in Plainview for her free orientation as if it was yesterday. I first sat down with her to see where she was, what she had been doing and where she wanted to go. She had just started a commitment to get herself healthy and started taking Spin classes at the JCC to begin her journey.
In our first meeting she was already on her way to loosing weight, but, she was ready to fully commit to something more. I went over some numbers with her of where her weight and body fat were now and where I would like to see her goal weight and and body fat be.
I will never forget her saying to me “If you can get me there, good for you”. I told her that I am not setting any time limit on this process because it is just that “a process”. It will take time, commitment and hard work, but, if done right she would make some real changes, and she did!
She signed up and we got right to it. She started out with 2 one hour sessions a week. I focused mostly on strength training workouts with her since she would be getting most of her cardio from the spin classes she enjoyed attending. Strength training was very important to add in as the more muscle she built, the more calories she would burn at rest and during her cardio workouts, therefore burning more calories throughout the day, weeks, and months. I also wanted to make sure that once she lost all of the surface weight and fat, she would have really nice definition to reveal!
During our sessions we would discuss nutrition and all the little changes she could make to be healthier. What I didn’t want her to do was “diet”. I don’t really believe in “dieting”, I believe in learning to eat healthier by making changes little at a time in the how, why and what we eat. I also believe in living and enjoying life and food so, learning moderation is huge.
I asked Marisa what she learned most from this experience and she told me that it was learning to have patience. What a true statement as this did not come in a day, it did not come in a week, it did not come with a 12 week promise or any such nonsense. It came with a lot of patience, trust, commitment, confidence, education and the list goes on.
Marisa has been so successful, not because of me, because of her commitment to herself. Without her full commitment I would have been no help at all. She listened, learned and implemented all the knowledge I gave her and she still does each and every day. I still see that beautiful woman that met with me for the first time, but, I see a more confident, stronger version of that beautiful woman.
Here is what Marisa has to say about her experience and journey:
It’s been over 4 years and I remember standing on the scale astonished at the number looking back at me. It was not only the highest I had ever seen my weight, including two pregnancies, but it was dangerously unhealthy, especially for my body type.
At that point in my life I had done all the diets, Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, No Carbs, Low Carbs, you name it. I felt so past the point of no return that I decided to do something desperate. “I’m going to spin at the Mid Island Y JCC.” My first class I could barely make it through. I couldn’t stand and ride so I just peddled. It was the start of something great!
I immediately changed a few bad habits like picking up a bagel everyday on the way to work. It wasn’t rocket science. Instead I found myself reading labels, low sugar, low carbs and less calories on everyday foods.
I lost 15 lbs on my own just by tweaking some bad habits and exercising a few days a week. It took me four long months and it felt good.
I decided I would find out about a personal trainer at the JCC. It was a free consultation so I had nothing to lose. I did not make a request for a specific person but I told them that I did not want someone who would make me cry (images of The Biggest Loser ran across my head). What I didn’t want was a “cheerleader” who was going to give me false hope.
They set me up with Joy. At our first meeting she showed me what my “healthy body weight” should be based on my age and height. I was horrified! I told her that if I could lose another 15 or 20 pounds I would be satisfied, I was not looking for a miracle.
Joy was clear, there are no miracles in weight loss, there are choices, there is moderation and most importantly there is patience. You must have all of these in order to have success.
That day I signed up to meet Joy twice a week for an hour. Ten minutes into our first session I had regretted this and I knew I was never coming back. Although determined I felt like this was too hard. I’m weak, I have poor balance and I don’t like to run, jump or sweat – what was I doing here?
Joy insisted I be patient and stay with it, work through this process. I am thrilled that I did! The weight was coming off and I was learning a completely new way of life.
If I finish my own dinner and then clean off my kid’s plates it’s the same as eating two dinners. Really? I guess not rocket science.
The crazy part is, I started not to miss the sweets, french fries and began truly seeking out healthier options that Joy and I would talk about. Joy soon developed a website and posted simple recipes on her Instagram. TOGETHER Joy and I lost 60 pounds and 8 inches in my waist (that’s almost a foot)!
It’s never easy but I’ve maintained this weight loss for over two years. My sessions with Joy are still extremely difficult for me but I’ve become physically stronger and learned that losing weight is never sustainable through a quick fix.
If the end goal is health then there must be changes that stick.
This is my life now:
I don’t weigh myself at home ever. I carry food with me to snack on so I’m never in a bind. I eat many small meals throughout the day and make the time to exercise approximately 4 days a week.
I still meet with Joy once a week for an hour because she keeps me in check and makes me accountable for my ups and downs. She weighs me once a month but the truth is something she told me a long time ago. Your best source of figuring out weight loss is through your clothing.
Once you get a small taste of what it feels like to shed pounds and inches you want to stay with it. Joy gave me that gift many years ago and she continues to infuse me with strength, positivity, advise and inspire me on this amazing journey!
Meet more of my members/clients
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