September Spotlight
I am super excited about this months spotlight. This lady has really kicked some a$$ and taken names in the process these past few months!
Back in July Jackie came to frustrated with where she was and like most had plateaued and couldn't get out of her rut. I had her keep a food log which we then sat down and reviewed. This was the first step in breaking through that plateau. She cleaned up her eating habits and started being more active which included lots of walking and taking a specific load of classes at Studio ME. We planned on Jackie starting in on the MEfit Bootcamp in August but we had time to fill so, based on her goals, we planned out her workout routine. Within the first two weeks of healthy eating (included Origin Meals) we saw some pretty amazing results. She was already down 9.4lbs and had lost 3" on her waist. This is crazy results for just two weeks. Goes to show how those 2-3 lattes/day really add up! August 17th rolled around and MEfit bootcamp began. Throughout the 8 weeks Jackie increased her lean muscle mass, has lost 18lbs and 4% body fat, dropped another inch on her waist and 2" on her hips, and an inch around her arms and thigh and 3" around her chest. HOLY MOLY! This girl is on fire. She has done all of this without dieting or following some of those stupid (sorry personal feelings here) diet trends where you restrict yourself or starve yourself- all she has done is eat better and more balanced meals with the appropriate macronutrient (protein, carbs, and healthy fats) breakdown and move her body daily!
What I am most proud of Jackie for is the strength to share her story. She has nearly destroyed all pictures of her from the past and has agreed to allow us to help her share her story and tell everyone that it is possible, yes, it is hard, yes, you will be a roller coaster ride and, yes, it is a lifestyle change but it is worth it! fI have seen Jackie's confidence sky rocket over the past few months and you can totally see it in the recent pictures (make sure to read the entire story to see the pictures).
Are you ready to read her story??? Make sure to read to the end to see her AMAZING transformational pictures!
"I was an athlete and very active growing up playing volleyball, softball, track and basketball. Unfortunately, after leaving high school, I ended up living an unhealthy and sedentary life for most of my twenties.
In January of 2012, I made the official decision to overhaul my life and began down a wellness journey. I didn’t know where I would end up, but over the course of the next two years, I lost 148 pounds through various nutrition and exercise "experiments." I have yet to read a nutrition theory I don’t love or want to test out. You name it; I've tried it, sometimes successfully. I've counted points and carbs, cut out processed foods; avoided anything white, quit dairy, drank kale, did a few whole30s, committed hardcore to living like our prehistoric ancestors with the paleo diet. I tried ketogenics, juice cleanses, supplements, intermittent fasting; became a vegetarian then vegan for a hot second, and even believed for a while "food pairing" was the answer to all of my problems!
I disagree with the common saying that diets don't work. Every theory I've tested out works. However, where they fail is in thinking that you're going to be able to live the rest of your life worrying about the carb count of cruciferous vegetables or if the banana you ate for breakfast had too much sugar. In 2014, I was eating a very strict diet and decided I wanted to take my fitness routine to a new level and began a short stint with Crossfit. I barely lost a pound in the eight months I did it, but my body composition changed dramatically and I got to the fittest I had been since high school.
However, as it will- life happened; and in August of 2014, I hit a bump in the road with my health that knocked me off my center. I had to put my fitness goals on the back burner and hit a plateau with my weight loss which caused my weight to fluctuate for almost two years. If there’s a Wikipedia page anywhere with common weight-loss terms listed, I can guarantee you to find a picture of me listed next to the phrase “yo-yo” dieting.
About a year ago, I began looking for a new gym close to me in NE, and Studio ME came highly recommended by my friends Tram Nguyen and Molly Strong. I was looking for a gym that allowed me to commit to an active lifestyle, but with a more laid-back, maintainable approach to fitness. Studio ME seemed to embody that and I found with the smaller class sizes it was impossible to get lost in the crowd. The atmosphere is the opposite of intimidating, and all the members go out of their way to make you feel welcome. I started out slow as a member with a busy work schedule and was still trying to find my footing back to making a commitment to an active lifestyle.
In May of this past year, I felt like I was hitting another brick wall with my health. From everything I had learned about nutrition, and my years of multiple dieting personalities, my metabolism and body were left confused more than anything. Megan, the owner at Studio ME is very passionate about helping her clients achieve their goals so I reached out to her to see if she could give any insight into what I was doing wrong with my current nutrition plan. Megan immediately agreed to meet with me, but only after I kept a food journal for a week. I had told her, “I eat pretty clean, mostly a modified paleo diet and have no idea what the issue is!” Writing everything down and having Megan review it forced me to be honest with myself and allowed her to give me solid advice in areas I could improve. She broke down a simple, healthy way to approach meals and showed me how to allow it to fit in with my lifestyle and not have it be an obsession. Sitting down with Megan also reminded me of some things I knew but had forgotten. It’s completely true when they say that weight loss is 80% nutrition and 20% exercise, and that you can never out work an unhealthy diet. One of my all-time favorite sayings still is, “you can get fit in the gym- but you get thin in the kitchen.”
During my sit down with Megan, she also recommended a breakdown of cardio, HIIT, and strength training classes I should attend to reach my goals. Afterwards, I decided to join the eight-week, 3 day-a-week; Bootcamp the Studio offers. This is what I find so great about Studio ME, despite its small size, it has a wide range of offerings. I can come in for the 5:45 AM Bootcamp classes and get the intensity I crave. The Row & Roll class with Siri is one of my favorites as well. You start out with a hard-core row but end with a yoga routine that allows you to walk out with a yoga buzz forgetting your name. Samantha’s well thought-out, unique fusion circuit classes always keep you guessing and are equal parts fun. I have never left one of Liz’s Barre classes without angrily shaking at some point. Tiffany, the instructor whose workouts I love to hate, leads my favorite class- Strength Circuit, which allows me to get the heavy weightlifting I miss from my Crossfit days. Megan’s TRX classes feel like a strenuous acrobatic dance of some sorts, where you can’t help but catch on to her spunk and passion for what she does.
I’ve learned very personally through my journey that without our health we have nothing. My approach to my health today is different than it's ever been before. I'm no longer after the 10, the 21-day or the "6 Weeks to a Perfect You" fix. I'm doing the best to make healthy lifestyle choices one day at a time, and my health goals are no longer solely to have the perfect body, but instead to find overall wellness of body, mind and spirit. I'm listening to my body more and find although it can be difficult to get into the habit of an exercise routine-- once you do, the more you move, the more movement your body craves.
I am loving my life, where I am right now and I feel incredible with how much energy I have. But, with my personality, I will always have some lofty fitness goals in mind for the future. Studio ME is the perfect place for me to continue to pursue these goals, and if I've learned anything over these last 6 years, it's that you can make your body (and life) look any way you want it to -- if you're willing to work for it.
- Jackie"
