“There was a time when I bought into the idea that to be healthy, I’d have to give up a lot of things I enjoyed, and I’d have to start doing things I dreaded. I was sure it would feel like a forced march-a sad path of self-denial I’d have to plod along on for the rest of my life.”-Pilar Gerasimo, Editor in Chief, Experience L!fe magazine
These days, I’m feeling healthy, happy, fit, footloose, and fancy free. I know what I want out of life. I feel like I’m better at so many other aspects of it. I owe all of this to my personal trainer, owner of ForwardFit, Bill Waltzek, for teaching me the ways of a better lifestyle through stellar nutrition and training.
Three years ago, I couldn’t walk up a flight of stairs without feeling winded and out of breath. My cholesterol was through the roof. The cold weather was extremely rough because I’d seem to come down with the pesky winter blues. My mind was clouded with uncertainty about what I could do to change my life. It was clear I needed to take my health into my own hands. You only live one life and I was about to make a pivotal change in mine. Little did I know, with time and effort, slowly, but surely, I would be in the best shape of my life (physically and mentally).
Hiring a personal trainer was one of the single best decisions I’ve ever made for myself. An investment in myself, but a small price to pay in the grand scheme of things. And an even bigger payoff because I get to enjoy the benefits of a healthy lifestyle.
I first started out with Forward Fit’s circuit training classes on Monday nights. It was once a week and very challenging. There were other classes I wanted to try such as boxing and kettlebell. I wanted more, so I joined those too. A few months later, I was doing two-a-days with Forward Fit. I was a machine. No one could stop me. I felt like I was at the top of my game.
My diet was another story. I couldn’t seem to put both the workouts and the nutrition together. I learned about clean eating when I started semi-private training with Bill. He set me up with great workouts and the perfect guide to clean eating, but I couldn’t get my mind focused enough to commit to both. This was my major downfall. My mindset was to eat clean the few months before I had my beach vacation every year and that would be sufficient. My diet pre-vacation would consist of vegetables, protein, fruit and carbohydrates. Simple, right? Not to someone with the wrong mindset. I thought this entire “diet” as I called it back then, was so incredibly boring. I would dread the workweek because I knew I had to eat this plain food that was bland and didn’t taste so great.
The weeks after my vacation were a downward spiral for me. I’d come back and gain a few pounds yet again. Then I’d have to lose them all over. It was a vicious cycle. How many times was I going to put myself and my body through this back and forth business? After all, I was spending lots of time and energy on getting in shape only to be back tracked by my poor nutrition habits.
It was only until about a year ago that the clean eating really stuck. Bill continuously stressed that in order to achieve the fit physique I desired, that I’d have to give my diet 100% attention. It took a while, but I finally got a handle on it. My taste buds gradually changed and so did my all around view of food. I now use it as a fuel. It gives me the stamina and energy to take me through a challenging workout as well as the vitamins and minerals I need to make it through my day. I’ve never felt better about myself. It truly is amazing what one change can do for you. I had to face the fact that, yes, I had to limit myself to just one “cheat meal” every week. This time though, it wasn’t as difficult. There’s an entire world out there if you open yourself up and push yourself to it. I’m grateful that I opened my eyes. The basic food groups will still be your foundation (greens, fruits, protein). You still CAN have the foods that you love. You just have to put in the time and the willingness to prepare them. With a little bit of swapping out some ingredients here and there, you can have a clean meal. That was the first time I ever heard the term. So, it fueled my desire to start looking at fitness magazines and websites. I was getting obsessed, but in a good way. I am proud to say that I’ve become a fitness fanatic. I love my life and the way I feel now that I’ve invested in a personal trainer.
“What nobody told me (or maybe they did, but it was just so far from my reality at the time that I couldn’t believe it) is that virtually every step of that path would reveal exciting new views and yield unexpected rewards, that I’d get stronger and clearer with each mile, and that I’d wind up in a totally different landscape-one brighter, more lush and more appealing by far than the one I’d reluctantly left behind.”-Pilar Gerasimo
-Amy Pelz –
ForwardFit client