Sweet friend,
It has been a wonderful month at the studio. School is back in full swing and you are ready to set new goals! We love seeing you all back with smiles ready to COMMIT this August! We have challenged each of you to get active for 30 minutes a day and drink at least 80 oz. of water! We believe in you and know you can do it. The winner of the challenge will be entered into a raffle for a MONTH of FREE sessions!
Today, we have the privilege of sharing an amazing client spotlight with you. Erika and Marren are our August client spotlights! These two ladies have been so dedicated and focused on making small changes daily which have led to amazing BIG results! Erika and Marren inspired our theme of COMMIT this month, as that is the word to define their transformation stories. We are so proud of this incredible mother daughter duo and are excited for you to read about their journey!
Erika's Transformation Story:
"I started at TransFit two years ago as I wanted to get physically stronger/healthier, wanted to be a positive example to my kids and wanted to get rid of the flappy “bat wings” on my arms. I knew Caroline from church and knew several people that had only positive things to say about working out with the TransFit team. While I had enjoyed serious hikes and backpacking in my twenties, and even became a pretend runner for a short while and ran a couple marathons (bonus – if you are one of the slowest runners, they let your husband ride his bike beside you to sing songs and scout out bathrooms!), my workout efforts for the past 20 years have been totally sporadic. I needed a way to view exercise differently and have been SO thankful for the TransFit approach of focusing not only on our bodies but our minds and spirits as well. Remembering to see this as a form of worship makes all the difference! And this is why I felt confident in having Marren get involved at TransFit – I knew it would be a safe and helpful place for a teenage girl to learn about long-term health and what that really means.
Last year, Marren joined me in the weekly yoga sessions at TransFit and it was great for us physically, but also a great bonding time. So much so that when we were planning a 6-week, 10K mile family road trip for this summer, Marren and I knew we wanted to focus on staying healthy with our eating and workouts. We talked about the best way to do this and we came up with bracelets to wear each day as reminders and Marren came up with the word “Commit” so we had them made and wore them each day – we still do. What a totally different road trip from the previous ones! Our normal “car foods” were changed – instead of chips, special cookies, and marshmallow trail mix, we had apples and bananas. We made an effort to hike more and work out at hotel fitness centers, and we did squats or some kind of exercise at every gas station stop. Sometimes other travelers joined us! My big feat – I only had one bag of Cheetos during the entire trip. Total record for me! But while on the trip, we also knew we wanted to start the Fall with stronger bodies and committed schedules for working out so we set up personal training sessions 3x per week for 5 weeks in July/Aug for a jump start. It was awesome and we are geared up for an exciting year!
I enjoy seeing my body take shape in ways I’ve never known in my life and the feeling of satisfaction after a tough workout. It makes me so thankful to have a body that can work out like this – even though I’m not the fastest, strongest and far from the most coordinated – God has given me a strong body and the TransFit team reminds us to be grateful and not compare. And I SO enjoy seeing the other women at TransFit who inspire me each and every session. They amaze and encourage me in great ways they don’t even realize!
Most challenging is making sure I’ve had enough water to drink as I can tell that makes a huge difference in my exercising success. I am one of those people that is never thirsty, I don’t drink with meals and drinking my daily water takes planning and effort. Lame but true. I have implemented several “tricks” to make it easier – I fill the bottles at night so they are room temp in the AM (I don’t like it cold), I number my water bottles so I can feel a sense of accomplishment as I complete them, and I will sometimes cut up strawberries to flavor them. I am so bad at drinking water that I added it as a “daily chore“ for my kids from the time they were little and it has worked – they both drink tons of water each day since it is now a habit.
I’m excited for our new routine which is 2 small group sessions and 1 yoga session per week at TransFit and then walking or playing badminton at home for 30 minutes on the other days. We also plan on adding in weights and bands for home use. Having a workout warrior buddy living in the same house with me keeps me accountable and encouraged as I don’t have to do this alone!
