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Wednesday, December 26, 2012

Inspire 4 Life Fitness Testimony


When I stepped into the Inspire 4 Life studio back in January 2012 to take my very first Zumba class, I was so unsure of how the class was going to go. I was intimidated, I was nervous, I was scared. Laurie Carroll was the instructor and she made me feel welcome and comfortable. That is hard to do for an overweight person stepping into a “gym” for the first time in a long time. But I honestly wasn't scared or nervous to go to another class after that. I was family.

Laurie, Bobby, and Carlos have inspired me, and many others, to either start a journey towards health and fitness or encouraged us in the journey we are currently on. I was honored and privileged to be chosen as the first transformation winner this past summer. I went through 6 weeks of hard-core workouts and nutritional counseling with Bobby, Carlos, and Laurie. Each of them told me they were going to step it up for me. They felt a desire and obligation to do that for me. Yes, that meant harder workouts, but it also meant that really care about my end result. It means that they are concerned about where I go from here. During those 6 weeks of the transformation, I lost a total of 13.25 inches and 39lbs! I have developed more of a drive for exercise, fitness, and healthy living through working out at Inspire 4 Life.

I am no athlete by any stretch of the imagination, but I am eating healthier and exercising more thanks to Inspire 4 Life Fitness. The instructors and trainers are so excited about fitness. They keep me accountable. They are very supportive and encouraging. They love sharing their passion and helping people reach their fitness goals. My thoughts and feelings about "working out" and "fitness" have completely changed since I started taking classes at the studio. It is amazing. When I started, there were so many things that I COULD NOT do. I couldn't even make it through an entire song at Zumba class without being winded and having to stop. Now, I can make it through the whole class, minus real water breaks! I couldn't walk a mile without stopping. Now, I have done 3 5k races and have plans to do more. The first one, I did stop a couple of times; the second one I didn't stop at all; and the third I actually ran some! I couldn't do pushups, let alone even think about doing planks, burpees, suicide drills, mountain climbers, etc. But now, I can do it all! I still have to modify, but I can do it -- all since starting at Inspire 4 Life Fitness.


Laurie Carroll

 
Laurie is so positive and enthusiastic. She has a true passion for fitness and it shows in each of her classes and personal training sessions. Every time I walk into her classes, she pushes me to do things I didn’t think I could do. I have been able to increase my weight-lifting abilities through her classes. She introduced me to Paleolithic eating which has furthered my weight-loss. Laurie has been there to answer so many of my questions and keep me focused on my journey. She accepted me in her Zumba class and has never judged me. She keeps me excited to exercise. Laurie’s dedication and commitment to health and fitness is contagious.




Bobby Campbell
 
I started working with Bobby during the transformation experience. He has a real heart for helping people lose weight and get into a fitness routine. He helped me get back into lifting weights. Every single workout I have had with Bobby has pushed me beyond my limits. Bobby takes time to make sure I am hitting my goals and keeping with my journey, even outside his classes. We did a 5k together in September and after he finished and recovered, he came back to make sure I finished ahead of a goal I had set for myself. When he could see “pain” in my face, he encouraged me to go a little bit longer. He instilled in me that “Pain is weakness leaving the body.” I will never forget that.

 


Carlos Johnson
 
Carlos has been a great coach and supporter for me. He helps with the nutritional Inspired! meeting at the studio and has been pivotal in my food journey. He keeps it real and gives me tips and tricks on changing habits and thinking. His passion is to help people get fit and stay fit. Carlos goes above and beyond to motivate and encourage me to work harder. He has helped me realize that I'll never know what I'm capable of until I push beyond my limits. His workouts are intense and I never thought I would run like he has made me do. But anytime I can’t do an exercise or move, he helps me adapt it to what I can do. There are no excuses with him.


I have been blessed with these fantastic instructors/trainers that have helped me along my way. Each of them has so much knowledge and eagerness to share and I am honored that they share it with me. Every time I start to get discouraged, one of them is there to pick me up and push me a little farther. They have most certainly been advisors and coaches, but more importantly they have become friends and confidants.


