Marie
Marie has been a member of our gym since way back in the Quest 4 Fitness days. She was one of those members who didn’t really come very often, you know, paying her fees for no reason!!😂 Intention was there but the motivation wasn’t.
In the past she had lost weight through the typical crazy diets. Low carb, crazy low calorie etc etc. Basically unsustainable, and with no lessons in nutrition and exercise.
Just over a year ago she came in to enquire about booking PT sessions twice a week with the goal of getting into a bridesmaids dress. I took her on, on the condition that whilst I would allow her to drop to low-ish calories and do a more cardio based style of training initially, once the wedding was done we could focus on something more sustainable. Marie agreed, probably thinking ‘Whatever, just get me in that dress and then I am outta here’ lol😂 Well, she not only got into that dress but it had to be taken in! And she didn’t dump me, in fact we had our one year anniversary recently 😊
So where did she begin? A picture tells a thousand words, so you can see for yourself, but she was 120.2kg at her heaviest. Before Marie came to me she had done an amazing job on her own and had already lost approximately 20kgs.
Current weight: 77.6kg (Update 6/5/19: Now 69kgs!)
Health - Off all medication and Diabetes stopped in its tracks
Our first session Marie could not do a body weight squat, nor a push up off her knees. Now she can easily squat reps and sets of 50kg, deadlift over 70kg and do full push ups. Runs and cycles lengths along the coastline and is just a bad ass when it comes to anything I throw at her.
Even at the beginning though, Marie always gave 100%. She never ever said ‘I can’t’, she always said ‘I’ll try’. Even when a knee injury occurred (done dancing, not on my watch thankfully) she always came to her sessions. We did seated boxing and upper body work. There was never an excuse, she always trusted me when I said ‘We can work around this’. I do believe that’s when Marie really understood how far her mindset had changed. The fact that she didn’t use an injury as an excuse to stop. That’s when she realised that this was a life change that she actually loved, not a fad that was a chore.
I am sure Marie will be the first to tell you that she can still have days where she chooses too many of the wrong foods, the difference now is that those moments don’t turn into weeks, months and years. Moderation is key.
My biggest love of being a part of Marie’s journey is seeing how she is having a positive impact on those around her. Her kids are now more active, and with a young daughter learning that exercise and food are an important part of a healthy life. I love that this is not just a weight issue for Marie anymore, the focus is on feeling strong and healthy. One person I feel has also been instrumental in Marie's success is her husband. He has supported her rather than sabotaged her efforts. Surrounding yourself with support through change is very important
So thanks Marie for choosing us, and thanks for trusting in me to be a part of your journey. You always give 100%, I have honestly never had another client give what you give. You have done an amazing job and I am so proud and honoured to have been a part of it❤