What Current Members Are Saying….
Gissel B.
Before becoming a FitPath Coaching member I was struggling on my health and fitness journey. I wanted to go to the gym but I didn’t know what to do or where to start. I was also very shy so I didn’t want to go alone. I tried Zumba for a while but I got bored of it quickly and felt awkward because I didn’t know anyone there. So I would dance basically in the corner. I was depressed because I would look in the mirror and not be happy with what I saw and on top of that I was always in pain with my back and knees. I saw a post on Facebook from my now coach about how she was accepting members. At that moment I decided Im done with feeling bad about myself and feeling awful. I decided it’s was time to make a change.
The first aspect of my membership that I find beneficial for me reaching my goal is getting to work out with other members during my session. I’m a shy person, so having two or three other people there that I know makes me feel more comfortable and confident being at the gym. It’s also nice to give and receive cheers when we get through a rough workout.
Another aspect is getting to see my trainer twice a week. It’s nice to have a professional making sure I do my workouts right so I don’t get hurt. It’s also nice to get fitness advice from someone I trust.
Some turning points in my life that I have experienced since starting are:
1. I can do split squats pretty good now. When I started they were so hard to do. There were many times I want to just skip them when I was working out. But Grace is always watching so I just had to keep pushing with them. Now I’m like “oh yeah I can do them” “oh yeah I can totally go up in weights for these”.
2. I can touch my toes!!!! Believe it or not but I just never could do it.
3. Less pains. As I said, I was always having back pains and knee pains. And getting up was a pain but now it is a lot better. I’m not saying it 100% went away because trust me the pain is still there but not as awful as it use to be.
4. My mental health. Seeing myself do things I was never able to do before in the gym has helped me overcome things in my everyday life. Now when life gets hard I just think about how I can get through it because if I can physically push through a hard workout then I can get through the days when my brain doesn’t want to be nice. I can get through a rough work day.
Honestly I feel like a new person!
To anyone who is struggling to get stared on your health and fitness journey or is hitting a rough spot here is the advice from a girl who learned how to overcome the same struggles.
Your body is so much stronger than you think. You may think there are things you will never be able to do but let me tell you one thing, you can do it. The thing is, you’ll never know what you can really do with out trying. You may not be able to do whatever it is you want to accomplish right away but with time, patience and consistency you will get there. It won’t be easy and you will fall but always remember tomorrow is a new day and you can start over. Some days you will feel like a beast and other days you will just be glad that the workout is over but keep going and keep pushing.
Remind yourself why you want to do this, what your goal is and keep moving towards it. And once you meet that goal set a new one, that way you always have a reason to keep going. Always know you are strong, amazing and a fighter. And if I, a person who always made an excuse to not start, can do it. Then you can do it too! I look back at where I was when I started and think to myself “She has no idea idea how amazingly strong she is”. It will be so worth your time to put yourself first.
Taylor N.
Since coming to FitPath I have regained my routine with a strategy of workouts that works for my body and still challenges me. I still work my butt off, but it’s more rewarding in the sense that I have Grace to keep me accountable and to guide me with a proven program that can work! Biggest win would be feeling supported for once in a long time with my wellness and physical fitness goals.
I feel like I can truly do this again. I can make what I had in the past happen again and I will. Staying on this program will allow me to understand the reason behind exercise and recovery, not just doing it but learning it in the process.
I was just over a year postpartum With my 3rd babe, stuck in a rut without any weight loss progression and dealing with a nagging injury that prevented me from doing so many things I normally liked to do. I feel my injury was due to not getting sufficient warm ups before a workout and not recovering after said workouts. I had done CrossFit for about 7 months before I realized I was growing in muscle(not terrible), not losing inches(my goal), and getting hurt to the point I couldn’t do basic life things like lifting my 18month old up. I was frustrated killing myself with CrossFit metcons and minimal strength training to not see anything come of it. CrossFit was HARD, and as much as I loved it, it wasn’t giving me what I wanted.
