Modern Flavor Magazine 1/2015 Modern Flavor Magazine 1/2015 | Page 7

I’m a woman, a mother, a wife, a sister, daughter, best friend, publisher, business woman and so much more. I had to put myself on the list. I became my client. I became my own advocate. I became a part of my daily to-do list. You mentioned that you admire athletes. Do you plan to become one at some point? Not sure I would ever become one, but I rewarded my 75 pound weight loss to date with going to the gym weekly and also by investing in a personal trainer. I was so curious about how much I could endure when it came to next level exercising and I wanted to test my physicality on so many levels. Being in the gym is refreshing even when I’m simply on the arc trainer doing a mile or two. My trainer is excellent, has learned my body, understands my goals, wants and needs and trains me accordingly. I’m doing things physically I never imagined I’d be able to do. On any given week, I’m on the TRX with squats, rows, lunges, using a medicine ball for core work, bodyweight exercises, interval training on the Arc trainer, attending boot camp when time permits, planks, various stretching and circuit training. Never in my life did I ever believe I’d be doing this type of training, but it’s something I’ve always dreamed of doing. Would you recommend to others to hire a personal trainer? I recommend becoming active. Remember, I shed 75 pounds on my own by a lifestyle change, walking through the mountains and occasionally doing the Total Body Sculpt with Gilad DVD series. Do research on the health benefits of exercise. It’s remarkable what a simple 10-minute walk a day can do for your body. If you hire a personal trainer, make sure they are certified and have years of experience. You have to really research to find the right one. I injured my shoulder doing some weight lifting on my own, so if you’re looking to sculpt your body, definitely seek out the help of a professional. Thank goodness my trainer understands me and designs my workouts accordingly. Her knowledge and experience benefited me greatly because it’s been a gradual process. Gradual is always better. I have always maintained a slow and steady wins the race philosophy so it was pretty dope to find a trainer who also believes the same. You want a personal trainer that you can develop a real relationship