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By Ashley Heffern, Personal Trainer
In just under one year Jamie has overall lost 55lbs and 17% body fat! When she came to me, she was only focused on cardio and stuck in the same routine. She needed a change and motivation to get off her plateau! “Before I had my son, weight loss and exercise was never an issue for me because I was always in pretty good shape. I didn’t know how to balance a full time job, a toddler at home and exercise. I could only exercise when I got around to it which wasn’t nearly as often as it should have been. I gained a bunch of weight and didn’t know how to start back in the gym again because I thought it would just be too hard. Now I get to the gym before 5:30am Monday-Friday, so there is no excuse not to show up. Plus I look forward to my work out!”
Edge Strong and Personal Training
We started training 2x a week for 30 minutes and she jumped right into Edge Strong classes an additional 1-2x a week. She was quickly shedding pounds and getting stronger. The Strong classes were a key ingredient to her success. My favorite part of the classes is the community and friendships they build. Members get to know each other, become friends and motivate each other! The morning crew in Shelton has become a close group that works out together in the gym and run races together! Once Jamie got to know them, she was at the gym 6 days a week with her new friends! Jamie now does 4 Edge Strong classes, small group training and an hour once a week with me! It is great to see her every morning! She is hooked and feels great! Her arms look better than mine now! “I have met some great people in Edge Strong and look forward to working out with them every day! Ashley has really taught me that I need a balance of weight training and cardio- I’ve never felt stronger than I do now! She makes my workouts fun so I don’t feel like it’s just something I have to do- it’s something I want to do.”
Edge Challenge
Jamie is now on her second challenge! In the first challenge she was already so close to her original goal that she hesitated on joining, but she needed the motivation to buckle down for 8 weeks to get to her goal weight! The Edge Challenge is great for keeping clients on track. We always have fun at our Saturday morning workouts, meeting up for hikes and 5k races - it keeps everyone motivated! The friendships that are made during the challenge are awesome; members meet for strong classes and just to work out on their own! They share recipes and tips to stay focused. “I love doing the Edge Challenge because it holds me accountable and keeps me on the right track!”
dotFIT Supplements
Jamie is obsessed with the Grape Aminos! She has a year supply at home (and I’m not exaggerating). She starts every morning with a bottle of aminos for her workout. Aminos keep you energized and help with muscle recovery. Working out 6 days straight, you need to repair your muscles. She also takes the Probiotic, Active Multi Vitamin, Fish Oil and Thermaccel. The supplements have been a crucial part to making sure Jamie gets all the nutrients she needs. It's not easy to get all your vitamins through food alone, especially when cutting calories to lose weight.
Nutrition and Meal Planning
Don’t diet, change your eating habits! I personally don't believe in the keto diet or any other diet out there. The problem with diets is they work short term. Giving up sweets, carbs or alcohol is easy for two months, but not forever. The hardest part with "diets" is the after math. The calorie intake is so drastically different from what you’re used to. Once you get off your "diet," that weight creeps back on. You have to eat a well balanced diet that is maintainable long term, 85% of your meals should be healthy and the other 15% is where you can give-in to your cravings. Jamie still makes time to eat nachos, but most of the time she is watching what she eats and logging her food. I am proud that Jamie not only lost the weight she wanted to, but has been able to keep it off! Go grocery shopping and plan out meals on Sunday for the week. Meal prep sets your week up for success! “I’ve tried a bunch of different diets and none have worked. Restricting myself from certain foods just makes me want them more, so balance has been the key for me. I plan my meals for the week and make sure I have plenty of healthy snacks around so I’m less tempted to eat unhealthy foods.”
Challenges During Weight Loss Journey
Jamie says, "My biggest challenge initially was finding time to work out and not feeling guilty about taking time away from my son. The best solution for me was going to the gym before the rest of my family wakes up! Getting up at 4:30am to work out definitely took some getting used to, but now it’s just part of my daily routine and I feel energized for the rest of the day. Balancing my diet was also tough at first, but once I started seeing results, it became much easier because I wanted even more results!"
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