Who makes dinner? Not long after, when she was walking her typical route around a tennis court, she decided to pick it up and run the length of one side. Then, she ran two sides, then three, then a full loop, until she ran her first mile in Laska ran her first She completed her second this past fall in NYC, as a member of the PowerBar Clean Start team, just one year after having major surgery.

I always try to remind myself that those little decisions snowball, positive or negative. This has also improved her relationships with her husband and kids and even brought on a promotion at work, she says. RELATED: Why I Started Running — And Never Stopped.

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Try Online Fitness Program Risk Free. Main Menu. Mallory Creveling January 17, And yet millions of people manage to accomplish their weight loss goals every year on the journey to looking better, feeling better, and living their best lives possible. You can support your own weight loss efforts by celebrating the successes of others.

This was her tipping point. In addition to committing to eating better, Krystal also started jogging on the treadmill and doing strength workouts. Not only did she shed more than 60 pounds through adopting these healthy behaviors, but she also saw her confidence skyrocket.

Krystal has several tips for others on their own weight loss journeys, including setting out everything they need to work out in the morning the night before — from clothing to your water bottle.

Replacing fat with muscle means you burn more calories without even trying. While active as a child, Suzi Walthall began putting on weight in her late teens and by the age of 38 had started binge eating. In the interim, she also gave up entirely on exercise. After reaching pounds, she told Huffington Post , one day something snapped.

This time, I will lose the weight, and it will be successful. While even just walking a few blocks was a challenge for Suzi as she started an exercise program, she talked herself into joining the gym, where she began using Nautilus machines for strength-building.

A major factor in helping Suzi reach her current weight of was working alongside personal trainers who trained her in everything from traditional weight lifting to cardio kickboxing. She was so inspired by her personal trainers that she went on to become one herself.

Sign up for a personal trainer session today to see for yourself how a personal trainer can help you reach your weight loss goals. While true weight loss success comes from within, sometimes an external nudge can be a major contributing factor.

Torrie started by joining a boot camp class, and while she initially struggled, support from the others in the class kept her going.

Sometimes exercise can feel like a bit of a chore, something you have to do for health reasons. But occasionally exercise can transform your life, whether it helps pull you out of an emotional pit, overcome stress, learn something about yourself, or help you appreciate your body.

Here are some stories from people who moved their bodies in new and sometimes challenging ways, and found out that it changed their life for the better. I'm transgender — female to male — and I spent 23 years haaaaaaaaaaating my body. Once I figured out I was a runner another long journey , I started running marathons for fun!

Now every race and recreational run is a celebration of the man I've become. I have had depression a couple of times and I also have general anxiety disorder. I found that longboarding around the city really improved my mood the last time I was going through a period of depression.

Had I not forced myself to get outside and skate everywhere, I don't think I would have gotten back to my normal self as quickly.

I don't skate much anymore, but I have picked up rock climbing the past three years and I consider it to be my version of meditation. All I can think about when I am climbing is climbing.

It has been a miracle for my anxiety to be able to completely dump the worries in my head and just think about getting to the top. When I was a junior in high school, my first serious boyfriend of two years broke up with me. I was devastated. I was just starting my track season and I decided that I should get a head start on other people and start running before practice started.

When I felt like crying or screaming or anything, I would get up and go for a run. That year I beat my personal best by over a minute and I ran my first half marathon. Since then I ran another half marathon, a Tough Mudder, full marathon, and am currently training for a second marathon.

Running just releases emotion for me. A few years ago I went through a bad breakup with a guy I thought I was going to marry. I spent the first four months eating take-out and suffering from severe depression.

It got so bad that at one point I felt unlovable and hated my body. My ex helped me with a lot of household duties that required heavy lifting, so when he left I felt even more weak. I wanted to join a gym for some time, but the thought of exercising in front of a man terrified me and left me quite vulnerable.

I joined a week later and started learned about weight lifting and exercising to support my mental health. The best part was that I stopped feeling judged and felt proud of my body and what it could do. I had just been diagnosed with bipolar disorder.

Although I was relieved to finally have a diagnosis after years of suffering, the more time I spent around doctors and medication it made me feel out of control of my life.