Both of my kids have vastly different, but very strict food restrictions and diets. It is God’s sense of humor that someone like me – who likes protein bars, cheese hot dogs, Spaghettios from the can, and anything packaged that can be microwaved/not cooked – has kids that require “real” food to be top-of-mind every moment of every day. But what an incredible blessing that both of them have healthy brains and bodies greatly based on the food that goes in them. The fact that they both manage their own diets, know what they can/can’t eat and know the science behind their diets is great, but they also don’t complain. Our big saying is “it’s just food” and we take our own everywhere. It doesn’t have to match what everyone else is having. That they can manage their health in this positive way will help them for life and I’m thankful my husband and I were able to help guide this – with a ton of support from professionals and prayer warriors. Additionally, my kids having their “own faith” was our number one goal for their lives and we’ve been so thankful to see that happen.
The main goal is to keep up the sustained level of working out 3x a week at TransFit and then at home as well. We are scheduling for the full month so I don’t inadvertently double book any meetings or activities during those times. We see this as a top commitment and my goal is to treat it as such.
I’m also continuing to work on my water intake. I think this one will have to remain on my goal list for a long, long time!
While I’m generally an energetic person, working out provides a more sustained level of energy throughout the day both mentally and physically. Also, I’m more “eager” to move big limbs in the yard or climb stairs in the house than I would have been before – just because I know I can. And it provides great time and memories with my daughter – from working out to planning our food to talking about the music or devotions we heard at TransFit that day!
And I have learned the wonders of having a baseball hat and clean t-shirt as quick changes when I must get to a meeting/event without having time to shower."
Erika's Favorite Recipe: Vega Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Snack Bar
Marren’s Transformation Story:
"I first started at TransFit last year by attending weekly yoga sessions with my mom. Those were great, and I had been doing a C25K program and some exercise at home as well. But 2 ½ months ago, I got serious about changing my habits. This summer, my family went on a 6-week cross-country trip, and I realized I wanted to have more consistent workouts when we returned so we scheduled personal training sessions to help jump-start the process. When we came back from the trip, I started going to TransFit with my amazing mom 3 times a week for 5 weeks straight and we worked out at home 3 other days of the week. It was exciting to see the changes!
Also, a few weeks before we left on our trip, I started working with Katie Shurling, the TransFit registered dietitian, who is awesome! She has helped us SO MUCH with my PKU, which is a genetic metabolic disorder that essentially requires me to eat way less protein than most people. (I like to say I’m a mutant and I’m sure there has to be a superpower within me because of it!) This means no meat, no dairy, etc. so it is hard to ever feel really full and hard to find good food options. But Kaeti has given me so many yummy food choices that are healthy and low in protein and help fill me up. She also works with me on the MyFitnessPal app so I can track my protein and calories in one place, which is much easier.
I LOVE the way exercising makes me feel! When I am done working out, I (usually) feel invigorated and ready to take on the day. Exercising helps me feel less moody and just overall happier throughout the day. The most challenging part for me is actually doing a workout, whether that means going for a walk or coming to TransFit. Some days I just don’t feel like doing anything, but I am always rewarded afterward.
I exercise about 6 days a week, with one day just of resting. At home, my mom and I usually go for a walk around the block or at OVP or we play badminton together.
I have dyslexia and have had to work hard to learn the ways my brain functions. I’ve had eye patches that I despised, extra hours of studying, and many frustrating days, but now I LOVE to read and write and I am so thankful to everyone who helped me with this challenge.
I am working on staying COMMITTED throughout the school year when working out is going to be harder to fit in my schedule. Also, I want to share my new love for working out with others and encourage them that exercising can be so much fun! I just bought a shirt that says “I don’t have to work out. I get to work out” and I fully believe that.
Now that I have started working out and eating healthier, I feel so much better, physically and emotionally, and I have way more energy. I feel more alert and am excited to see what the day brings. I also feel good about myself and am thankful for the wonderful body God has given me."
Erika and Marren, we are so incredibly proud of you and your transformation. We are thankful to join alongside both of you! We hope that you feel so encouraged after reading their stories!
If you would like to meet with any of our trainers, nutritionist, or registered dietitian, you can email us at transfitathens@gmail.com for more information! Let us know how we can help you COMMIT to living transformed!
Blessings,
Team TransFit
