I’ve always been self-motivated to exercise.
A gym was something that never interested me or even occurred to me to try.
One rainy day after sitting on my recliner for a couple of hours watching a movie, I got up and felt like I had just run 13 miles.
I had not run 13 miles for more than a year prior to that moment.
I stopped the road races but was still getting on my treadmill several days a week albeit for much shorter distances.
I realized then that I needed to up my exercise game.
I saw an advertisement on Facebook for a 21-day trial period of Yoga at Breakthrough Personal Coaching & Wellness.
Ok, easy enough.
I was very impressed when I walked in and was quickly greeted by the owner, Chris Gray but what I saw behind him peaked my interest even more.
People, who were my age, who looked like me, laughing and exercising and interacting together.
After the yoga class, I went home and signed up for the month long trial period.
Chris called me shortly after and scheduled me to come talk with him.
The first thing Chris asked me was “What was my WHY.”
My why?
Wasn’t that obvious, I thought.
Well, I said, I want to be stronger and as I get older I don’t want limited mobility from years of being sedentary.
He then asked me “How is your nutrition?” I said, without reservation, “I exercise so I can eat what I want.”
He looked down and just acknowledged what I said like it was perfectly fine.
It didn’t take me long to realize why he looked so solemn.
I am not exaggerating when I say I have heard at least 150 times in the last year “It’s 10% exercise and 90% what you put in your mouth”.
It was frustrating for me because I wanted to eat what I wanted and what I wanted was French fries, mashed potatoes, ice cream and any and all of those similar foods.
I don’t even like vegetables nor did I know what the right things were to eat.
Why, I would think, is all this exercise NOT enough?
THIS was my biggest challenge.
So I decided to just keep doing my thing and eat what I wanted and exercise often.
I have done each challenge Breakthrough has offered and with each one I’ve learned a little more.
The combinations of foods and how to cook food to make it healthier but taste delicious are just two of the many things I’ve learned.
I’m not saying my nutrition is 100% on point all the time but it has improved so much that I feel better, I’m down a size and I don’t desire all those other foods all the time.
I still exercise to eat what I want but what I want to eat has changed immensely.
Now I know what I am supposed to be eating and other options when eating healthy isn’t readily available.
While just doing “My thing” by eating what I wanted and exercising, I didn’t even realize how my mindset was changing and how easily it became my normal.
Another word we hear a lot in the gym is “Accountability”.
If I miss one or two days of workouts Chris will text/Facebook me and ask if I’m ok.
If in class, I’m struggling with an exercise or just struggling in general, one of the coaches will ask “How are you doing? Something hurt?”
These people really care.
After each workout we all go into a huddle, affectionately called “Family huddle”.
We clap for each other and take turns high fiving each one other.
But the first thing the Coach asks is “Does anyone have any aches and pains that they didn’t come in with?”
Again, the care and support is amazing.
In addition to the knowledge of these professionals, the family feeling you get with the team of coaches and the other gym members is truly priceless.
Of course, I am a work in progress but I’m better than I was, by far, and it’s all thanks to Chris Gray and the team of coaches at Breakthrough.
I’ve recommended friends and family and stand by Chris and The Team completely.
They have truly improved my life.
-Lisa Dolph
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