Kate's Journey

New Year is a time of reflecting on what has been, and traditionally making resolutions about what you want the next 12 months to look like.
As the clock strikes midnight on New Years Eve we all raise a glass and make our resolutions for the year ahead.
Often health and weight loss are high on the list, and often by the end of January our good intentions have fallen by the wayside and we've gone back to our old habits.

I'm speaking from experience here, I've tried every diet going.
Some worked and some didn't.
Some made me gain back weight with interest and as my waist band expanded my self worth would shrink.
I was stuck on a misery go round that finally saw me at a size 18 - 20 in early 2019.
(I'm only five foot five)

Add in two huge life events and surgery, and its no surprise that I was at rock bottom.
My confidence was shot, my energy levels were the lowest they had ever been and I felt like a complete failure.
I hid myself away and became isolated.
I felt that people would judge me and I lived with feelings of shame and humiliation because of this.

Then came my moment.
I looked at my daughter one day and I had the epiphany that changed everything.
She NEEDED me to get my act together.
I wanted to rise up from the ashes and I wanted her to know that I might be down, but I am most definitely not done.

And so it began.

I gulped down my fear and I made an enquiry for personal training.
I knew that unless I had some accountability that I was never going to make the effort to go to the gym on a regular basis, I'd had a membership forever but I was terrified of stepping foot in the gym.
I thought if I had a "buddy" that things might feel easier.
But I had no real idea of how truly life changing the process would be.

I started the journey wanting to reclaim my energy levels and confidence.
I knew that weight loss would be a side effect of this, but I didn't even have a target weight.
It had been so long since I had been a "normal" size that I had no idea what would feel ok to me.

The trainer that I was matched with was super encouraging.
I had loads of self doubt and emotional wobbles, and he was with me every step of the way.
When you start a journey of transformation, its about more than just weight.
I committed to training twice a week and I started to eat a more healthy diet.
As I started to lose weight, I started to gain confidence.
I've now progressed to going to classes and found that they are not only fun, the people that go are lovely too.

I'm super happy to say that my energy levels are back, I feel loads better and I'm definitely more confident.
All of this has a massive effect on my work, friendships and family.
I've got my mojo back in so many ways, and its all because I took that first step.
(And if I can - anyone can!)

For me this journey started in March 2019, but for many of you it might be January 2020.
Not only a New Year, but a new decade.
I've finished off 2019 in a size 12 and I feel better than I have done in many years.
Liam the manager didn't recognize me last week!
So I'm passing my experience on incase you've been waiting for a sign to get you started - this is it!

If nothing changes, nothing changes.
So you get to choose how you'll feel in 12 months time, depending on the actions that you are willing to take.
Investing in yourself and your health is the greatest gift to not only you but the people around you.
You deserve it and so do they

I know its scary - but it's also SO worth it.
If you know in your heart that you need to make a change then get your free taster session booked in with one of the trainers at Slaley.
I've worked with all of them now and I promise they are all lovely.
And they get it, they really do.
They know we feel super uncomfortable when we start going to the gym, but they also know through experience what a huge lift it gives someone when they start to see their body, health and life change as a result of putting the work in.
You can trust them to be your new cheer leader, they never judge and they are always really impressed by people who are willing to get out of their comfort zone and off the couch.
The only thing you have to decide now is - why not you?

Make 2020 the year you did something amazing.

I'll see you in the gym sometime!

Kate Spencer x