I spiraled into an eating disorder, which gave me some type of control over something. It sounds harsh, but for me, it was a turning point in my life. I decided to seek out a trainer and told him what was happening in my life. At the time, my energy was extremely depleted and I was frail. I could barely do any of the exercises but he continued to push me.

Fast forward a few weeks later, and I continued to do a little better each time. I could lift a little more. I could push for one more rep.

I looked in the mirror and I realized I had control over building my body up. Instead of destroying myself, lifting weights helped me not only physically but mentally build myself back up in the healthiest way possible. Lifting weights truly saved my life.

I have pretty severe adjustment disorder. Two summers ago, my husband had to go do military training for six weeks, and I had never lived on my own before.

I wasn't sleeping, and I was having severe panic attacks nearly every day. We belonged to a gym, and I ran almost every day, but I never really worked out. So, I walked into the gym one day and signed up for a personal trainer. Being able to go into the gym and lift heavy things as well as control my own heart rate instead of it controlling me really got me through it.

Now I work out regularly, got certified to become a trainer myself, and I'm going back to school to be a therapist to help other people like myself! Running is the only thing that that keeps me together. It's a one-hour break from my depression and anxiety, a time where I can just enjoy not thinking and being lost in my imagination.

I can't imagine how bad I would be without running. I was going through a really bad depressive episode last year that I just couldn't get out of and then out of sheer desperation I tried the 4 Weeks to 5K Challenge.

I definitely didn't make it to 5K, but running for a short bit every day helped me to get better. It not only helped with my depression, but also helped me sleep better and helped to get rid of back pain.

To everyone I rolled my eyes at for suggesting exercise as a mental illness coping mechanism, I'm sorry! This shit works.

After I weaned my first child, my hormones were way off balance for a long time. I was depressed and felt completely out of control of my body.

I gained a lot of weight and spent way too much of my time crying and eating and sitting on the couch mentally unable to get up and do much of anything.

I eventually found a program called Couch to 5K available from the NHS. You do it three times a week for nine weeks. The first week you only run for 60 seconds at a time, but I could hardly manage it.

The running intervals slowly increase each week, and at the ninth week you run for 30 minutes. It is very positive and encouraging along the way, and the slow increases make it completely doable. I remember stopping and crying tears of joy the first time I ran for twenty minutes straight, and I made it to thirty minutes slowly but surely.

It was a great way to start exercising again after a long time of doing nothing. It was amazing to be guided in a way that let me succeed at something after feeling so depressed and down on myself.

I have lupus so just getting out of bed feels like exercise. That being said, anytime I'm actually able to go for a walk, even if it's just around the block, I feel amazing after and it honestly feels like the biggest triumph. On those days, living with a chronic illness doesn't seem so bad.

Before lupus, I would work out for hours in the gym and never feel as accomplished as I do now after a simple walk. My point being: We could all stand to appreciate what our bodies are capable of, even however little it may be, because it's all incredible.

In my senior year of college, I received several new diagnoses, both mental and physical, that required a lot of sudden lifestyle changes that I struggled to cope with. In addition, I was managing a large workload of classes and an internship.

And that made all the difference. Exercising gave me a moment to breathe, and afterwards, I always felt a little more in control and able to process the day with a clear head. I was tired of having no energy and my weight keeping me from enjoying so many things in life.

But it was not the me I had envisioned for myself. Did I lose weight? Yes, I did. A lot of weight. In fact, I had lost so much weight that my friends encouraged me to audition for the sequel to Dallas Buyers Club.

I was crushed. I had worked my tail off, literally, for an entire year and yet I had failed to attain my goals. Although I could run like the wind blows, I had very little strength and zero muscular endurance.

One day while basking in my failure to attain physical fitness a friend Ben Born invited me to work out with him at his gym, Forge RX.

After a few work out sessions at Forge with my buddy, I got to know a few of the staff members. I was surprised by my encounters with the staff at Forge-Rx. They were however interested in me, my health and my physical wellbeing.

It was then that I made the decision to become a member of Forge Rx. Fast forward almost another year later to today. Being an athlete and playing sports in high school and college allowed me to never have to worry about what I ate or my weight on the scales.

