Hey guys, with my first blog post, I just wanted to give you some insight to my life and how I came to love fitness. I wasn’t always obsessed with exercise and nutrition like I am now, in fact it took me many years to get to this point. So take a few minutes out of your day to read this and get a better understanding of why I do what I do.
Early Years
Growing up, I lived and breathed sports. Since day 1, sports and being active was simply all I wanted to do. Football, basketball, baseball, soccer. You name it, we played it. Wake up, play sports with your friends, go to bed. Such a simple cycle, and I loved every minute of it. As I grew older, my friends and I began to play middle school and high school sports. However, my fitness journey really began in 8th grade. That was the first time I tore my ACL. For those that are not familiar with the injury, the ACL is one of the main ligaments that keeps your knee stable and functioning properly. The recovery time for this type of injury is typically about 9-12 months. As an 8th grader who loved sports and being active, the weight room quickly became my solace. This is where I began to learn the basics of training in the gym and general fitness. Over the next two years, I would tear my ACL again two more times, both my Freshman and Sophomore seasons during sports related activities. So, the weight room is where I continued to spend my time, gaining more and more knowledge and experience as it was the only place I could go to remain active and rehab my injuries.
College Years
My college years was when I truly began to dedicate my life to fitness. After passing forgoing the opportunity to play college sports due to the 3 knee surgeries in high school, I decided to go for the normal college student route. Most people know of the term “Freshman 15”, a phrase referencing college students who leave for their first year of college and come back fifteen pounds heavier. I thought to myself ‘no way that could be me’. I workout 4 days a week and have a great metabolism. However, the buffet style food court at every meal, coupled with a student I.D. linked to Domino’s made it the perfect recipe for 15 plus pounds to sneak its way onto my body. Never through this time did I stop working out. Mainly because I loved it. The sweaty sessions in the weight room were always one of my favorite things to do. So, I thought if I began working out 5 times a week instead of 4, maybe that would make the difference. And yes, this extra day of training helped a little, as we know that training burns calories and the more calories you burn the more weight you lose, etc. However, it was not until I realized just how important my diet was in the role of my body composition. That is when I truly began to make noticeable changes. I began tracking my calories, learning about macronutrients, and researching nutrition. During these years, I became more knowledgeable of the ever-important diet that must play a key role in anyone’s fitness journey. Once I discovered this, there was no looking back.
Present Day
After graduating college, I went all into the world of health and fitness. I work out every day, not because I need to but because I love it. I have grown immensely in my knowledge of how the body works, nutritional effects on body composition, and how various types of training can be utilized based on specific fitness goals. My business and marketing backgrounds gave me the idea of using my passion and love to create an online coaching platform, where I can help people achieve the body and the lifestyle that they desire. So many people want to lose weight, gain muscle, or live a healthy lifestyle, but have no idea where to start. The amount of false information that floods the internet is unbelievable to me, and that is what has motivated me to help those who do not understand what it takes to gain muscle, lose weight, etc. I am not here to earn a quick dollar or give you the secret formula or magic pill to get ripped/lose weight, but instead to give you the tools you need to change your body, your diet, and your lifestyle and continue to improve those aspects as we move forward. That doesn’t mean you can never eat a slice of cake again or have a night out drinking, (in fact those that know me can certainly attest that I do not always eat clean), but instead to have a better relationship with food and an understanding of how it can contribute to your health goals. As someone that has a passion for coaching and helping others reach their goals, let me help you reach yours! There’s a bunch of options on my site, from home workout plans & customized meal plans to online personal training & memberships, check it all out today!