No Two Journeys are the Same

Today I wanted to talk a bit about my journey to a healthier me along with several others who have been on this journey at HammerTime Fitness.

I have battled one eating disorder after another since the age of 14. These ranged anywhere from bulimia, to anorexia to extreme exercise to Binge Eating Disorder and back again. It wasn't until I started intensive therapy that I began to heal and leave these disorders and the body dysmorphia that comes along with them behind. It was a very long journey and sometimes a very painful one but it was so worth it. Finding a therapist that speciializes in eating disorders and behavioral change is key in my opinion. This struggle, as hard as it was to make it through, has fueled my passion to help others who are struggling with their journey to become healthier. Over the years, I have lost 100 or more pounds 4 times. If you do the math....that means I gained it back 3 of those times! So, when I say to a client that I'm working with that I have been there and I know how hard it is, I really do! The battle takes place in our minds every day. "Am I going to make wise food choices today? Am I going to the gym today? Am I going to get a good amount of sleep today? Every day we have a chance to make a better choice. Some days that choice MIGHT be to go ahead and eat a donut knowing that you spent the rest of the week making healthier food choices. There are no "good" or "bad" foods. There is food. Now, some of those foods will propel you forward on your journey and some may not. This is a continuum. Never a straight line BUT making those little wise choices daily help to train your brain that you CAN decide to be healthier. You CAN decide that today isn't the day you are going to sleep in instead of workout. You CAN decide that an apple actually does sound better than a donut today. I would love to walk alongside you begin or continue down your path to health. Below are a few of my clients and their joiurneys for you to celebrate with us.

Digby joined HammerTime Fitness in October of 2019 and began with Tai Chi. He eventually moved into the Strength and Endurance class. Those first few Strangth and Endurance classes were rough for him. But, he kept coming back.--determined to become stronger, more fit, and healthier. He was able to do more and more of the workout and began feeling so much better. Here is what Digby has to say about his journey so far: "I go to Strength and Edurance class at 5:30am Monday, Wednesday and Friday. I have lost weight, improved my flexibility and feel better all around. Stephanie is a great instructor, she and the rest of the class is very supportive. I'm now scared NOT to go to Strength and Endurance class, I don't want to go back to where I was before. "

Jane joined HammerTime Fitness at the end of December 2019. Since joining, she has been dedicated to coming at least 3 days a week and many times has made it 6 days a week even coming on Saturdays. Over the last 2 months, she has started personal training with me as well as continuing with the Strength and Endurance classes and trying to get to a yoga class or 2 a week. Her dedication and hard work on her food intake as well as her dedication to getting a stronger body is really apparent! Here are Janes own words: "Joining HammerTime Fitness has been one of the best decisions I've ever made for myself. I am healther and stronger than I've been in years. Although I have my ups and downs and sometimes I don't feel like working out, I always feel better physically and mentally after a workout. As Stephanie always says, "Consisitency is key" and she is 100% right. You get out of your workouts what you put into them. I am a work in progress and will keep working to keep progressing. I look forward to MY time every day at HammerTime Fitness. (Come join us and get your sweat on, just don't take my spot by the air conditioner. :P)

Tracy began HammerTime Fitness in June of 2019. It took a bit to find what time of day works into her schedule well, but now that she has, she's unstoppable! Tracy has also begun personal training with me twice a week to really work to build muscle and change her physique. Here's what she has to say:

"I know how difficult it is to make time to exercise.  As a busy mom there seems to be no time in the day – eat, work, go to this event and go to that event and fall into bed.  I knew that the only time I really had was to get up before work and exercise and I AM NOT A MORNING person.  Frankly I’m not a night person either.  As my husband says…Tracy just likes sleep.  In fact, per my husband, if I were an animal I’d be a bear, because bears like to hibernate.   So, to get up in the morning was a large hurdle to overcome. But, I can now tell you that your body does get used to it.  I did make an adjustment and go to bed about an hour earlier so I do get about 7-8 hours of sleep a night.  I am so glad I jumped that “getting up in the morning” hurdle.  My body has become used to getting up.  In fact, I have more energy than I used to.  I am also stronger.  When I came to Hammertime I could do 3 push ups!!!!  On my KNEES!!!!  Seriously.  Now I challenge my boys to push ups.  And although they are still stronger than me, I hold my own with multiple pushups (in the double digits) on my toes.  My back is not hurting like it used to, my knees are not hurting and I feel AMAZING!  I would encourage everyone to go to Hammertime – it’s cheap, it’s close by, it supports local, and if you do stay consistent you WILL see results.  Oh and the best part…you buy a punch card.  Unlike other gyms where you pay a membership here you pay for a punch card and if you don’t go for a day you don’t pay.  Seriously…you have no excuses.  Just go!!!!!"

