Body Soiree

 When I became a Personal Trainer, I did not know what that entailed.   I understood my role as a Fitness Coach: 1. Assess 2. Set goals. 3. Write Program Designs, etc.  That I got! It might sound weird, but I didn't know about the emotional side of Personal Training?  Well, call me weird. Because I was very naive.  There is something about exercising that brings out all of the emotional baggage.  Personal trainers are a "safe space" for a lot of people. Who knew? I didn't! Then I started to remember moments from my own fitness journey. Way before I knew anything about Personal trainers or personal training.  I did it on my own. I also remember sometimes crying while working out.  Feeling frustrated, with myself or with life in general.  The highs that I felt when I reached a new goal. The fear I felt when I thought I couldn't reach a goal! I am sure a few people on the walking trail thought I was a bit crazy... yeah, I woul...

 "In learning, you will teach, and in teaching, you will learn." Phil Collins It's wonderful doing what you love to do for a living. It is exciting and fulfilling. You know what's even better? Knowing that you don't know everything and being willing to ask for guidance. This is what we call "Emotional maturity." I can't express how much confidence you will gain, in any profession, when you ask for help from someone you feel is top tier in your field. None of us knows it all and asking for help doesn't mean you don't know anything, it means that you are willing to learn. I speak from experience and ditches stepped over because I listened. Let me explain.  "You cannot teach a man anything. You can only help him discover it within himself." Galileo Galilei I knew nothing about Personal Training.  All I knew was that I loved to exercise and I was great at sweating. But man! I loved it! I was one of three Registrars at the lo...

  "Sometimes I can't figure out if I'm in preschool or high school. Oh, wait...I'm at work."  Unknown When it gets this bad on the job, it's time to reassess. I am not talking about walking out. I am talking about what you are allowing yourself to get involved in. I have had many jobs. Some I really liked and others I stayed because I had mouths to feed. When I became a Personal Trainer, I knew it was what I was meant to do. Personal Training brings me joy and satisfaction at the end of my day. I loved working in different gyms with all of these various personalities...so I dropped my "Beware of gossip and mess" radar! You would think that people would be too busy sweating. But what I have learned about Human Beings is that we seem to always have time to gossip. Go figure? Here is where I made my mistake: I listened.  "Believe nothing of what you hear and only half of what you see." Unknown My first big gig as a Personal Traine...

" There are some things in this world you rely on, like a sure bet. And when they let you down, shifting from where you've carefully placed them, it shakes your faith, right where you stand." S. Dessen I thought I had shed all of my expectations. I really thought I had stopped expecting things from people...I lied. And I can't tell you how vexed I am about this(I love that word vexed!). I don't believe my expectations were high, but I still had them. I don't ask nor expect smiles from people every day. I don't expect money or kind words from strangers. Heck, I don't even expect that from family. But, I do expect Decency, with a capital D. Did you just say that's even asking too much? Why? Why is it that we, as Human Beings, can't expect people to be decent? I didn't say kind; Decent. There is a difference. I will use this as an example, picture this: You are walking into the grocery store and someone is walking in front of you. They get ...

"There is no easy fix...But it also isn't Rocket Science." Dawn Ellen  It's that time of year again people! The New Years Resolution, I'm going to start on Monday, I just need a Personal Trainer for 2 weeks to get me going and I am going to buy every exercise gadget and pill they show me on t.v, time of year. Those of you who read my Blogs, watch my podcast or know me personally, know my weight-loss story. So I am not some rando Woman who has been thin her whole life talking about weight-loss. I have lived it. And what I am telling you is this(and it might make some angry)stop making this harder and more expensive than it has to be! I am not trying to throw salt on anyone's game: the selling of supplements, diet drinks, shake mixes, blah, blah, and more blah. I used to be that person! I not only sold all of those mentioned above, but I also took my own product, that is, shakes and supplements (all legal!). Then I had to stop, reassess and go back to the beg...

I am a prideful person. I have never denied it and I have learned, through trial and error, to ask for help. To write about it is even harder! But I had a one-woman intervention and this is part of my "therapy." As some of you know, at least the ones that follow my blogs, this past Summer was an eye-opener. My health was out of control and the pain my body was, sometimes still is in, was something I couldn't control...or so I thought. To be a Fitness Professional, to be a Woman that is used to being able to move and lift at will, my body IS my business. How does this happen? And how do I stop this? I am not going to go into the lurid details of all of my symptoms. This isn't a blog for me to gripe. This is all about me trying to help someone, anyone who might be in pain right now. Steps to help all of us lessen our pain. Here is my disclaimer: This is not a cure for getting rid of the swelling. What I do for myself, might NOT help you. Any autoimmune disorder needs to...

