Healthy Living • Y Stories • YMCA Health and Fitness
How Emma lost 70 pounds and regained her self-esteem
23 November 2016 - by YMCA of Greater Toronto
Emma spent years feeling self-conscious about her body and unsure how to get healthier. It wasn’t until she watched her boyfriend Adam lose over 100 pounds, compete in a bodybuilding competition, and become a YMCA personal trainer that she got inspired to turn her life around. Here’s her Y Story:
Before I started working out with Adam, I was 217 pounds and didn't feel comfortable in my own body. I’d been overweight my entire life, and no diet or exercise routine seemed to work for me. To say I was self-conscious would be a major understatement, but I was also totally unmotivated; I wasn’t interested in overhauling my whole lifestyle, and when I didn’t see results from whatever “quick fix” I had turned to, I would just settle back into my old habits.
The turning point came when I met my boyfriend, Adam, who’s now a personal trainer at the YMCA. He went through a massive lifestyle change himself, and watching him turn his life around was ultimately what gave me the motivation I needed to do the same. He inspired me to strive to be the best version of myself, and helped me figure out what was holding me back and then break through that barrier.
Adam quickly saw how overwhelmed I could get in the gym, so he realized I needed to have my workouts broken down into bite-sized pieces. He taught me how to target different muscle groups each time I hit the gym — chest and triceps one day, back and biceps the next, legs on a different day, and so on — which makes me feel like I can really push myself to my limit because I’m never working on already-sore muscles. Adam’s nutritional guidance also went a long way: he’s helped me build healthy eating habits by making sure my portions aren’t too big or too little, and that I’m getting enough variety.
With Adam’s help and support, I lost 70 pounds and am finally able to feel happy in my own body. I’m no longer training in an effort to hit a target weight, though; I now see that my health is something I need to look after for the rest of my life.
Having a personal trainer has 100% changed my life for the better. Adam’s made me actually look forward to going to the gym — I feel like I’m missing out when I haven’t worked out in a day or two. He keeps me motivated by always reassuring me that I can do whatever I set my mind to; even if I won’t tackle my goal today, I’m capable of getting there someday if I really push myself. He knows just what to do to make sure I give every workout my all, and as a result, I’ve built the confidence I spent so many years looking for.
Before I started working out with Adam, I was 217 pounds and didn't feel comfortable in my own body. I’d been overweight my entire life, and no diet or exercise routine seemed to work for me. To say I was self-conscious would be a major understatement, but I was also totally unmotivated; I wasn’t interested in overhauling my whole lifestyle, and when I didn’t see results from whatever “quick fix” I had turned to, I would just settle back into my old habits.
The turning point came when I met my boyfriend, Adam, who’s now a personal trainer at the YMCA. He went through a massive lifestyle change himself, and watching him turn his life around was ultimately what gave me the motivation I needed to do the same. He inspired me to strive to be the best version of myself, and helped me figure out what was holding me back and then break through that barrier.
Adam quickly saw how overwhelmed I could get in the gym, so he realized I needed to have my workouts broken down into bite-sized pieces. He taught me how to target different muscle groups each time I hit the gym — chest and triceps one day, back and biceps the next, legs on a different day, and so on — which makes me feel like I can really push myself to my limit because I’m never working on already-sore muscles. Adam’s nutritional guidance also went a long way: he’s helped me build healthy eating habits by making sure my portions aren’t too big or too little, and that I’m getting enough variety.
With Adam’s help and support, I lost 70 pounds and am finally able to feel happy in my own body. I’m no longer training in an effort to hit a target weight, though; I now see that my health is something I need to look after for the rest of my life.
Having a personal trainer has 100% changed my life for the better. Adam’s made me actually look forward to going to the gym — I feel like I’m missing out when I haven’t worked out in a day or two. He keeps me motivated by always reassuring me that I can do whatever I set my mind to; even if I won’t tackle my goal today, I’m capable of getting there someday if I really push myself. He knows just what to do to make sure I give every workout my all, and as a result, I’ve built the confidence I spent so many years looking for.
