I used to be like a lot of people. I’d never really committed to the gym or taking care of my health. I’d tried to build a workout routine and it never stuck. I wasn’t in terrible shape, but I wasn’t where I wanted to be, physically, and I felt like I lacked the discipline and sense of responsibility to get there. I’m someone who struggled with sticking to my health goals, whether that was around diet, or sleeping, or working out.
I figured I needed help. I shopped around for a personal trainer, betting that the commitment of time and money would motivate me to give it my all. And I wanted someone to guide me and hold me accountable. I checked a few lists of best personal trainers and saw Ultimate Performance mentioned multiple times, so I decided to give it a shot.
I can admit my diet was appalling and had been for the last few years. I didn’t pay attention to how I ate, which meant I defaulted to carb loading and calorie-dense meals while frequently snacking throughout the day. Just kind of mindless eating. I didn’t get enough protein, but I definitely ate more calories than I burned.
So to start we really cut down on my calories per day, building macros that would let me burn fat quickly. As I lost weight, we gradually increased my calorie intake and focused on making sure I had the fuel to build muscle mass. I began with three meals a day of vegetables and chicken or turkey, pretty plain stuff. Later we brought in more carbs, with tortilla wraps and the like.
Specific Guidance Made a Difference
I trained six times a week—five weight-training days and one cardio day. My trainer and I worked together for four of those sessions, and the rest were on my own; he really helped me understand how to do all the exercises, so I knew when I should be contracting a muscle, what part of my body we were working, and so on. I had trained with weights and done HIIT before, but never this consistently or with such specific guidance. After I got my feet under me, we dialed it back to three, then two sessions a week together, with me off on my own for the rest.
I had a minimum step count of 15,000 steps a day. I spent hours walking over Los Angeles during the week, then hiking the Hollywood Hills and Runyon Canyon on the weekends. I really got to see the city in a whole new way.
Take the Step
Looking back, the biggest thing that kept me from doing something like this sooner is not believing in myself because I didn’t know where to start. My approach to diet and fitness was mostly inertia, without much thought about what I ate or how I exercised. I needed someone to guide me through those first steps, so I could get to the point of doing it on my own.
I initially signed up for a 14-week transformation, but with travel it ended up being 21 weeks—all the more challenging! Over that time my weight dropped from 166.6 lbs to 159.8 lbs, and my body fat percentage came down from 26.9 percent to 11.6 percent. I gained over 20 pounds of muscle.
My confidence has increased tenfold. I have more energy in the morning and throughout the day. I’m more aware of how I look after my mind and body. Everyone around me has been amazed—I’ve never looked like this before.
For me, the biggest obstacle was just getting started. Once I did that, with a lot of support from my great trainer, I found ways to be consistent and stick to the plan. That helped me be more confident in the gym, which improved my results. I’m sticking with it; I work with my trainer via the app.
Staying consistent—that’s key. Stick with your plan and you’ll see results.