Samantha began her journey at HammerTime Fitness with Bootcamp. When you join a bootcamp, you get an accountability partner in me, we do wellness assessments with measurements and weights, we talk about goals and then we revisit those goals periodically to make sure that we are keeping those goals at the forefront of our minds. (plus, you get a t-shirt and who doesn't love a new t-shirt!). The first bootcamp was cut just a couple weeks short thanks to Coronavirus but I gave a discount to those who wanted to join the next bootcamp after we came back. Since that second bootcamp ended, Sam has continued coming to Strength and Endurance and here's what she has to say about her experience so far: "I met Stephanie when she had her open house back in 2019 when she first opened her gym. I had my daughter in July 2013 and prior to that I was at 134# and content. Even being sick with her while I was pregnant, I still managed to gain 30 # and it was weight I just couldn’t seem to get off with dieting and exercise. Every time I managed to get some weight off I always gained it back and more to spare. I kept telling myself it was fine I just would not gain anymore. Finally, after struggling with this and needing to go up yet another pants size and being at my heaviest which was 50# away from where I had been before my daughter I decided I needed to make yet another change. I tore my ACL in 2018 and that again set me back on my weight less journey. I joined Hammertime fitness in January 2020 determined to lose the weight in her bootcamp program. I had made some progress when we left for vacation in Feb. 2020 however I got a bad sinus infection and was not able to return to classes until March and by than COVID had happened and everything was shut down. All the progress I had made went out the window and I again put on way more weight. I rejoined her next bootcamp June 22nd which went through August 14th. Stephanie taught me and everyone there that it was not simply about losing weight. It was about getting stronger and healthier and setting reasonable and attainable goals for yourself. And ultimately about being happy with your body whatever form it takes. At the 4 week mark of bootcamp I was super bummed and thought about quitting as I had not lost any weight. We did our measurements and low and behold I had lost 3 inches in my abs alone and overall I had lost 5.75 inches. That was mind boggling and I decided to stick out the other 4 weeks. August 17th we did our final 8 week measurements and I was pleased that I had lost 2 pounds and was down another 5 inches, 3 more coming from my abs. But more than that I felt like I had more energy. I was no longer winded by simply walking up the stairs from our basement. I could chase my daughter around and not have my knee that I tore my ACL on want to give out on me. I was eating healthier and just felt better all around. I decided to continue my journey with her and joined her strength and endurance class 3 times a week. Because I had somewhat slacked off on my eating plan in September I decided to ask Stephanie to do my measurements again and on 9/18/2020, which is 3 months after joining Hammertime fitness we redid my measurements. Because of my slacking off on my healthier eating I did manage to gain 2 inches back but I had lost 4 inches overall so I still managed to lose 2 inches and I had lost another 4 pounds!!!! Meaning all together in 3 months I lost 13 inches and 6 pounds. Talk about a success story. I now no longer have to drag myself out of bed to make it to my 5:30am class. I happily get up and go because I found a place that didn’t simply give me a workout routine or a meal plan and tell me to go off and do this. I found other people who want to be healthier to workout with and found a leader who not only rejoices in your victories but is there when you are discouraged with a helping hand or a swift kick in the butt to help keep you on track. Since I was struggling in September she sat down with me and looked over my food and helped me make some tweaks that not only make sense but are totally do able. I don’t have to throw out everything in my house in order to make her plan work. Just think about everything that goes into your body and will it help you reach your goals or not. Having her in my corner is making all the difference and I can’t wait to see how much progress I continue to make! "

Coriann is our new instructor here at HammerTime Fitness. Coriann and I have been friends for many years now. You could say we have been friends through thick and thin (literally). Our journeys, just like each of those you have already read, are different. I'll let her share in her own words:"I've been overweight since I was a child. Being the stubborn kid I was though, I refused to let that stop me. The embarrassment of not being ablt to do sometging because I was fat was too much to handle so I forced myself to do everything right alongside everyone else. Because of that, I ended up developing a lot of muscle tissue and my body got so used to carrying all of it around, it was convinced I was healthy at 300lbs. Tht fat wasn't going anywhere. I'd exercise like a fiend, dance for hours, do things my thinner friends couldn't keep up with. Still, I was fat.

I realized it was my eating and crash dieted for a couple years. At my smallest I was a sie 10/12 and 170lbs. I was really happy being that size but my body refused to go any lower. When I got pregnant with my 3rd child I sllowly climbed back to a little over half of what I'd lost. I'm not sure of the numbers because I didn't want to know.

This time, it's coming off slowly. I've realized that even though calorie restriction is the way to go for me, I can't deprive myself. I need to be able to maintain the lifestyle. I do still have the goal of dropping 3 more sizes to get to where I was before, but I'm going to be patient this time. I'm alive, I'm pretty healthy, my body is doing the best it can and it deserves so much more love than what I've given it in the past. For me, this is a hourney of self-acceptance as uch as it is a journey for a healthier body

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We are all different, our bodies are all the same, but different. What works for one seems to not work for others. Why is this? We have all treated outr bodies differently over the years. Some of us may be insulin resistant, some of us may have a disease or disorder that causes it to be difficult to lose weight or even gain weight, sometimes our bodies just need a "hot minute" in the weightloss process and no matter what you do, the weight won't come off but as Jane points out: Consistency is Key. Whatever it is that's blocking you from taking that next step towards health, feel free to contact me at itshammertimefitness@gmail.com