Read how I felt, how I changed my health, nutrition, lifestyle and mindset.
Written in collaboration with James Powell, Owner and Personal Trainer @ JP Premier Fitness
When I look at the first picture of myself it makes me sad, not only do the feelings I had about myself and my weight come flooding back to me, but it also makes me sad that I don’t recognise many aspects of the lady in that picture. She’s gone, and whilst it is definitely me stood there the new version of me is so totally different, how can one life, one lady and one existence be so utterly different in one year and portrayed so well in just two pictures. This is chapter 2. To read chapter 1 click here.
https://www.iliketotellastory.com/blog/i-know-i-ve-got-this I wrote my first blog about my fitness and weight loss journey in January and in that I mentioned that I was bridesmaid at my sisters wedding on 1st September 2018. One of my longer term goals was that I would wear my bridesmaid dress and for the first time feel good about myself. I bought my dress in January and it didn’t fit...... it was too small and not once was I concerned that by the big day it would still be too small and now 1st September has been and gone I am so pleased that the dress did fit. Now, the dress is actually too big! I've now lost 5 stone and 60 cm off my waist and hips. My hips are now 3 cm smaller than my waist was when I started. I look at my hips right now and can’t believe that my waist was bigger. It’s an amazing visual for what I have achieved and I feel proud! I want people to read this and be able to relate and maybe even find it motivational for their own body image and weight loss journeys. I’m only really half way there and because I’m still living and breathing it I hope that people do not look at my story as I would have looked at weight loss stories before I started. I used to see people’s before and after pictures and think that it was impossible, so far away from anything I could possibly do and actually I thought it was unachievable. How wrong was I! I’ve learned that diet and exercise is so much more about the mind and psychology than the physical activity I am doing on a weekly basis. I finally acknowledge that only I can control my mind and maintain my determination and motivation and I haven’t faltered once. I go to my personal training sessions with the same enthusiasm I always have. This is in no small part down to my personal trainer and his approach and the fact I feel that he is on this journey with me. He sees me as a success story and for him, clients needing this kind support and help are right up his street. I’m very honest with him about everything and he is always encouraging and pulls me back on track if I’m starting to derail. Above all else I trust him, I trust his opinion and knowledge and I trust his motivation and the fact that he sees my fitness and weight loss as a personal goal for his own career and aspirations. I see my journey as a complete package that can be broken down into two things diet and exercise. I strictly calorie count, I weigh everything and track it using my fitness pal. I don’t want to do any fad diet, I want to do this purely through sensible choices because I’ve realised this is a life long commitment and change and it’s not something I will be able to dip in and out of. James gives me my calorie total and we have recently started looking at protein, carb and fat allowances. This is more for my benefit really and satisfies my obsessive nature. I don’t think everyone needs to do this, after all we all know if you eat less calories than you burn you will lose weight. I have also built up to three Personal training sessions a week and it’s great. I’m always evaluating and looking at my approach and I really do think PT is the one thing that works for me, much more than a gym membership and exercise classes. I know if I went to the gym or a class I would make an effort up to a point but you can easily fade into the back ground and whilst I know I would push myself I know it would not be anywhere near what I get from PT. James briefs me on what my session will include (we do core, upper body then legs) and I always say to him I don’t think I can do that. A recent example is to climb the empire state building on the stairmaster, 102 floors, 1650 steps. If I’d have been doing this alone I would not have completed it..... but with James there, telling me I can do it, I did it.... I was exhausted and it pushed me in a way I don’t think I’d achieve doing it alone. When you have someone over your shoulder telling you to carry on and that you can do it you go from 80% to 100%. I have grown so used to viewing my fitness ability in a negative light that I’m not very good at appreciating my own progress (when I started PT I could just about manage 50 steps on the stair master and that’s not an exaggeration). When I find something really hard and I don’t think I can do it, I see it as a failure on my part and I get frustrated. It takes James to remind me that what I’m doing at that moment is beyond what a lot of people could or would do and that this time last year I was achieving probably less than a quarter of what I am now. In my head I see that fit people can take on any activity and do it without any signs of physical exertion, so when I’m almost crawling out of the gym my mind takes me back to being the really fat one who is much more exhausted, sweaty and red than everyone else and that makes me feel bad! I constantly have to remind myself how far I have come. I fell into PT by accident really, I started bootcamp, a class that James does, never intending on doing PT but as he offers PT with a friend I thought I could give it a go with the security of having someone with me, especially because I could do it in the day when the girls were in nursery. Again, if he hadn’t offered this service I would never have done it. To any much larger person, who actively walks into a gym to find a PT I absolutely applaud you because I don’t think many of us would.... being my size I would never have even walked into a gym because of the judgment I felt would come with it. I felt (and I can only assume that other larger people feel the same) that I wasn’t the kind of person who a personal trainer would want and that in a gym I would stand out like a sore thumb. By the time I started 1-1 PT I knew James and already trusted him. I’ve learned I was just the kind of client that a PT wants. The really good PT’s who are passionate about what they do love nothing more than helping people like me and when I see much larger people in the gym, working out I have nothing but absolute respect for them as they have the guts to get up and do it and do it alone, that takes real courage. I never thought PT was for me, when in reality it was the perfect thing for me and I am so glad that I have found it. Without it, last year would have turned into another failed diet, I would not be 3 dress sizes smaller, weigh the least I have for about 15 years and for the first time in my adult life my weight is actually something I’m proud of rather than something I’m ashamed of. For anyone out there reading this who can identify with me, who is so desperate to make a change, who feels there is nothing that can be done I would give the following advice..... there is something out there that will work for you, that will click with you and if you look for it you will find it. If you think that finding a PT, who not only helps with exercise but also offers diet support and advice is completely out of your reach, you are wrong, talk to James (I’ll put his contact details below) even if he isn’t the right PT for you I know he would love to offer you advice and support (although, if you are just like me, he will be the perfect PT for you, because he is for me!).
James can be contacted @ james@jppremierfitness.com
I feel I should add a little disclaimer to this and say James has not asked me to do this for him. I am so passionate about sharing my story, offering motivation and help to others and showing people like me that it really is possible! I asked James for his involvement to provide credibility and reassurance to all those reading it.
James says
'Kerrie is an amazing women who is an inspiration to herself and to everyone around her. She's a huge inspiration to anyone out there who struggles with the same day to day problems that she did.
Working with Kerrie is brilliant , she is honest about where she is and where she wants to be with her health and is constantly looking to improve everyday in every way. She sets the standard and an example to my PT clients to follow, which is amazing coming from a lady who just a year ago was scared of gyms and hated over exerting herself, especially in front of others.
I see that Kerrie thanks me a lot for her success and I am flattered but its her never ending enthusiasm, energy, motivation and dedication that has got her the incredible results that she has worked so hard for, but the work is not done just yet Kerrie… 😛
If you are feeling the same as Kerrie was and you are ready to make changes to your life then feel free to get in touch with me on 07879 261299. No matter where you are with your future fat loss goals I know I will be able to help you 🙂'
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