Fitness means different things to different people. And that’s how it should be. Running a faster mile, fitting into “those jeans,” kicking the wheat habit, whatever, there is something admirable in all of these goals and the steps we take to reach them. For our girl Pearl and her fitness journey, admirable totally applies, but inspiring is more like it.
When she began at Freestyle – which she found through a friend – she leaped right into the January 2015 fitness challenge. The timing was perfect, because Pearl was finally ready for a change. “I was on Prozac, anti-inflammatory medicine, my joints hurt, I was overweight, and I got tired fast,” she says. “I knew I needed to do something, to change my lifestyle, and I wanted to feel good about myself again.”
No matter how you slice it, finding the motivation to overhaul a sedentary lifestyle is intimidating. You know it’s going to hurt, and you know you’re going to want to quit. You know that starting and stopping is so hard on your morale. You know that willpower only gets you so far, and you know that building healthy habits takes time. Basically, you know why people are always looking for a magic bullet or a designer pill.
But let’s be real. The recipe for success has never changed – breaking a sweat regularly, and eating well.
Fast forward twelve months, and Pearl is a walking, talking, proud (and she damn well should be) proponent of that recipe. “I lost over 25 pounds, and I feel fantastic,” she says. “No more Prozac, no anti-inflammatory medicine, my dogs love me because I have the energy to take them on long hikes, and I love the way my clothes are fitting!”
There was no magic bullet, no fat-blasting pill, and Pearl is the first to lay things out. “I committed last January,” she says. “I ate clean, no flour, rice, bread, soda or sweets. I cut back on alcohol. And I exercised at Freestyle four to five days every week.”
It turned out to be a great fit. “Freestyle has different kinds of classes, which keeps things interesting,” Pearl says. “They don’t judge, and they don’t push you too hard. The instructors really care about you, they’re constantly checking on you and complimenting you. I love Freestyle Fitness and it’s really affordable considering the range of classes.”
She has a few words of encouragement and wisdom to anyone fed up and ready for a change of their own. “It’s going to be hard, especially the first few weeks,” Pearl says. “After that, it gets easier. And once you start to see the results, you’re going to want to push yourself harder. Hang in there!”
Just look at this before and after! We can’t even!
Pearl, we are so proud of the positive changes you’ve made to your life. It’s downright inspiring. This was allllll you, and we’re just excited to be along for the ride. See you in class!