I had been successful in my past (before baby 3) with a solid plan/schedule, a person to hold me accountable, and good eating habits. It was time to go back to what worked and to stop doing things on my own but in a new way.
Routine is the hardest thing to acquire!! It takes time, focus, and a true want for the goal. Once that routine is established though it’s so easy to maintain, exercise and feeling good becomes priority. You eventually become dependent on getting those endorphins from a good sweat and it releases so much stress. Persevere— push through the tough shit and do this for you no matter what!!! You have one body, that’s it! Treat it the same way you would a valuable car or house, you can’t just go get a new one if you wreck this one.
Kim N.
At one point in my life, fitness and health were my top priority. I ate, slept and breathed macros and gains. I would work out twice a day and weighed/logged everything I ate. I also received my yoga certification and practiced religiously! After having kids, all of that quickly fell by the wayside. My priorities changed and so did my health. Prior to reaching out to Grace, I was diagnosed with a chronic condition. That was my wake up call. I knew that changing my lifestyle would also change my life.
I was never a yo-yo or fad dieter and I knew that sustainability was the key to success. However, sustainability also requires patience and fortitude. I didn’t have either. I wanted fast results and so I would always do the crazy workouts. It brought me some results but I could never finish because I would burn myself out.
I used to start something and when it didn’t workout or I’d fall off the wagon, I’d just quit. I didn’t think I had it in me to finish. Grace has changed my point of view and taught me that baby steps aren’t just ok but they’re pivotal. She celebrates small successes to help you achieve the big ones! I’m not as hard on myself and don’t beat myself up when I make slip-ups. Now, I tell myself that it’s ok, tomorrow is another day and I work harder to make better decisions.
The biggest game changer with FitPath is the amount of support you receive from Grace and the FitPathians! Grace is an angel! Albeit, she will make you work hard but also make you feel confident and empowered! She cares about your goals and takes them on as her own. You can tell that she wholeheartedly wants you to succeed but doesn’t shame you when you fall off the wagon. She’ll give you the tools to pick yourself up and run with you to the finish line. The community that she’s created is filled with people just like her. Inspiring and strong individuals who keep you accountable.
The program that Grace designed is not only effective but also user friendly. If Grace isn't with you in person, you can do a solo workout and still communicate with her via the app if you have any questions. Most of the time, I find that watching the videos and reading the little notes that Grace puts in is enough to make me 100% comfortable with doing it on my own. I love lifting but I'm never certain on my form and having such an easy app and open line of communication with Grace has made me confident to do it myself.
Don't start tomorrow. Start right now! Make the commitment to change and then do it. There will always be an excuse to not start until tomorrow and tomorrow becomes weeks, months, years. Start today, start right now. Starting today doesn't mean you have to start big but just make a small change today and let it snowball. Build on your small habits and you will see a big change! At the end of the day, we're all responsible for our own health and well-being. If you don't take care of yourself, who will?
Heather R.
Before I found Grace and became a FitPath coaching member I just felt stuck. I had been slowly gaining weight over the past 5 years and I tried a number of things to lose it. I did weight watchers for a time, I tried tracking food on apps and a ran a gambit of different workout/ fitness options (kickboxing, bjj, Zumba, insanity, 21 day fix...the list goes on) I knew what I wanted but I had no idea how to get there and no matter how much I read online and learned about working out and eating healthier it wouldn’t translate to real life habits. I couldn’t get anything to “click” I could try something and do well but then I would fall off the wagon and be worse off than my last starting point.
My favorite part of my workouts is the cool down. Kinda joking but not really, it’s the feeling of accomplishment after I workout that I love. I know I worked out and I tried hard and I’m doing things that are good for me and making good choices. All of that hits me when I’m doing my breathing at the end of the workout.
There have been a few really big game changers for me over the past 6 months. I remember probably the biggest was just under 2 months in I was having a very low motivation day. I didn’t want to do anything, it was cold, I needed to do laundry and dishes and all I wanted to do was curl up and read or sleep but I had my workout that day so I knew I was going to have to get at least some stuff done. I walked in to my workout and remember just feeling like I was there physically but that was it, I was only there because I said I would be.
