Questions I used to ask
What can a personal trainer really do for me? How does a busy person find the time to stay in shape at all? When every hour is already filled, how can anyone find time for working out, either at home or in a gym?
I hear this all the time from prospective clients who can’t figure out how to carve out time in their personal lives to make room for health and fitness. They tell me about the hours trapped in their cars or sitting on bleachers watching their kids in sports or dance, only to come home exhausted and ready to eat a bag of chips or whatever fast-food place they passed on the way home. I get it! I was there, too!
My background
I tried to find time to run on weekends or hike with my husband or my kids in and around Bartow County and Cartersville, GA. For a while, I was able to maintain my weight, but a career move and a change of work location on the outer ring of the perimeter and, for almost three years, I hardly found time to do anything. What was worse, by the time I made it past dinner and all the extracurricular activities with the kids, I would choose to sit in front of the TV with my fair share of comfort food, simply exhausted. In no time, I began to change into something I didn’t want to be. I couldn’t fit into the jeans I used to wear and the skirts were feeling uncomfortably tight. I’d have to buy the next size up in work clothes, only to find, six months later, I was going up again. I would immediately change into sweat pants and over-sized sweat shirts whenever I was home, just to feel comfortable. Wearing all the baggy clothes helped to hide what was happening to my body underneath. I started to feel down about how I looked and would find excuses to avoid certain social situations because I was embarrassed at how I looked in the mirror.
I had reached the point where I was going to DO something! As I looked around at local gyms around Bartow, Floyd, Cherokee and Cobb counties, and explored the idea of getting a personal trainer, I found myself looking at people who live in the gym — eating and sleeping fitness to the point where many were competing in body building contests. I admired how they looked and respected their drive and determination (both male and female alike), but I could not help feeling self-conscious every moment.
I decided I would have to learn everything I could about personal health and fitness so I could not only apply it to my own life, but also help others just like me do the same. I gathered as much information as I could and spent time in the gym, learning how to group exercises and create customized fitness routines. I enrolled in the National Academy of Sports Medicine, to get my certification as a personal trainer with additional emphasis on diet and nutrition.
As the pounds slowly melted away, I noticed my arms and legs becoming more toned and I began to not just look more fit, I felt it! I was having to buy new jeans and work clothes, but this time, it was because I needed to find smaller sizes — not bigger! I was gaining back my personal confidence and did not mind being invited to formal events where I could slip back into a classy dress and feel good about myself. I had found a way to find the balance between work and working out. However, I still wasn’t truly happy with where my life was taking me. Sure, I was in better shape, but I had all of this knowledge and experience I wanted to share.
It was at that point, I knew what I was going to have to do. I was going to have to take a leap of faith and completely change my vocation. Finding a way to make personal health and fitness a priority in my own life had me wanting to do the same for others. That’s how I decided to start SJD Health and Fitness and take charge of my life by opening my own business.
Are you ready for a new chapter?
And that’s my story! Are you ready to begin a new chapter in your own life toward personal health and fitness? If you are, I would love to help put you on a path and give you the focus, dedication and reinforcement you need to keep you on that path. Check out the services provided by SJD Health & Fitness and then contact me today to setup an initial consultation appointment. Located in Cartersville, GA, I am convenient to the cities of Acworth, Adairsville, Emerson, Euharlee, Kingston, and White.
SJD Health and Fitness 