However, after having our son 18 months ago, I completely let myself go and gained a lot of weight. On February 4, after my first InBody test, I knew I had to make drastic changes.

I immediately changed my diet and my workout plan both cardio and lifting weights. I started participating in many of the Group Fitness classes, which provided me a great support system to help get me going.

Group Fitness also allowed me to maximize my usage of time at the gym by burning a lot of calories in a short period of time! I reluctantly joined and quickly found that I was so wrong. My experience at Forge-Rx was humbling. The Coach, Allison, was patient and encouraging, she never allowed me to do anything that could potentially injure me.

The humbling continues 7 months later. I have made gains in my confidence, my mobility, strength, cardiovascular conditioning.

And now that I have gotten serious about my nutrition, I have lost 17 lbs. Forge-Rx truly is a family and a support system. If you are just getting started or in my case, I was frustrated with putting in the work but not seeing the results, I certainly recommend that you try it.

And you are never too old, I am 43 and in probably the best shape of my life. I WAS super bummed, mostly because I am a pretty competitive person. BUT, after thinking about all my accomplishments I just had to share what I have won.

The committed challenge helped me lose 7 lbs and. Thank you to all the staff who challenged and encouraged me! I my gym!!! I lost 6 pounds that month. February 1st when the cruise competition started I was lbs. Over the next 6 weeks of competition I changed my eating habits drastically.

No condiments or breads!! I cut out all alcohol and am only drinking water. Working out 6 days per week. Tuesday — play basketball for several hrs. Sunday — Rest! I am now down to lbs. With a total loss of 27 lbs for the year! Since I began training at Forge and taking the Les Mills classes it has transformed me not just physical but mentally and emotional.

I am a better mother, wife and friend because of it. I am telling you from experience YOU CAN DO IT. Not to say there are days I do not feel like getting up at in the morning for a class or hauling my butt to the gym after a long day at work because there are.

But since I found my home gym its like a family. The friendships that have grown through Forge-Rx are irreplaceable and I am so thankful for them.

We are non-judgemental, a team, but first and foremost as one. If you prefer small groups during a session, awesome nutritional advice to lose or gain pounds, a good laugh whilst working out, people on the same wavelength as you, the best coaches who know you as an individual and will work hard for you to achieve your goal s and friends for life, then Fitness Formation is for you.

I first walked through the doors of FF in June I was terrified. I had taken advantage of an offer for 4 weeks unlimited training. I LOVED it!! I loved the training, the banter, the people and then my 4 weeks were over. I was soon back.

I bungeed back and forth to FF over the next 2 years, and in that time I tried a number of other gyms. But I never truly felt at home, or like I was making progress. Then, in May , I lost my dad very suddenly. I knew where I needed to be, where I would get the support I needed to get back on track.

After a quick chat with Ryan, I was back in the studio, surrounded by positive, like minded people who provide genuine support, both for you to reach your physical goals, and emotionally, too.

Since being at FF I have done things I never dreamed I would do. I have stepped so far out of my comfort zone I can no longer see it. Anyone who knows me personally would know that 5 years ago I barely walked anywhere, never mind ran.

I love training at FF, not just for the results I get, which have been many. I have lost 3 dress sizes, I eat so much better, and I am fitter and stronger. I love it there for the people I get to speak to everyday. They are amazing.

Supportive, helpful, informative and inspiring. We are all on the same path together, and if one of us falls, there is always a hand to help you back up onto your feet. The coaches are a massive part of the FF family and they are absolutely brilliant.

We call ourselves a family, because we genuinely are. Everyone cares about the person, not just the program at FF, and as a big bonus, we get to have fun, laugh and improve ourselves at the same time.

This is the best investment I have ever made in myself. Long may it continue. My Fitness Formation journey started on the 22 nd September I signed up for a 6 week challenge. I was massively over weight, scared, and terribly unfit. Having tried every fad diet, every diet pill and potion and failing miserably and just getting bigger, this was my next attempt at weight loss.

I never knew or would have believed it if someone said it, but the 22 nd September was the day my life changed. The first step of so many on my amazing journey. I walked into my first session shaking having never exercised before.