After fighting through my workout (with a lot of moral support from Grace!) it really made me realize that feeling unmotivated couldn’t control me. Just because I didn’t feel like it didn’t mean I couldn’t do it. I remember thinking as I left this would have been a day that I quit, this would have been the start of the slippery slope back to where I started or worse than where I started. It was a very empowering moment, I’ve had a few more of those days since but every one has gotten just a little bit easier and I know I’m headed in the right direction still.
Just take one step, don’t overwhelm yourself by trying to make a bunch of changes or try a bunch of new things. Find one thing you can work on and then do that thing. Little things lead to big changes.
[Since starting] I’ve realized I’m not as hard on myself as I used to be. I was really terrible with my negative self talk. The struggle with body confidence is real but I’m learning what I’m capable of. I’m learning I can be strong and I’ll have good days and bad days and that’s just life. I don’t have to be so down on myself if I make a bad food choice or don’t drink as much water as I should it just means I try again tomorrow. I definitely see myself in a better light now then I did 6 months ago. I know as I continue on this path it’s only going to get better, I’ll continue getting stronger both mentally and physically. I feel a little bit like a 16 year old starting their first job, I’m learning a lot and feel a little overwhelmed sometimes but instead of working to save up for a car I’m working to make a better me.
Erin R.
Before FitPath my health and fitness journey were a bit of a pipe dream. I was someone who was always “starting on Monday”, obsessively crunching calories for two weeks before quitting or making promises to myself that I didn’t keep. I tried each and every 12-week program that you can buy and I never followed through with them! I had little motivation, no drive and no realistic health goals.
My first true game changer was when I started lifting, what to me, was considered a “heavy weight”. I think when you embark in any fitness program there are parts that you think you’ll never be able to do or that seem so far away. For me, when I began with FitPath I could hardly move my own body weight and now I’m so proud to walk to new weights and see myself becoming stronger. It’s also made a huge difference that with this program you learn form from the ground up and you protect your body. I used to think that a good workout made you sore for days – but that just isn’t the case. To be able to go to the gym, see growth, see changes in your own body and also not to feel decrepit every morning…those wins can’t be beat!
Since joining FitPath I have learned how capable and awesome I am. Humility aside, I genuinely have had a new appreciation for what I can achieve. Before I always felt defeated, like I wasn’t getting results or I wasn’t able to ever feel confident and strong. But now, I’ve learned how to challenge myself to create a better version of myself. I’ve also learned how to set goals that are for me not a generic body. Now that I actually reach goals, I am driven to try and do more for myself! I was always proud to be the # 1 friend to call on for a movie marathon, a bottle of wine, gallons of ice cream and to split a large pizza – just don’t expect to see me sweating. But now? I’m that and also the friend who is happy to go for a bike ride, meet you at the gym or take a hike. My confidence in my abilities has opened so many new doors for adventure.
Some mornings I wish I had a time machine to zip back and tell my past self that taking a risk and leaving your comfort zone is only going to be a minor inconvenience in the beginning of the greatest phase of your life. There is so much to gain with FitPath and nothing to lose. All you need is to show up and the rest is history. If folks are frustrated, feeling overwhelmed or looking for a little help in the confidence department…FitPath is your answer. There’s no magic pill or top-secret formula to change – there’s you and yourself. You’re the answer and you can do so much more than you know!
Crystal C.
Prior to this health and wellness attempt, I had been severely thrown off by the start of the pandemic. I lived in a hotel room for a few months while everything was on lockdown and it was just insanely depressing. Once I was able to complete my move, and get settled in, I realized I needed to start investing in myself. All my previous attempts consisted of cardio. And while I did lose weight, it was never something that had long-term effects. I realized if I want to be able to do an activity year-round, regardless of the weather, I was going to need some help and accountability.
