Haley J's Story of Rise Up Glory
“In 6 weeks, I finally put myself as my number one priority and became the best version of me. I can finally say I am happy to be in the body that I am in.”
Heading into the 2022 Rise Up program, I was at my heaviest weight and my lowest point. When I first joined Results Fitness in the summer of 2019, I couldn’t wait to start my fitness journey. For years I had watched my Mom change right before my eyes and was anxious to join her. When I started working out at Results Fitness, I expected to see results almost immediately.
After months of working out 4-5 days a week, I figured it was time to see those results! Nope. It is so true what our coaches say: “You can’t outtrain a poor diet and habits.”
While I might have been working out consistently, I was not doing anything else to better myself. I wasn’t changing anything about the way I was eating, didn’t focus on my sleep habits, barely drank much water, wasn’t paying attention to the weights I was using and wasn’t trying to challenge myself more.
I got to a point of complacency and wasn’t proud of it.
Before Rise Up, my biggest struggle was not eating enough quality food to feel successful at the end of my days. I would skip breakfast, rely on snacks to power through the day and have many coffee treats from morning till night. I always thought of myself as a picky eater, not really enjoying food and especially not enjoying cooking for that matter.
I would go through my day without even realizing I wasn’t eating; sometimes getting to the end of the day only having had coffee and a protein bar. For someone as active as myself, I wasn’t able to get to the end of my day without headaches, stomach aches, irritability, and exhaustion. I would always blame these feelings on my busy schedule and for years, did nothing to help myself overcome these negative feelings.
WHAT HAPPENED WITH RISE UP
Rise Up has changed my entire outlook on nutrition and food, and now I feel like I can go anywhere and make mindful choices with how I’m fueling my body. Because of Rise Up, I now both LOVE food and have a good relationship with it. I look forward to planning my next meal and wake up excited each morning to start my day with a well-balanced breakfast containing all the macronutrients: protein, smart carbs, heart healthy fats and veggies!
Instead of snacking on cookies and popcorn, I find myself snacking on cottage cheese, fruit and vegetables. I don’t have as many of my ‘sweet tooth’ cravings anymore, know I can live without alcohol and love sharing recipes with my Mom, other family members and friends. Come the weekend, I feel proud of myself for taking time to meaningfully plan meals and grocery trips; which is followed by meal prepping protein and veggies options for the week!
My biggest motivator in overcoming my fears was my Mom. I feel so thankful to workout with my Mom each and every week at Results Fitness (and now my Dad, too). Having that support system around you, that constant motivator and accountability partner truly makes a difference. Prior to signing up for Rise Up, I also had to remind myself of some advice that was given to me during my teaching experience: “Embrace the uncomfortable.” !
For five years now, I have lived by that advice and continue to seek out opportunities for growth and self-betterment. I know ‘‘comfort is the enemy of progress’’ and sometimes need to remind myself that being uncomfortable with myself is the beginning of amazing things.
HOW LIFE IS DIFFERENT NOW
For the 2022 Rise Up program, I set very high goals for myself and honestly, ended up surprising myself as to how much I achieved in 6 weeks:
I am a completely different person since completing Rise Up: physically, mentally, socially, and emotionally.
Physically, I feel the strongest I have ever felt! I have a long history of back pain and from my senior year of high school onward, could barely do any physical activity without shuddering from pain. Now that I know how to safely exercise and execute different exercises to get the most out of my workouts, I am picking up heavier weights each week and growing in my core strength; all of which are helping protect my back and allowing me to get stronger without any pain! I continue keeping track of the weights I am picking for my workouts to track my progress and celebrate milestones.
Since completing Rise Up, I look at myself in the mirror and feel proud to show off my muscular frame; something I had previously been self-conscious about. Mentally, I love my ‘me time’. The 45 minutes I am at Results Fitness each day, are the best 45 minutes of my day!
Socially and emotionally, I have created and maintained much healthier relationships with my family and friends. Even when I’m having a challenging day, I can turn those challenges into my motivation to have an even better workout. I love that I have confidence walking into any place now. I truly take Results Fitness with me wherever I go.
In 6 weeks, I finally put myself as my number one priority, put in 100% effort to see 110% results, and changed my body composition in a way I never thought possible. In 6 weeks, I refocused my habits in ways that benefit all parts of my life, became the best version of me and with the support of my coaches, fellow Rise Up warriors, family, colleagues and friends, can finally say I am happy to be in the body that I am in.
In the past, I have been one to say: “I don’t have time’’, ‘‘I’m too tired” or ‘‘My schedule is too busy for that.’’
When I look back and think about all the excuses I used to make, I kind of laugh at myself. Before Rise Up, I thought it was selfish to take time for myself but Rise Up helped me realize I’m not going to be happy until I’m happy with myself first.
When you hear people like me in their blogs say Rise Up is NOT a diet but a lifestyle, BELIEVE THEM! I would not be my strongest, healthiest, most confident self if I didn’t trust in Results Fitness and all that the Rise Up program offers.
Rise Up helped me reflect on my personal habits related to nutrition, sleep, water, active recovery, and fitness. It was a quick and hard realization learning I didn’t have the best habits, especially for the lifestyle I live. Working out consistently 4-6 times per week was only going to work IF I put as much effort into the other pieces of the puzzle as well.
Since Rise Up, my habits are now more balanced:
Every morning I start my day with a glass of water and make sure to refill my water bottle 2-3 times a day.
When it comes to planning meals and grocery store trips, I start with thinking about protein and veggies versus carbs or fats.
Outside of exercise, daily movement as become equally as important as my workouts.
I make it a point to hit a daily step goal to offset being sedentary the other waking hours I am not exercising.
When it comes to my Results Fitness workouts, I am monitoring and tracking my weights so I can push myself safely while progressing.
Finally, I prioritize getting a good night’s sleep by packing bags the night before and turning off the lights,