I was so nervous, worried what everyone would think of me. But not one eye was on me, no staring, no looks off people. I was instantly welcomed to Fitness Formation. The team made me and the other girls who had joined the challenge feel instantly at ease.

I made it through my first session and was eager to get to my next session which was with Dan Donohue. I nearly passed out.

That was how unfit I was. For the first time I felt sick with exercise. The next time I walked in Dan welcomed me by name and this is the moment I knew this place was for me. After my 6 week challenge, I became a full time member of FF.

Fitness Formation is an amazing gym were exercise is, what I believe, the highest standard there is. The members are a big part of what make the place amazing. We really are like a family. We laugh, cry and support each other every single day. I have met people that will no doubt be in my life forever.

Being able to talk and be with people who are with you every step of your journey as you equally are on theirs is amazing.

Now let me talk about the boys! They are the obvious glue of this place. They eat, sleep and breathe Fitness Formation. They know their stuff and any questions asked are answered. They know my ability, my weaknesses and they know how to push me to make me better, fitter and stronger.

They have got me to where I am today and without them I would be lost. I have achieved a weight loss of four stone, dropped four dress sizes and I am the fittest I have ever been not only physically, but mentally.

Fitness Formation changes lives. You get real support, real friends, real coaching and most of all real results, and I could not recommend a place more.

I had slipped into the lifestyle trap of lazy evenings on the sofa watching TV and eating junk. I had basically resigned myself to the fact that this is how my body was going to look from now on. I had tried fad diets and a variety of exercise methods but only ever managed to lose a few pounds which I would then gain after the novelty of dieting and exercise wore off.

My first week at FF was tough. No pain, no gain, but with all the positive encouragement and guidance it got easier every week. My stamina improved, I felt stronger and most importantly to me, my wobbly bits stopped wobbling.

The boys gave excellent instruction on nutrition in order for me to formulate a realistic diet plan without starving myself living on lettuce leaves! In the space of a few months, I lost a stone in weight and I was into size 10 clothes.

I feel lean further improvement still to be made , but most importantly to me, the weight is staying off and I feel the fittest I ever have.

FF is in a league of its own. Primarily the boys are what make FF the amazing place it is. Their enthusiastic commitment and extensive knowledge provide the perfect foundations for a professional and safe environment to train in.

They help you set individual targets and will push you to your own personal limits to ensure you achieve them. Ryan and Dan are constantly available to guide and inspire us and the bonus is that they are two of the most charismatic men I have ever met!

The timetable they provide is varied and all the sessions are creative and challenging but always bloody good fun. The FF community is the best. An amalgamation of crazy, beautiful people, different personalities but all with similar aspirations.

FF members are always ready to motivate and support each other and provide a good network of buddies to encourage you on your pathway to success. Without a doubt, lifelong friendships are made. I would recommend FF to anyone regardless of age, ability or fitness level. No matter what your objective is you can be assured that the boys at FF will help you take action and achieve it in a caring, professional and fun atmosphere.

I love every aspect of it. Walking through their door was the best decision I have ever made. Since starting my journey at Fitness Formation, my outlook on life has changed incredibly.

Before starting at FF, I saw exercise as a chore and something I thought I would never enjoy. How wrong could I be? Now I could never imagine life without it and hope I never have to. FF is not only a gym to me but a place I feel totally accepted and supported, and have done since the first day I walked through the doors.

I recommend FF to everyone who ever asks me about how I have achieved the results I have so far. Before joining FF, I had tried every slimming class, fad diet and dabbled in all sorts of exercise but never sustained any results as I got bored, and my motivation dwindled quickly.

Until now. The best thing about FF for me is the atmosphere and the sense of belonging to something so fulfilling. This has been, in my opinion, the best investment I have ever made.

If someone had told me the results I would attain, I would have joined long before I did. I consider these results to be priceless. The coaches at FF are, in my opinion, two of most knowledgeable, encouraging guys I have ever met and have, over time, become good friends also.

My results have been noticed by everyone around me which spurs me on to keep going and keep achieving. Before joining I was 3 stone over weight and very unfit. I now see the changes in my body shape and my mindset has changed completely.

