Why I Want to Be a Fitness Coach

I'm Summer, an American born New Zealand Resident trained as a Scientist but who would much rather help and motivate people. For those who know me and are familiar with my story, it would come as no surprise that becoming a personal trainer is my dream job. Nutrition, fitness, mental health and comprehensive well-being have been my passion and hobby since I undertook a serious weight loss program just prior to my 23rd birthday (almost 9 years ago, yikes!). For now I'll omit the emotional aspects of this transition and state the numbers. After a lifetime of obesity and frequent half-hearted attempts to lose weight through intermittent exercise, Slim Fast and Dexatrim diets; I walked into LA Weight Loss on July 23, 2007 and weighed in at 239 lbs (108 kg). In October of 2008, after 14 months of relentless self control and discipline, I reached my goal weight of 130 lbs (59 kg). For the last 4 years I've stayed around 123 lbs (56 kg). I started in size 22 pants, XXL shirts and size 10 shoes, and ended in size 4 pants, XS-S shirts and 9.5 shoes [American sizes]; turns out there's not much fat on your feet, though doing Yoga and getting rid of the weight on my spine enabled me to grow an inch!

There were a lot of reasons why I wanted to lose weight, but it basically boiled down to the fact that I was no longer happy with my Body. I felt uncomfortable, I felt that I was missing out on opportunities in life due to my obesity, and most of all, I didn't want to fit the stereotype of another fat American with Type 2 diabetes (for a full description listen to my Podcast called "Fat Chronicles: Part 1). Once I was shown what to eat and how to moderate portions dieting was simple, the weight melted off and I physically couldn't eat all the food in my prescribed diet plan. I knew, however, that without an exercise component to my diet losing the weight would take a lot longer and I'd be prone to frustrating plateaus. Too heavy for some gym equipment and mortified at the thought of working out amongst a bunch of skinny chicks and hardbodies, I started the Hip Hop Abs exercise program in the comfort of my apartment. As lame as it seemed, and felt while hopping around my living room like a spastic white whale, it actually worked! One excruciatingly painful morning after another I hauled my sorry ass out of bed, put my puppy in his kennel so I couldn't trample him, and began my daily romp. There were mornings I would rather bang my face against a wall than do that stupid workout; the thought of getting out of bed and starting the DVD literally made me feel ill, but I pushed through and after about a month I found that I'd be halfway through my workout without even realising it. It had become habit, and a habit I still have to this very day: Get up, eat a light balanced meal, exercise. 

Sticking tight to my routine, the next 10 months were steady periods of weight loss mixed with plateaus when I'd loose inches off various areas instead of pounds. The issues started when I plateaued hard at 145 lbs (66 kg); I was so close to my goal that I became obsessed with losing the final 15 lbs. Soon it became common practice to workout 2-3 hours a day while eating 800-1200 calories a day. I stopped menstruating, I cut all fat out of my diet and my hair began to fall out, my eyes lost their glow and became hallow dark circles. My body was in starvation mode and my brain did not have the nutrition it needed to think clearly and logically; I had no idea that my behaviour had become dangerous, all I knew was to diet until I reached my goal. Everything I ate was carefully weighed and measured so I knew its caloric impact; I even restricted chewing sugar free gum because each piece contained 5 calories. Unfortunately by that time LA Weight Loss as a company had gone under, I had no support structure and no one to tell me that my obsession was quickly transitioning into an eating disorder. I lost almost all of my friends, some because I refused to go out for drinks or meals, terrified I'd consume calories I hadn't planned into that days allotment. Others I'd lost because they couldn't stand to watch me continue to self destruct. Ironically I had set out to lose weight and become healthy, yet I ended up skinny and as unfit as ever.

It's been nearly 8 years since those dark days, and it got worse before it got better. Here's what I learned after all this time: Health is not a state of the Body, it is a state of the Mind. Whether overweight, ideal or underweight health is attainable through proper nutrition, exercise, social support, acceptance of our imperfections and, most importantly, laughter!
I've learned this critical lesson the hard way which is why I want to be a personal trainer. I desperately want to coach those ready to make a commitment to comprehensive health as well as investing in their quality of life through fitness and nutrition. MY GOAL IS TO SAFELY GUIDE MY CLIENTS THROUGH THEIR OWN JOURNEY TO HEALTH, EMPOWERING THEM WITH KNOWLEDGE, PROVIDING RELENTLESS SUPPORT AND ENCOURAGEMENT, AND HAVING A LOT OF FUN ALONG THE WAY! 

Squirrel Fitness includes a plethora of services that will be customised to each clients needs and implemented to meet their goals; food plans and exercise regimens will be tailored to client's lifestyles, work and family obligations and take into consideration what they enjoy doing and how they prefer to incorporate fitness into their everyday lives'. From personal training sessions to educational shopping trips, walking/running groups, social events to reinforce a support network, and everything in-between, I will work tirelessly to provide my clients with the resources they need to achieve their individual goals. 

Here's what I need from my clients: Give me a call, schedule a consult and show up with a positive attitude and willingness to try; leave the rest to me! 

MAKE A GOAL AND HAVE A GO!