The first step is the hardest, right? Even making a phone call might set off your anxiety.
Today we learn about Rachel’s journey and how she was able to build up the courage to talk to a coach. #RachelsStory
“It’s spring 2023. I had been thinking about exercise and my body for a while… I was feeling discouraged and pretty defeated. I was coming up on being three years postpartum with my second child and I was struggling to lose weight and gain my strength back. I had tried a lot of things on my own with minimal success. I went to yoga regularly. My husband and I purchased a Peloton bike and I faithfully completed rides. I incorporated strength training and HIT into my workouts and yet, I couldn’t seem to lose the “baby weight”. Even more frustrating was that I kept hurting my back. Multiple times a month I would “tweak” my back which made lifting my toddler nearly impossible. I tried working with two different nutritionists who both told me that I ate fairly well. Great news, but not super helpful. I had got bloodwork done with the hope that maybe something was out of balance. It wasn’t. I tried an app that encouraged me to eat well and exercise, but I had trouble sticking with it. I really didn’t know what to do. I felt like I had tried all. the. things. I had finally given in and purchased new clothing because I guess this was my body now? It was hard not to feel low and ashamed. I even had to get my wedding rings re-sized because they no longer fit my “new” bigger fingers.
Around this time, my husband gently suggested that I may want to look into working with a personal trainer. He knew it was a sensitive subject so he didn’t push it. I ignored him for a few months. I was stressed out about work and life and struggling mentally. I didn’t have the capacity to try something new. I barely had energy to get through my days as a full-time working mom with two young boys. And then one day, scrolling through Facebook, I saw someone in a mom group asking about help with exercise and how to lose weight postpartum. I saw someone replied to her question and posted about a group called the “Momma Movement”. Intrigued, I clicked the link and started reading. It was a group specifically for moms that focused on rebuilding your core. “Huh”, I thought. “That sounds perfect.” I started filling out their online form to schedule a free intro conversation, but mid-way through I stopped. I told myself it was because I was unsure of my schedule and availability in the coming days, but I think the truth is that I was a bit scared. Did I really want to do this?
Well, kudos to owner and founder of the Momma Movement, Kristen. She must have gotten an alert that I started filling out the form, but didn’t complete it because she texted me the following day asking if we could set up a time to talk. I had a busy day, but figured why not? It couldn’t hurt to talk with her. We chatted and I was presently surprised. She wasn’t like the sleazy sales people I have encountered in the past when checking out a gym or fitness center. She was really kind and empathetic and didn’t put pressure on me to make a decision. She didn’t push me to sign up, but she was very confident that the program could help me. I liked her combination of low-key attitude, but quiet confidence in the program and her instructors (they called them coaches). I told her that I was really interested, but that I needed to speak with my husband. The biggest issue was the cost—it was an investment and I wanted to make sure my husband was on board. I spoke with him (Kristen helpfully sent a detailed email summarizing the program and our conversation) and he agreed that this sounded perfect. I was almost ready to commit, but as a final step of due diligence I asked if I’d be able to meet with the person who would be my coach. I wanted to make sure we clicked since I’d be spending a lot of time with her. Cue me going to the gym (Beacon Community Fitness) to meet with Coach Meagan. I took my son with me because #momlife. Meagan and I chatted for about 30 minutes. She explained the program and her style and answered my questions. She was really nice and genuine. I was kind of scared to enter a CrossFit gym, but it wasn’t as terrifying as I imagined. Everyone seemed really nice and yes, while some people looked totally ripped, I saw others that looked like normal people who enjoyed being active like me. I decided to take the plunge and signed up!”
Join us Thursday for more on Rachel’s story and how she reconnected with her new body.
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