Hitch Fit Living Magazine Volume 1 July/August 2015 | Page 18

My fitness journey began about 50 years ago when I would practice cheers for hours on end, out in the yard with
whomever I could find to join me, or by myself. I could hardly wait until Jr. High and High School so I could be a
cheerleader! Back in the day, women didn't participate in organized sports much, as the opportunities just weren't
available. So cheerleader I was, for years on end!
After high school I did some running, sand volleyball, mild weight lifting; and always since childhood, swimming
was an activity I loved, too. After marriage and raising children, I continued fitness through walking, doing aerobics
and Zumba classes, staying physically active a lot of the time. Don't get me wrong-I did all this in spite of the fact that
I was a smoker, and battled "emotional eating" on and off for a long time. I would gain weight, then lose it, depending
on what good, or not-so-good circumstance was happening in my life at the time. I loved to bake, too, so when I was
really happy, I'd bake cookies all the time, and eat them like Cookie Monster! Still to this day I have a weakness for
cookies!
In 2001, I injured my knee, and part of the remedy for healing and strengthening it, was weightlifting. My true
fitness journey began then. I quit smoking a few years after that, and I became very interested in health and wellness
products. By this time, I was working out with certified personal trainers for periods of time, to get in better shape
and live a more fit life. Although I loved working out with trainers, and on my own, I don't recall too much emphasis
on good nutrition or adopting a plan to follow. So I was getting healthier and stronger, but there were inconsistencies
in the overall effectiveness of what I was doing.
About that time, "Welcome to Fifty" came along, with lots of changes, physically and emotionally, and mentally. It
seemed as if fat just appeared, and stacked up thick in my mid-section, my arms, legs, and everywhere. It didn't just
"shake off" when I went to the gym, either. I didn't like the way I felt, the way I looked, the way my clothes fit, really
anything. It was depressing. There were days when I thought, "I shouldn't even leave the house, because who knows
what kinds of ugly things I might say or do." I was miserable with myself.
Then a beautiful thing happened! A friend asked me if I wanted to go to Hitch Fit Gym with her! I thought about it
very seriously. I went to the website and looked at the transformations, the trainers, the stories, the real-life stories of
people just like me. I decided that Hitch Fit was a commitment I wanted to make, although I had no idea what to
expect, and I was afraid to start the journey.
It was one of the best decisions I've ever made. I learned about nutrition, and came to appreciate food as I never
had before. When you eat correctly, you feel good; your aches and pains are minimized, or they vanish, your mood is
more calm and level, you have more energy! I became stronger in every way, healthier, more confident and happy as
my transformation progressed. What I learned at Hitch Fit is invaluable. That was in the spring of 2013. My
transformation changed my life, and I never wanted to leave Hitch Fit!