I am happier, healthier and now a non — smoker all thanks to the guidance and encouragement of everybody at Fitness Formation.

I first came across Fitness Formation at their Sunday morning boot camps in preparation for Born Survivor, and from my first session I knew I was a part of something special. Following a bereavement and a turbulent time at work, Born Survivor seemed like just the challenge I needed.

I knew it was going to be tough but I was immediately put at ease by supportive coaches and it was clear there were strong relationships amongst the group which I had never experienced before. Consequently after completing Born Survivor, I immediately signed up and it was by far the best decision I have ever made.

Within 4 months of joining I had lost a stone and a half, lost inches, dropped a dress size and I was noticeably leaner. What is so fantastic about Fitness Formation was that my weight loss was just the start.

My fitness has improved dramatically and I have gone from someone who would struggle to run more than 3 miles to running a half marathon in under 2 hours.

This is an achievement I am incredibly proud of and would have never achieved without Fitness Formation. The coaches are with you every step of the way and it is clear they love what they do.

At FF, I felt like the coaches have gotten to know me as a person and are genuinely interested in my progress. Joining Fitness Formation is the best investment you will ever make for yourself as the support is incredible from the coaches and members alike.

What sets Fitness Formation apart from others is the close knit family feel. I have made many friends for life here and I truly do consider them to be family. Above all, we just have the most amazing fun and all that laughter certainly helps work your core! Three years have flown by since I was marched down to Fitness Formation by a friend who was fed up of listening to me whining about my health.

I remember telling Ryan about how lethargic and depressed I was feeling. How my energy levels and self esteem were at rock bottom. Other gyms offered plenty of equipment and classes, but somehow I felt invisible there. At Fitness Formation, they have a different approach which ensures great results for every member.

You train hard amongst friends in a welcoming and supportive environment where the banter and hilarity can make the session fly by and the coaches always take a bit of ribbing!

As Hazel. That was the missing ingredient. Finally, achieving my goals in fitness and feeling on the top of the world. With help from Fitness Formation, anyone can discover that missing ingredient and start looking forward to feeling great again, alive and invigorated.

Exercise had always been a big part of my life but having two kids, a busy job, moving across the country and moving house three times in six years meant I was not the healthy, athletic and energetic person I used to be. Another school mum mentioned Fitness Formation. Ryan and Dan coaxed and encouraged, tweaked technique and pushed my body further than I thought it could go.

and they are emotionally sensitive, too. This makes a HUGE difference. They know how to get the best from you. They know how to encourage you so that you can get the best from yourself. It was an easy decision to extend my membership.

My goal for joining Fitness Formation was about weight loss but just as importantly for me — about mental health. But even more crucially, sweating and grunting my heart out in the studio three times a week helps keep me positive, confident and energised.

I went and broke my arm scampering down a mountain and was in a cast for 6 weeks. Far from holding me back, the coaches gave me alternative exercise to do, and keeping within the limits so as not to aggravate the injury. Social media, peer-to-peer advice and group accountability is a key aspect to Fitness Formation.

Fitness Formation rocks. The coaches are top-notch, incredibly motivational and personally supportive of you as a whole person to get the best for yourself, physically and mentally. And the FF family rocks too! My story starts at the beginning of In January, my now ex husband left me and my three children.

My confidence was at an all time low. I was massively overweight and decided that it was now or never to change my life. I started to eat healthier and the weight started to come off. I lost one stone very quickly and started to feel better in my health. In August , I had been told I was borderline diabetic and had to make changes to my lifestyle.

In the middle of February , I found out that he had been having an affair and this is the real reason he left me. Sunday — Rest!

I am now down to lbs. With a total loss of 27 lbs for the year! Since I began training at Forge and taking the Les Mills classes it has transformed me not just physical but mentally and emotional.

I am a better mother, wife and friend because of it. I am telling you from experience YOU CAN DO IT. Not to say there are days I do not feel like getting up at in the morning for a class or hauling my butt to the gym after a long day at work because there are.

But since I found my home gym its like a family. The friendships that have grown through Forge-Rx are irreplaceable and I am so thankful for them.

