November 15, 2017
We are halfway through our testing phase evaluating all the progress that was made over the past 8 weeks. It is amazing to see the improvements in strength, fitness and body composition of our members.
I wanted to share you my fitness journey. Like many of you, I reached a stage in my life where I had to make a decision. Do I make a change so that I can improve in my health and feel better, or do I just continue along the same path, not make a change and not feel any better?
I was an athlete all my life. I swam competitively in both high school and in college. I had everything at my disposal – structured workouts, strict schedule and I lived with like minded individuals (swim teammates) whose goal was also to be at the utmost level of fitness and performance. I had the typical body of an elite swimmer, lean and muscular.
I graduated a year early to start my Doctorate program. My senior year of college was spent studying in graduate school, while also eating like I was an elite athlete. I had the social perks of being an elite college athlete (parties and friends) but without the structured schedule of sleeping and practice. Before I knew it, none of my clothes fit, I was overweight and I was unhealthy. It wasn’t until a relationship breakup that I realized that i had to get my health in order. I was no longer confident nor was feeling good (mentally and physically).
So I joined a gym and started following the workouts that I found on bodybuilding.com. I worked out for hours at the gym. I lost a little bit of weight, got stronger, my clothes felt a little better. But then after a few months, I hit a plateau. I got tired of having to spend so much time in the gym only to make little to no changes in my body composition or what I saw in the mirror. I thought I was a healthy eater, but I had no feedback because I wasn’t an expert at the time.
Fast forward three years, I graduated with my Doctorate in Physical Therapy and started working in a clinic. I was still doing the same workout routines (that I found online) and thought I ate a little healthier, but still not seeing any progress. I thought that with an expensive gym membership and a workout program promoted many Mr. Olympia champions would lead me to have the body of my dreams. I thought wrong. It only lead me to get more frustrated and ask myself, what am I working for?
So then I sat down and evaluated my goals. Why was I working out in the first place? Was it for health? Was it to look better naked? Was it to keep my stress levels down as I finished a day treating 45 patients. When it comes to sitting down and evaluating my own fitness goals and trying to make the necessary changes to achieve them, I was at a loss. I wasn’t the expert.
I joined a group fitness gym, and worked with a coach who actually sat down with me and helped me figure out what mattered most for me. I learned that I was approaching my workouts all wrong. My coach told me that my approach to exercising as “working out” only led me to feel drained and frustrated because I didn’t have a plan. I thought I did, as I pulled out my previous workout journals with template after template. However, if I didn’t have someone sit down with me and create some actionable metrics, measuring progress would be difficult and close to impossible.
Once my coach helped me figure out my direction, I was then able to follow a plan that was conducive to my goals. I was no longer ‘exercising’ or ‘working out’. I was now training. I had specific goals and an actionable plan, and I became that “elite athlete” again. I felt like myself again! I rearranged my lifestyle so that it was conducive to my goals of losing weight, building muscle, and to look pretty ‘shredded’. Fast forward a year later, I was in the best shape of my life, changed jobs and ultimately, met the girl of my dreams. Let’s just say that I am the happiest I’ve ever been.
You see, it doesn’t matter what your goals are when it comes to fitness and health. Everyone’s end point is different. As long as you have the right plan that works best for your goals and you set yourself up in a mindset to achieve it, nothing will stop you. But it can be hard and frustrating at times especially when you are on this path by yourself. For those who have achieved it without any help, I applaud you. That is amazing and I would love to sit down with you and hear about your journey, coffee is on me.
But, if you are still trying to battle with your weight, health, or just looking to get more fit, talk to me. Tell me your struggles.
I joined the physical therapy profession to help people regain control over their health so that they can return to the activities that they loved. I wanted to be able to help people walk with their grandchildren, dance at their wedding and play with their kids. But I also wanted to help more.
I realized that the health and fitness industry were not mutually exclusive entities. In fact when combined, they make an unstoppable force when it comes to optimizing human health and performance. I learned all of this while I was working at Hudson River CrossFit in spring 2014. As the years passed I grew professionally as a physical therapist and a fitness coach.
I opened Hudson River Fitness on January 2nd, 2017 as a way to help people who were in the same boat as me: frustrated, tired of the lack of progress and ultimately looking for help. Since our opening day, I have helped hundreds of people lose weight, get stronger and even helped someone contemplate an change in their career. All because I asked “how can I help you.”
So as the year comes to a close, I want to ask you:
How can I help you?
Book a no sweat intro with me or Desiree