The greatest love of all is the love you feel for yourself. How many times have we all heard this? There have even been songs written. But how many feel it? My Mama used to say: "If you can't love yourself, you won't and can't love anyone else." It took me some years and mistakes to figure out that that Lady was right(I'm still mad about that!)  I am not discussing the vapid love of self; that outer self. This is the love of all of You. Those bad moods, weird, random thoughts that crack you up, those big hips that "Beauty" magazines tell you aren't right and that nose! Do you love it all? Are you comfortable just sitting and being with yourself? With no criticism? Love is: Waking up in the morning, looking in the mirror and loving all that you see; bags and all. Love is: Knowing when you have made mistakes, owning them , so that you can move on. Love is: Asking those that you have hurt for forgiveness, so that you can forgive yoursel...

I heard a story the other day that made my hair stand on end(that says a lot seeing that my hair stands on end anyway!) My hair on end and anger growing, I listened to this story told to me from a young lady that I have known for some time regarding how she was hurt by a Personal Trainer. Hurt how? I asked.  She responded by telling me this Trainer's training style: If you say the exercise is hurting you, they respond by saying "PUSH THROUGH!" You say it is really hurting your back, they say "NO PAIN! NO GAIN!" Really? She told me a few more things that were upsetting and I apologized to her for all of us Trainers that try and leave our ego's at the door. Here is the deal everyone, and I need you to remember this: Exercise, though sometimes difficult to get through, is done to make you feel better! Hiring a Personal Trainer is a smart and honest move for people that understand they aren't going to go the distance on their own. So I wonder: Why hire some...

I say something to my Personal Training clients that I always said to myself and still do: "Don't make this whole weight loss thing bigger than what it is(excuse the pun). In fact, don't make most things going on in your life bigger than you! Put everything that is going on in your life in the correct place and order; from the issues that are out of your control to what can be done right now to make your life better. No one can tell you what is the most important issue, because what might be a problem for me, might seem like a non-issue to you, and this is why you have to sit quietly and go over your priority list. I try not to say write a "Problem List" I use the word priority instead; it is way more positive and why turn it negative if we don't have to? So, sit and write your priority list, once you have finished, look and see what is number 1, is it your health?  9 out of 10 times, for most of us, it isn't. The list usually goes like this: 1. Pay car/h...

No one, when I was a kid, ever called depression, depression. Did we even know that word existed in the eighties?  It was referred to as "being blue" or "having a case of the blues." I didn't know that word, depression, until I got older and it became the "it" word for everything. Oh, he isn't talking today, he must be depressed! She has been a bit standoffish and quiet; must be depression! Regular folks became mini psychiatrists and got on everyone's nerves with their two bit analysis of your bad day or week. I can only speak from my truth, which I always try to do and it is not easy. Why? Because you don't want people to know when you are in a depression. How can you explain what you are feeling? I almost feel ashamed, being my worst judge and critic, as if I caused it in some way. How can I speak about positive thinking, exercising and being emotionally and spiritually healthy when I am struggling just getting out of my bed? I went again...

"Nobody cares about your excuses.nobody pities you for procrastinating nobody is going to coddle you because you are lazy.its your ass you move it." I saw this quote and had to share it. When I saw it; it was as if someone had been listening to my inner thoughts when I first started seriously exercising.  My mantra, said while power walking, jogging, or anything that I didn't want to do and had to force myself, was: Get up and MOVE! Move that fat ASS! Seeing that it is my butt, I can call it fat all I want and I did. Everyone has their own mantra and motivator's, we also have our excuses: I don't have time, I don't like to sweat( seriously!?), I feel funny working out, people are judging me( they already have, who cares!), my body jiggles( yes, because you don't workout!) etc. And while we have all used one of these or created new excuses, it is still our butts getting wider by the minute. Sitting on the sofa, watching whatever television show is caus...

A Client asked me how is it that the weight he gained just 'sneaked' up on him? I said it didn't, though it will feel like it. I told him he wasn't paying attention, he allowed himself to get lost in the shuffle of life. That fat will roll (excuse the pun!) up on you like a thief in the night and you will go from size 8 to 20 without blinking, I am talking from experience here. We all get caught up in the everyday of it, the IT being life and we will create all manner of reasons to not take control of our self-destructive behaviors, am I right? I have heard most of the excuse's, from my feet hurt from work( they just might), to my children won't let me!? Really? Who is in charge here? Did you just throw your children under the bus? Excuse's aren't needed; Life happens and sometimes getting overweight and unhealthy happens with it, but don't despair, there is a fix. It isn't a quick fix, an easy fix or a magic pill. This requires that you pay atte...