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Emma's journey

Posted by on 4 April 2010 | 1 Comments

“My first month with Mind Body Motion has been an exciting one. I've met some wonderful, friendly and inspiring people – it has been great getting to know everyone. I have made the switch from a full time job in graphic design, to full time personal training which allows me to do something I am passionate about, as well as give me more time to fit in my own training. My weight loss journey began three years ago when I found myself in a new city with very little of the self confidence I needed to go out and meet people. I had spent so much of my energy focussing on my career I had become caught up in a cycle of working long hours, making poor food choices, eating on the run and doing no exercise whatsoever - I didn't have the time! I was a size 18-20 and miserable. Knowing I needed to make some massive changes to my lifestyle, I joined a gym and found myself a personal trainer. I needed someone to show me how to get results from my training, and I was too embarrassed to exercise on my own. Walking into the gym the very first time was one of the hardest things I have ever done. I needed to overcome my fear of 'fit people' and stop worrying about what they might think of me. You need to be fit to walk into a gym right? I still remember that very first conversation with my new trainer. We went through the usual health questions, my goals and then got to talking about what exercise I liked doing, and what didn't like. My response: I don't run, I hate weights, but I like walking. He had a challenge on his hands! We started with a commitment to 2 PT sessions a week, and I agreed to walk to and from work every day (approx. 25 minutes each way). From there I increased the walking to include a longer walk on the weekend, and as I got fitter I incorporated hills and stairs. Over the next few months I went from hating exercise to loving it, I improved my strength, balance, cardiovascular fitness and my nutrition. My energy levels increased and I began to feel good about myself. Instead of finding exercise a chore, I actually began to look forward to it. Twelve months later I ran my first event - the 14km City2Surf. Over the next couple of years I continued to lose weight through diet and exercise. It wasn't easy and it wasn't all smooth sailing, but with the help of my PT and a nutrition plan I was able to overcome various periods of emotional eating, weight loss plateaus, and incorporate a large range of exercises to keep my training interesting and fun. I tried alot of things I never thought I would do - boxing, rock climbing and kayaking. And the ultimate surprise is becoming a personal trainer! If you had told me 3 years ago that the miserable girl who walked into the gym that day would be working in the fitness industry I would have said you were crazy. And I guess so would anyone who knew me. I became a personal trainer so that I can share my passion for health an fitness with my clients. My aim is to help other people find the same passion; to set goals and achieve them; to become who they want to be. Over the next few months I'll share my journey with you – I still have some weight to lose, but I am working on it every day. If I could give you one piece of advice, it would be to imagine yourself achieving your goal, and how you will feel when you get there. Think about it, dream about it and do something every day to help achieve it.” "Emma Harvie is a fitness coach with Mind Body Motion"