My body issued a cry for help!

My journey with Tall Trainer started with my body issuing a cry for help.  I had gone to Urgent Care for an ear infection and they told me my blood pressure was extremely high.  I knew what a normal blood pressure was, but hadn’t really considered what was high.  When the nurse at Urgent Care told me I needed to set up an appointment with my primary care physician as soon as possible, I looked up blood pressure ranges to see how bad I was.  If I was one number higher, I should have been headed to the ER.  I made an appointment the next day and started addressing my issues.  The doctor put me on blood pressure medicine immediately and told me I should start losing some weight to help with this.

I had previously trained and received my black belt in martial arts.  Throughout this training, I was able to lose all the pregnancy weight I had gained and never lost (even though my baby was then 8 years old!).  The training was great, but I had to give it up as I was going through a divorce and had to go back to work.  My employers were awesome (still are).  But, between raising an 8-year-old, working, and figuring out a new, single life, I couldn’t find time to do anything for myself, at least not on a consistent basis. The weight started to come back on and my blood pressure started to sky-rocket.

After the doctor’s appointment, I went to work discouraged that I would now be on medicine for the rest of my life.  My boss and his wife were very understanding and when I said I just didn’t have the time to take care of myself, they thought this through and came up with a very interesting suggestion the very next day.   They came in and took me on a short car ride over to Tall Trainer, where I met Jeremy and was told that there was this thing called boot camp that I could attend where I would basically get the benefits of a personal trainer but in a group setting.   I was very excited (and a little bit nervous) about the opportunity.  My employers were kind enough to let me go during my lunch hour.  I had no idea what to expect, but everybody (from the staff to my classmates) was super nice and extremely supportive. 

I finally had time to put myself first.  The weight didn’t fall off immediately, but it slowly and consistently started coming off.   The classes were fantastic and the lessons were so informative.  I found myself going home at night and talking about the classes at dinnertime.  It was the highlight of my day.  I would frequently find myself quoting Andrew at the dinner table.   We should be eating 1 pound of raw and 1 pound of cooked vegetables a day!  How are we supposed to do that?!  OK…so, I’m still not doing that, but I’ve at least increased my consumption of vegetables and I’m happy about that.  That’s one of the core philosophies of Tall Trainer…you don’t have to be PERFECT.

The biggest change I have made is simply being more aware.  I have increased my consumption of water, which has led to many things (not just increased bathroom trips – which isn’t a bad thing either, as it gets me moving!):  my skin is clearer, my stomach pains have gone away and I just have more energy now.  I have increased my consumption of protein and vegetables.  I make healthier choices when it comes to choosing food (not all the time, remember I don’t have to be PERFECT, but most of the time.)  I make sure to do extra exercises even if it’s only while I am brushing my teeth.  Every extra movement helps and supports a healthy body.

I have made many friends through Tall Trainer.  The staff is simply superb!  They all know your name regardless of what class you are in and they treat you like family.  Concerns are easy to bring up and advice and support is freely given.  I cannot thank them enough for making such a positive change in my life.   My blood pressure is under control now.   I’m still on the medicine, but now the doctor says, “You’re thin so we’ll just keep you on the medicine due to your family history.”   I’m still hopeful to get off the medicine someday, but I’m not worried about it anymore.  So, my journey continues…