Cheaper than wine and better with time- Why everyone call a trainer for help.

I know it's risky putting this out there but I think I need to and would be curious what you think?

68.5% of Americans are overweight or obese- 31.8% of children are overweight or obese and 30.4% of low income preschoolers are obese. If you look at the numbers that is 2/3 of all Americans are overweight and still training, trainers and gyms struggle to find a way to change the trend and change lives. Americans spend $20 a week on coffee which indicates over $1000.00 year. Wine consumption at all time high in America and averages roughly $30 per week per American.

Between the coffee and the wine most American's should be able to afford a personal trainer at least once a week but don't? Why do many people still feel a personal trainer is a luxury?

Things you should know about trainers and why the good ones aren't cheap:

• Trainers (good ones) spend a lifetime perfecting their craft- taking weekend courses, learning about the newest trends and whether they are sound or not- going to conventions and taking CEC classes. Most of those expenses are out of pocket and aren't cheap.
• Trainers have limited time to work with -We have certain times available to work and need people to be committed- a traditional job provides you pay for 8 hours whether you put your heart into or not- Trainers see a majority of their clients from 6am-10am and from 3p-7pm and we need to have our heart into and our eight hours is often carved out of a 13 hour day.
• Great trainers are great encouragers - you might think your trainer is just knowledgeable but if you get a good one they can motivate you also- don't confuse it with fear based motivation- your trainer should create a deep desire to do well and get your money's worth- great ones do that and it's priceless.
• Injuries and set backs cost time and money- good trainers can help you stay free from injury and help you move forward in your success. The value of not getting injured and spending six months or more waiting to heal and get better should be worth every minute you pay for a trainer.

Why spend the money?- there are tons of free things on the market to help you get fit-

(I hear this all the time)

RIGHT?-  What you don't get with free:

• Advice and help specific to your life
• someone who really cares if you succeed
• someone who gives you the support and information that is geared toward your goals
• an advocate for being healthy and helping you live your best life

I really wonder if people knew how much time they lost and money they spent on things that didn't matter - would they look back and think a trainer would have been a good investment-

Your trainer isn't trying to break your bank account they just want to know if you care enough to invest in your health and your future the same way they will. I challenge everyone to spend one month and one session a week with a trainer and see if it doesn't make a difference. I want to hear from you- do you have a trainer? if not,why not? 

KICKIN FitBit Butt!!

I have the FitBit, a Christmas gift from my boss at work, and I love it. I ordered and sent back the Nike fuel band, ordered and lost the Shine, tried the jawbone and didn't like it but the FitBit I have enjoyed.
As a trainer and motivator, many would assume motivation is oozing out of my sweat but I can assure you I deal with the same lack of motivation you and all of my clients do. I  have to make deals, rally when I don't want to and convince myself it's going to be a whole lot better when it's over.  Many of you who know me wonder how it can be? But I need as much of a kick in the pants as you do.
When I got the FitBit I wasn't sure it would be much help I liked the measuring aspect of it but I knew I would get into a rhythm and all the numbers would look the same. Then I found the friend feature on the fitbit. I could reach out and add my friends to a list and could watch their numbers daily and track mine against theirs. Now it's game on-my competitive self jumped right out of my unmotivated self and began a mission to crush the people on my list. At first, this was not easy task, a couple of my friends were in training,hard core marathon training,and keeping up was a task. Then mother nature kicked in and snow days created just the gap I needed to catch up. I have a treadmill and bike in my gym at home so snow days would not keep me from making my goals. I worked really hard and was able to pass the two people I had set out to pass. I loved the challenge and so far it's been good for me. Competition is good for the soul,and I really think it helps me and others who rely on outside forces to get us moving, to keep up the hard work. I must admit I have worried it would become an issue and since passing the two I tried to pass, I have lost some of the edge. I decided to use it now to track my miles and keep me honest and to relax a little on the compettion. I have really enjoyed feeling like I have something watching me, tracking my progress and not letting me off the hook. I like being accountable and I am glad I have something that reads my success. I hope you have something or someone that helps you get moving and stay motivated.

Be Brave

It's my word for the year. I picked it because I knew this year would be a challenging one and 27 days into the month of January and it's proving to be true.
I quit my job on Friday. I worked for this company for almost two years and really enjoyed most of the job. I loved to train clients to be stronger and healthier and it made the mundane worth it. Unfortunately, the scope of running the wellness center, as wellness manager, became more and more about the mundane. I managed things like towels, floors, lights that had blown out, structural issues and my favorite - complaints.

My wellness center is nestled in the most amazing part of the Asheville and it's breath taking. The members of my community are affluent and the wellness center is private to only homeowners and their families. The membership contains some of the most accomplished people in the U.S. and 99.9% of them were an absolute joy to be around. Friday afternoon,I had a meeting with that .1% and it was after that meeting that I decided this was not my life's work and being in that position would substract another day from what I should be doing.
I came home friday and spent some time thinking about what would appear to the outside world as a very rash decision. I found myself in my daughter's room looking at the wonderful space she had created for herself. I included pictures so the gravity of who she is becoming is evident. My daughter is an amazing young woman. I would love to think part of my work helped to make that happen but I must admit as many parents may, I am just very blessed. Seeing her room and recognizing that am stuck I decided for her, myself and the days I have left to take a HUGE leap of faith and go back into my own life's work. I plan to teach and train and take care of the people who need what I can provide. I plan to teach classes and educate people all over the world and I can't wait. I hope in this leap my children will see you can't ignore your gifts.
My work at the past position got me ready for this time and I am so grateful for it. In fact, although a painful meeting with the .1% person sent me to this place I chose be grateful for the experience as it has led me here.
Being brave doesn't mean you aren't scared it just means you do what is best and right anyway.
This year will be great, tough, challenging and exciting. I am looking forward to it and to all of you who wonder what's next-