When SKINNY Isn't Enough....
As much as I thought of myself as somewhat in
shape, I'd never really been fit. In hindsight, I now know what I really was. I
was “skinny fat.” I was the girl who never paid attention to her diet, worked
out once in a blue moon and still always looked thin. The first gym that I ever
joined was three years ago. It was one of those self-proclaimed gyms for women.
This basically meant there were a ton of classes, archaic machines and cardio machines
of which there were never enough to go around. This is where I thought I belonged.
Coed gyms intimidated me and since this gym was designed for women I believed
this was all I needed to stay in shape.
I started going to the gym twice a week doing 30
minutes of cardio on my own, or attending a class for 45 minutes. I was content,
I thought I was looking and feeling good. As I look back I think deep down I knew I
could do better.
Last year I had an epiphany. I had just come back
from a 10 day trip to Nicaragua where I was eating gallo pinto by the bucket.
When I got back I started back up with my same workout routine and realized my
body was not bouncing back to the “skinny fat” that I was so used to. I looked
in the mirror and realized I was just plain old chubby. At this point I knew I
had to make some changes. I did some research and finally joined a “real” gym. I
started to incorporate weight training into my routine, but after a short time
I reverted back to my comfort zone and slipped back into my old cardio-only
workout habits. I realized then that I needed help. I needed an accountability
partner and after a little research I found Malenna Saunders and the Elite Heat.
Through Malenna, I began to truly learn about my body and how to effectively incorporate
weight training and nutrition into my everyday life, for this I am forever
thankful.
It’s hard for me to qualify the confidence and physical
and mental benefits I’ve received on my journey from “skinny fat” to “skinny
fit.” I began this year with the desire to try new things outside of my comfort
zone and to constantly set new goals for myself. So far, I’ve exceeded all of
my expectations and now have a new outlook on what I can accomplish. I've met an
amazing group of women on this journey and cannot thank them enough for their constant
support and camaraderie. I look forward to helping them reach their goals and
to growing with them as we continue to challenge ourselves to be the best that
we can be.
