Adrienne Hood 3

It was time. I sat in the front lobby of the gym waiting to meet my new trainer, Debbie Portell. I’d dabbled in a gym before this day but I was so nervous it felt like it was the first time setting foot in one. When she approached, I saw a smiling, petite woman but I quickly learned that her size was deceiving. Debbie was a forced to be reckoned with! The first meeting consisted of basics like determining my goals, imbalances, what my current eating habits were, etc. It was a LOT of information to take in and Debbie meant business! Without ever setting foot on the workout floor, I’d been sent off into the world with my first marching orders.

The first week’s focus was completely on my food. At first, I was dismayed because I really wanted to start working out, thinking that was the key and how I was going to get the weight off. Now, I know different. I really needed to focus on just my food to start off on the right foot. I once read somewhere that you lose weight in the kitchen and get fit in the gym. I didn't know this yet but it is so true. So, off to the grocery store I went. I’d never eaten like this so all I could do was rely completely on the list Debbie provided me as I wondered around the store.

I was placing a lot of faith in her as this was uncharted territory for me. I didn't know how I would feel or if I’d get the results I was looking for but, here’s the thing, I needed to let go and let someone else guide me for once because I’d clearly failed at being my own expert. It didn't matter how much time I spent researching on the internet, how many programs I’d tried, how many supplements I’d taken promising weight loss, I was not the expert and needed to stop fooling myself into thinking I could do this alone. For those of you still searching for the magical weight loss secret out there, here it is: a personal trainer.

So, here I am, with a new eating plan. I was watching the clock to make sure I was fueling my body at proper intervals and measuring my food, etc. Things that were completely foreign to me! I think for most people, food is the hardest area to tackle when trying to transition to a healthy lifestyle. Commit to do what your trainer tells you and be accountable to them. It’s what they’re there for because being accountable to just yourself has most likely failed you in the past. Integrate your trainer into your life. Let them be your first healthy-minded friend as you’re probably surrounded by the opposite. They’ll be the first of many as you take steps to a healthier you.

Admittedly, I made lots of mistakes, particularly with food, but every day I was determined to make progress. I’m a bit of a perfectionist myself and I used to really struggle with an all-or-nothing attitude when it came to weight loss. I was all too familiar with thinking I’ll just start over tomorrow or the next week if I ate the wrong thing or caved and went through drive-thru. If you’re anything like me, you’re probably good at beating yourself up but you have to learn to let mistakes go and try to love yourself again. Again, corny but true. Forgive yourself and immediately get back on track. A favorite motto of mine is to strive for progression not perfection.

The next week, it was time to add the exercise component to my weight loss plan and Debbie took me through my first workout…