EMPRESS MAGAZINE 2 | Page 36

Oh, hell no! Why did I buy a scale that talked? That could NOT have been right. I undressed and weighed myself again. The scale only dropped by an ounce or two but it still read 202 pounds. I took a laxative and a heaping dump and weighed myself and nothing changed. 202 pounds was what the scale read. OH SNAP! That was more than I weighed when I delivered my son. I felt sick to my stomach. I cried like a baby and then ate 2 snickers Ice cream bars for comfort.

I was in a serious slump. Anxiety and stress had finally cornered me and weighed me down with an extra 45 pounds. That was when I decided I had to do something so I joined a commercial gym. That gym membership didn’t last very long. I went into the gym without a plan and without any real support. My workouts were happening once every few weeks and my eating was out of control. I finally decided to call Danielle and get serious about my health and fitness goals.

Calling her was almost like I had called the right doctor, with this horrible disease, and the doctor had the perfect treatment, at the perfect time. During one of our first meetings, Danielle and I had an exchange that was beyond transparent. I was going through some things and so was she. We exchanged our struggles and triumphs through a few tears and a grueling workout. The workout and the exchange lifted a weight off me that I had been carrying around for a few years. I am not completely without anxiety or stress. We all have some level of stress and anxiety. but working out and eating right has alleviated a lot of my stress.

Danielle King’s approach to health and fitness are centered around the fact that she understands that women usually gain weight due to some form of mental or emotional strain. Her Gym, Fitness is My Sickness, also known as FIMS offers women a tribal environment where they become a family and all work toward a common goal. That common goal is optimal health and fitness (inside and out) for every woman that walks through her doors. I have not reached my weight loss goals yet but I do have a new-found dedication to myself and a sense of accountability to a group of ladies who care about my health and fitness goals like they care about their own. I now work out daily, at home or at the gym at least 4 days a week. I am making progress daily through proper diet, exercise, and a very positive vibration from a group of women that want to see everybody look and feel as good as they do when they are at their best.

Who is Danielle King and why is fitness her sickness? Danielle King, also known as Coach D is a wife and mother from Riviera Beach, Florida. Her smile could light up a room and her leadership skill is impeccable. Her gym, Fitness Is My Sickness is based out of San Diego, California where she currently resides. The Natural Body Building Competition winner is married with 3 amazing children and 2 busy little puppies. She is working on her PHD in Management with a concentration in Leadership and Organizational Change. Her background as a trainer includes CrossFit Level 1, ACE Personal Training, and ISSA Fitness Nutrition Certification. When asked about her life prior to training she simply stated , “My life prior to working out wasn’t bad. It was good but of course I wasn’t exactly where I wanted to be and in some instances, I lacked body confidence and optimal health. In return I also would casually become unmotivated and had a lethargic attitude.”

That all changed when Danielle decided to get up and make the changes needed to have the body and the healthy lifestyle that she wanted for her family and herself. People couldn’t help but notice the change in her. Her energy was contagious. She reflected on her history as a trainer with EM. “My initial thought regarding training was I am going to train myself, however as time began to pass other women and men wanted some of what I had. You know happiness, confidence, more energy and of course a healthy fit physique. I wanted to bottle up the way I felt and share it with others around the globe! My diet has changed tremendously! Now it is about fueling my mind and body to carry on daily functions versus the old me who ate because I was bored or emotional.”

No excuse is big enough for Danielle King to miss a workout. I have watched her workout with a broken arm and a broken heart. She doesn’t come across as a hard ass but she dislikes excuses. She will give you a side eye and a stank face if you keep coming at her with the same old excuses for not working out. Believe me, I have seen my share of them. They were all given in a spirit of love and wanting to see me reach my full fitness potential. The biggest excuse Danielle says she has heard from women she has aspired to train is lack of time. “The biggest excuse I hear is that people