Sunday, December 2, 2012

Go For Your Goals


I trust you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving! We definitely enjoyed the time spent with our family and missed those that weren't able to be with us this year. I was actually able to stick with a Paleo meal for our Thanksgiving meal. We do breakfast for Thanksgiving, so it wasn't as difficult as a traditional meal would have been. It was hard though because I love some biscuits and gravy, especially chocolate gravy! But I stayed away from all that and enjoyed a cranberry orange muffin that I had left over from the Color Run weekend. It was yummy! :)

I didn't think I would be able to meet my goal of 11 Paleo meals for Thanksgiving week, but I did. I was able to hit 12 again! I am probably going to stick with this goal for the rest of the year and then change it up to adapt Paleo a little more full force. My trainer, Laurie, shared an article about people’s difficulty in making Paleo a full lifestyle and some suggestions to make it a little more manageable. At the beginning of the year, I plan to do all Paleo with the exception of one thing per day. Most days right now I am doing 2 Paleo meals per day so it won’t be as difficult to add that other meal in there; especially knowing I have that one exception that won’t thwart the whole plan.

After my confessional with Jessica and my trainers, they have really been keeping me on track and accountable. Jessica constantly asks me how I’m doing with my goal. My trainers cracked down on me and said they would make me run (jog intervals at least) if I had bad stuff in my journal when they checked it at our Inspired! meetings. This Thursday, they had to review my journal for 2 weeks, which included the Color Run weekend and Thanksgiving. It wasn't as bad as it was or it could have been, but they still pointed all the bad stuff out and told me I would have to do 12 laps around the building. Laurie did help in giving me some tips and suggestions on what to do in some of the situations like I was in. She also bargained with me and told me I could do an hour on the elliptical instead of running around the building. I was “happy” about that but still very nervous.

I haven’t used the elliptical in years and when I did try it then, I couldn't last 5 minutes without getting out of breath and stopping (and not continuing). I did actually try the elliptical the Friday after Thanksgiving. I woke up with a goal to get to the gym and go as long as I could on it to see my progress. Much to my own surprise, I did a 16 minute mile on the elliptical that day!! I think I could have gone a little bit longer, but I still wanted to lift so I didn't want to completely tire myself out. All that being said, I knew this hour was going to be a HUGE thing for me. I have never lasted that long on an elliptical (or done that long on a treadmill either) and never imagined I would be able to. Based on my time from Thanksgiving, I knew it would equate to about 4 miles. I haven’t walked that far EVER! My 5ks are only 3.1 miles – that’s the farthest I've done. I mean, I've walked for an hour straight before during my 5ks, but this is different. This is a machine that works my legs and feet in a different form and fashion than traditional walking. But I knew I had to do it. I ate the food, and I had to pay the price. I set out for the gym yesterday, still nervous as crap cause I didn't know if I would honestly be able to last that long. Bobby gives me a little encouragement when I get to the gym. I set my playlist ready to tackle this upcoming hour and head to the elliptical. Not even thinking about it, I chose a program that was only 30 minutes long. I didn't even realize it until I was about halfway into the program. But I told myself it was okay – I would just do 2 of them. I finished up the first one and took a pic of my time/miles. I got off and stretched my legs a bit then got right back on. Set the program back up ready to go my next 30 minutes. I think that actually helped me a bit, knowing I just had to go 30 minutes each time. It broke it up mentally for me. Nevertheless, it was 60 minutes total and I made it!!!! My time, with cool down, was 63:06 and I went 4.02 miles! I didn't know if I would be able to do it or how I would feel afterward, but I felt good. My legs were a little wobbly, but not too bad. I did a couple sets of curls and overhead tricep extensions afterward too. If I was smart, I would have lifted beforehand. But anyway – LOL! I did it, I felt amazing and so accomplished!!

I thank God for the progress I have made thus far in my journey and can’t wait to see what happens next. Doors are constantly opening for me to share my accomplishments and struggles. I am excited to see where He leads me and what doors He opens next! What has kept me going this far is remembering the reason I started this journey. So if you’re struggling with staying on track. Ask yourself: Why did I start? Remember your reasons! If it matters to you, you’ll keep going. If not, you’ll give up!


I AM A CHRISTIAN. I love the Lord with all my heart, soul, & mind. God has really blessed me more than I could ever imagine, but the truth is that Satan HATES me!! I face struggles & temptation every single day of my life; but no matter what happens, I still strive to do the will of God. Because I put my faith & trust in God, He has provided relief for me & my family time & time again! God never fails to comfort & remind me of His promise that “I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5). There have been countless times that I did not deserve God’s grace & should not have been granted mercy. But He has granted me mercy & forgiveness, as well as goodness & grace -- all for the purpose of sharing it with those I meet along the path of life. Some days are better than others, but you always have to remember to keep pressing on! Keep praising HIM & He’ll never fail to bring you through the storm.