client raves

There are so many wonderful things to say about Ana that I don't know where to begin.  This is the first time I work with a personal trainer and it was not at all what I expected and I mean that in the best way possible. Had I known that working with a Ana would not only help me move closer towards my goal but also positively impact all areas of my life, I would have looked into working with her long ago.

 

I reached out to Ana in August 2020 because I had become stagnant for about 6 months in my weight loss journey. I wasn't gaining the weight that I had lost on my own but I was trying really hard to stick to a low calorie diet so that I wouldn't gain the weight back. My eating habits were horrible, I was skipping breakfast, I only had coffee throughout the day,  I would have a banana for lunch and then I would eat a really big salad for dinner.  I also want to mention that I work in the health insurance industry and 4th quarter every year is the busiest and most hectic time of year for me. It's the time of year that my life becomes completely unbalanced, my stress level skyrockets, my healthy habits becomes non-existent, and the guilt towards my family life kicks in because my work days become longer. In the 12 years that I've been in this industry I have never felt in control of my life during 4th quarter, until now.

 

When I decided to work with a Ana, my expectation was that I was going to be told how much I should eat and how to exercise. My goal was to develop healthy habits so that when my busy season at work started, I would at least be used to nourishing my body properly and have an exercise regimen down. In my mind, at least that would be one area of my life that wouldn't become derailed due to my job this time of year. 

 

One of the first things that Ana taught me was that I was not eating enough which was stalling my weight loss and that I was not being respectful to myself and my body. Ana spent a lot of time with me over the first few weeks helping me adjust to how I should be eating- she customized my meal plan and food groups, she helped me identify what triggers my unhealthy habits and she helped me reflect on deep rooted issues that I had no idea  shaped the habits that I have as an adult. There has been a lot of emotional work that has been put into this journey from the very beginning and Ana was there to help me face my truths and help me rebuild my habits.

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I told Ana from the beginning of my journey that I was concerned about my busy season at work and that that would be the most challenging time for me. Sure enough, everything was going smoothly but my busy season picked up in September which is a little earlier in the year than usual so it caught me off guard. There were a couple weeks were I felt myself retreat to my old habits and I was really letting the stress get to me. Ana stuck by my side and didn't make me feel horrible about my poor choices, instead she helped me again identify the patterns and triggers that played out this time of year for me. She helped me remeber the reasons I wanted to start this journey (to set a positive example for my daughter, to break those generational cycles , to keep up with my healthy husband during his weekend hikes, to feel better about myself, etc). When I regressed, she went back to the drawing board and readjusted my meal and exercise plans to help get me back on track. She didn't give me a hard time but she also didn't let me fall off her radar. She stuck by my side and provided the support that I needed on order to get back on track. 

 

Ana has been helping me navigate social situations as they come up. I recently went to a family gathering where I knew there was going to be a lot of temptation. She helped me mentally prepare for that outing by helping me visualize what that day would be like and recommended I take a healthy dish that would align with my meal plan. She made herself available that day in case I needed to call or text while I was at that gathering. I felt so great about my outing because I stuck to my meal plan and still had a lot of fun catching up with family. Ana made sure I was prepared, she even coached me through some responses I could give in case family members were pushy about me eating their food or having cake. I totally mean it when I say that Ana is there every single day, you just have to let her be there for you.

 

I feel so happy that I chose Ana as my coach. She has helped me invest in myself without me having to sacrificing time and attention away from my family. She's teaching and helping me build healthy habits based on my core values.  I was worried that putting this extra focus on myself was going to mean I had to take some of my attention away from my family but that's not the case. I'm prepping food for my family for the entire week. I go out on morning and evening walks with them to keep our activity levels up which has resulted in more quality family time. My entire household is eating better and losing weight due to the changes in my routine. My friends and family are noticing the change in my appearance too and it feels so great to get the compliments. My biggest win so far is that I feel so in control of my life right now. I'm not just surviving my 4th quarter at work this year, I'm in thriving and seeing results despite of it. This is a vulnerable process and Ana has been an amazing coach throughout this journey. You get so much more than just a meal plan and exercise regimen, there's just so many more layers to this process. I highly recommend Ana, working with her is the best investment you can make.