40 and Fit Overland Park!

40 and FIT Overland Park!

Transformation by Hitch Fit Gym Transfomer – Overland Park Personal Trainer Amy Gipson

A note from Amy:
Boy, oh boy, am I excited to share this story… Everyone meet my dear friend Melanie Hijaz. We have not been friends all of our lives (although we should have been) since I just recently met her a few years ago through my sons soccer team. After becoming close on the soccer sidelines, Melanie found out that I was a Hitch Fit Transformation Coach and I recall her asking me when I was going to “transform this” as she pointed to her body. After a few months, another soccer mom friend, Hollie Mellon (part 2 still to come) also started inquiring about the Hitch Fit process. After some serious thought this amazing soccer mom dynamic duo appeared in the gym under my supervision and kicked major goals. Melanie, a mom of two very busy boys, a wife, a full time nurse practitioner, lost an amazing 11 lbs and 4% body fat, but more importantly she gained lean tissue and shape. Melanie you look so amazing and I am so very proud of your hard work and dedication. You are one strong mama and such a dear friend!

Melanie’s stats:
Starting Weight: 127 lbs

Ending Weight: 116 lbs

Starting Body Fat %: 17.4%

Ending Body Fat%: 13.6%

Melanie’s Story:
– by Melanie Hijaz

“So I turned 40 this year. 40!!! And I am extremely fortunate to have a wonderful husband and 2 little boys, ages 6 & 10, that keep my calendar overwhelmingly full & busy running here & there from sport to sport, school functions, birthday parties, appointments, etc. Oh, and my husband and I also have these little side gigs called full time jobs. Mine is very demanding in healthcare. So when I hit the big 4-0, instead of having the stereotypical mid-life crisis, I think I had more of an epiphany. What am I doing for myself?? Why am I not taking better care of myself?? Where is my me-time?? Not talking about time just spent doing what I feel like doing, because I get plenty of that too with hubby/couples date nights, girlfriend outings & mom’s nights. But really solo, only-about-me time, where the intent is self-improvement & feeling better. Because the truth is I’ve always been lucky to be on the thinner side physically, but let me tell you that thin does NOT equal fit. Or strong. And after having 2 babies, compounded with aging metabolism, that version of thin began changing to a much softer, doughy, flabby, muffin-topped self.

So if turning 40 had to be the catalyst for beginning this workout journey, then I am incredibly thankful to be starting this 4thdecade of my life!! But even knowing what I wanted to begin doing, the effort, steps & time it took to just get started felt like road blocks at first. Because there was always something or someone else begging of my time, or what at the time felt like it should be more of the priority than my own workout and health. Enter Hitch Fit and two fabulous women I am lucky enough to also call friends!! I can say it quite literally took one step at a time to get me there – sign-up & pick the date of the first workout, purchase some workout clothes and new tennis shoes, get the hubby & kids prepped for the whopping 1 hour I would be gone (which in hindsight was only necessary for my brain to be able to relax & focus on me – they would’ve been just fine even if I hadn’t done this!), get in the car, drive to the gym, and JUST START. It was new, it was hard, it was intense……but it was also phenomenal, invigorating, and motivating!!! LIFE CHANGING. And what do you know, all the balls in the air did NOT come crashing down while I took a sliver of time for myself…..

So I committed fully to this journey and transformation process with my amazing trainer/friend, Amy G., and my equally amazing friend/workout buddy, Hollie. Together we sweat, grunted, put in the time, encouraged each other, pushed ourselves, and celebrated the awesome changes we started seeing. And I’ve never looked back, not even once. Never has the thought occurred to me to wonder if I did the right thing because I know I did!! I feel great. Better than I have in years. And the crazy thing is with all 3 of our busy schedules, Amy, Hollie & I were only able to workout together twice per week (& I had some regularly scheduled “cheat” meals along the way because, well, I’m human), and we were STILL seeing amazing results because the process WORKS.

And my family has benefitted from this too with a stronger, more energetic mom. Sure there has been a little guilt when the gym workout schedule conflicted with an activity for one of my boys causing me to miss part or all of it. But the play-by-plays I got from my boys afterwards were awesome & I realized the only one that felt bad about it was me because they do know I am still there for them 100%. The difference is now they also know that I am there for myself 100% too. And that’s a great role model & life lesson to get from your mom!! My boys have now become very involved in this process too & I love it – when they see me putting on my tennis shoes (“are you going to workout mom?”), and that includes the hubby too as we have all changed our grocery & eating habits together.

One of the best parts of this whole process has been learning & becoming equipped with the tools to continue this journey on my own!! So missing the occasional activity was only temporary & now I can tailor my workout schedule around the other important things in my life. And guess what? There actually IS time for all of that stuff AND still time for myself too. Amazing how when you JUST START, and just make time for it, you find out the time was there all along & it was just your priorities in the wrong order with yourself at the very bottom of the list. I am FOREVER GRATEFUL to my partners in crime/strength, Amy & Hollie!!! JUST START. You won’t regret it. You will LOVE it. You will love yourself.

Are you READY for your TRANSFORMATION with Amy Gipson at the Overland Park Hitch Fit Gym?

Contact her today:

Email: [email protected]

Or call 816-753-8900 and request to train with Amy

If you are closer to or prefer to train at the Hitch Fit Gym in downtown Kansas City at 3036 Gillham Rd. Contact us at 816-753-8900 or write to [email protected]