They help me stay committed! In October of I was at my heaviest ever, lbs, and I found out that my mother was diagnosed with terminal colon cancer at age I vowed to myself and my family that I would make my health a priority in my life.

I joined Forge-Rx the day it opened. The trainers helped scale the workouts to my ability, ensured proper technique to avoid injury, and always push me to do my best.

Since starting at Forge-Rx, 3 months ago, I have lost 12 and 4 inches on my waist. My fitness goals continue to evolve and I know that with the help of Forge-Rx I will be able to reach every one of them.

Each class I feel gives me a different work out and goal to achieve, the instructors also give me that extra push. I love that my body is getting stronger and healthier.

I am just getting back into fitness and the group fitness classes have really given me that boost I needed! I did not want to have to buy bigger clothes. My results from the lab work scared me. I was pre hypertensive, pre diabetic, and in the obese category.

Pohl asked me if I had a good internist. I told him that I will make the changes that I need to get healthy. Pohl recommended for to me to lose at least 30 lbs. I have lost a total of 19lbs and 6. My visceral fat was in the high range of 11 and is now in the normal range of 8.

I have about 11 more lbs. to lose. I have changed the way I eat and workout. All the exercise is good but without the proper nutrition and clean eating I would have not lost the body fat. I have upped my protein intake and am eating lower glycemic vegetables.

I am not eating bread or sugar. They also offer the simple changes they made to achieve their long-term health goals. Find weight loss inspiration — and some bigger lessons — in their stories. While the intention of this article is to be a source of inspiration for those who are embarking on or continuing a weight-loss journey, some readers may find the topics discussed and the language used triggering.

The stress of starting college, perpetual late nights and heavy drinking caused Alyssa Greene to develop an unhealthy relationship with her body. Though she exercised, she didn't pay much attention to what she was eating and her overall health until she realized a change had to be made.

Over the next 2. As a result, Greene lost 25 pounds and relies on self-discipline as her key motivator. How bad do you really want to make a lifestyle change? For years, Tanisha Commodore left no stone unturned when it came to weight loss tactics. After trying countless workout programs, and weight-loss plans like WW and Medifast, she became desperate.

The influencer began entertaining the idea of going to Mexico for weight-loss surgery when her friend happened to recommend the keto diet. Intrigued, she tried it and saw immediate results.

Over eight months, Commodore lost 80 pounds and has been able to maintain her weight loss ever since. Tanisha documents her journey on Instagram and uses her platform to provide weight loss inspiration and resources to those looking to try the keto diet themselves.

After having her third child, fitness blogger Maggie Fierro began to feel disconnected from her body. So, she decided to start Kayla Itsines BBG Bikini Body Guide program to help kick-start her weight-loss journey.

The convenience of being able to work out at home, combined with following a regimented healthy eating routine, helped Fierro figure out a lifestyle change that worked for her — and she couldn't have done it without the BBG community.

You need to develop discipline and commitment for the moments when you don't feel like it. Now a certified personal trainer, Cookie Miller spent years struggling with her weight.

At pounds, she was diagnosed with acanthosis nigricans — a skin condition that causes dark, velvety patches to appear in the armpits, groin, and neck of people who are overweight.

At that point, she realized her health had to become a priority. Over the course of the next 18 months, Miller lost pounds by following a regimented food and exercise plan. What helped her stay accountable was the progress photos that she shared with her Instagram followers.

At her heaviest, fitness blogger Irvy weighed pounds. In , after yo-yoing with her weight for years, she finally decided to make a change once and for all. That said, it took a while for her to figure out that to make a long-lasting lifestyle change, the desire had to come from within.

Now, she goes to the gym six times a week and meal plans, which has helped her lose pounds. At one point, Denita Elizabeth weighed over pounds and couldn't remember what it felt like to be healthy.

Today, Elizabeth is not only a personal trainer but is also an instructor at SLT. Fitness aside, Elizabeth also switched up her food intake. Even though she's lost pounds, Elizabeth says the scale is the least of her worries. Being a mother comes with a plethora of responsibilities. And Erica Lugo knew something had to change when she couldn't uphold them because of her weight.

She could no longer play with her son, because at pounds, she simply didn't have the energy. That's when she decided to lose weight by sticking to a simple plan.