[Once] I began with Grace, I had other priorities for myself. It was great being able to be honest with Grace and let her know that I didn't have the mental capacity to plan workouts, and that I was grateful to have her doing all the thinking for me. Starting on this path has helped me balance work life and personal life. Every week I'm reminded to choose my personal health over everything.
As I began thinking of my New Years Resolutions, I tried to make goals for different aspects of my life. Throughout my entire life, I have always wanted to be able to do a pull up - even half of one would have felt like an accomplishment. Grace saw this goal and decided to set me up for success through the program. I am so surprised at the strength I have now! I may not be able to fully complete a pull up, but I am the closest I have ever been in my life. It's so inspiring to see how my body can change.
Healthy people are constantly saying how improving ones health tends to improve all other aspects of life. This obviously seems crazy, because if I already barely have time to workout, then how will the rest of my life get easier? But, for some crazy reason, it is actually true. I find myself being able to accomplish more than before. I don't understand why, but investing a couple hours a week into my fitness, has actually added more free hours to the rest of my week.
Noelle Y.
I have tried many boot camps and YouTube workouts and other personalized fitness plans and none of them worked out for me for more than a few weeks and then afterwards I just gained all my weight and lost all my progress anyway. I had gained 30 pounds from my recent move and was really losing hope that I would regain my self-confidence and be able to get back to where I was before I got [to Misawa].
Some thing that really changed my perspective was being able to have one on one communications with my trainer whether it was in person or over zoom a lot of the other ones that I used were usually just via email there was no face-to-face contact ever and it just took a lot longer to get a hold of them then it does with a simple message that I have now. This plan is so customized because I was not able to do very simple movements like I was just a year prior and it’s pretty much building up from the ground up which makes me less likely to quit when I can’t do some thing.
My mobility and my strength have increased immensely since starting just 3 1/2 months ago. I was really even seeing progress a month in.
Right now I am still working on my diet piece which is just as important as the work out and some thing that I have a very hard time with, so even though I personally might not see such huge physical changes , my peers see it and I can feel that I am getting stronger. Once I tackle my diet piece I feel much more comfortable even incorporating extra workouts for myself on top of the strength workouts which I never would have considered prior to starting this. Plus Grace has this amazing 80% rule where is long as you eat well 80% of the time you can treat yourself and not feel guilty about it. So just about every weekend are you basically eat whatever I want . Whether or not it’s super beneficial it’s definitely that little bit of freedom.
To anybody who feels like they have lost hope I PROMISE you... Just. Start. Here. JUST START! Honestly a lot of people get so scared to make progress or to be successful that they won’t even try . Once you start and you actually start seeing that the minor movements are gradually strengthening your body that’s how you know the system works and I’m so grateful to have Grace there every step of the way and she has been a huge support system for me.
Lauren Z.
What brought me to Grace initially was the desire to learn how to avoid being in pain. I was taking classes at the gym on a regular basis, which kept me sane. But pain, mostly in my knees, prevented me from doing activities like long distance running that I really wanted to explore more. I knew I had a lot to learn, but I didn't know what I didn't know. It was immediately clear that Grace would be a great coach - that I would not only learn how to live pain-free, but to go beyond and gain strength, endurance, and healthier habits.
Progressing in reps or weight each session has been extremely rewarding. My favorite part though has been being exposed to completely new movements or equipment. Front squats used to be super intimidating, but I ended up looking forward to the challenge of completing them!
When we started training together, we spent a lot of time perfecting form. The exercises weren't your typical bodybuilder moves, but they were challenging and engrained the importance of form. After a year, I am a lot stronger and have better endurance - Grace has helped me see tangible improvements! But most importantly to me, I feel I can approach any new exercise and know how to do it properly (and avoid injury) because we spent so much time learning good form.
In the immediate future, my goals revolve around learning how to push myself with at-home workouts during quarantine. Eventually when social distancing is lifted, I am excited to complete my first Spartan race! And once I'm addicted, I'll go for the Spartan Trifecta :)