Julie's Journey
Do you want to be a consistently stronger, fitter, healthier you?
I started my fitness and fat loss (not weight loss!) journey on the 21st October 2019. I remember that day very well, I had been to see a friend for coffee and on the way home I remember thinking how positive and energetic she was about life. Right there I realised I needed to change my lifestyle, be healthier! Without thinking about it I walked into my local gym that same day and met Matt Brown, my personal trainer!
At the time I weighed in at 308lbs (22 stone/139.7kg) and I was heavy, breathless most of the time, struggled walking up one flight of stairs, my sleep was inconsistent, and I was pre-diabetic for sure!
I had suffered the loss of both my parents and my grandmother in the preceding 14 years, as well as experiencing a painful divorce. I was depressed and needed something to hang on to, something just for me, something that lifted me daily.
Strength training became my everything!
In the early days, strength training was all about my mental health and wellbeing. I showed up every day and diligently followed my programme. I didn't care I would not get the best from my training by not having rest days, it was not important to me at the time. My body could cope with an hour of strength training daily and what I needed more was to form good habits, a change in my lifestyle! To keep going no matter what!
I saw Matt every Saturday morning and he would take me through a new routine. This kept things fresh, the variety meant I never got bored, I only had to follow the programme for 7 days and then it would be different again the following week. To this day I have never once cancelled a PT session, I literally love it!
Matt has become a good friend, something I never imagined when I joined the gym is how many friends I have made, and everyone has been so supportive of my journey!
On the 31st August 2021, after losing about 12lb in weight, working out daily (even through Coronavirus Lockdowns using my make shift garage gym) I asked Matt why I wasn't losing enough weight. He simply replied, 'It's the food!'.
This message really hit home, and I decided right there and then I would put myself on a healthy diet. I was ready! I truly believe the improvements in my fitness and mental health I had made by this point were the catalyst to what came next. It was about fitness AND nutrition! A lightbulb moment!
So on the 1st September 2021, I started eating fewer calories than I was expending in energy in the gym, I put myself in calorie deficit!
There was a lot of reading in the early days, learning about high protein foods to keep myself feeling full, understanding nutritional information on food labels and making sure I kept my cupboards stocked with foods I allowed myself to eat rather than those that would tempt me to overeat.
By the 17th February 2022 I weighed in at 232lb, I had lost a massive 76lb (5 stone 6lb/34.5kg). I was weighing myself daily and losing on average 0.5lb per day. I was doing it! It felt so positive, I could move more easily, I had formed good eating habits too now and my whole life was changing for the better!
Once I started losing weight, my whole outlook on strength training changed too. I was starting to see muscle definition; my body was becoming more proportionate and I was able to go clothes shopping for the first time in 25 years!
What had once been something to heal my mental health and improve my general sense of wellbeing was now something I wanted to do for fun, because it felt fantastic when I trained!
Today, at 50 years old, I am 179.9lb (12 stone 11lb/81kg), I have nearly halved my body weight! I am still looking to lose fat but now the bulk is gone, I am in less of a calorie deficit than the early days, I give myself days off for events with family and friends and make sure the rest of the time I eat healthily.
Strength training (now with appropriate rest!) is all about muscle gain these days, combined with an hour of cardiovascular activity daily and my steady fat loss means I am now really starting to see results with fantastic muscle definition.
I have completely changed my life; I feel genuinely positive and happy and I want everyone to feel how I do!
So, if you want to be a consistently stronger, fitter, healthier you, give me a call, WhatsApp or email and I will help you every step of the way!
Julie