Develop a Healthy Body Image at Hitch Fit Gym

“I don’t know exactly where my journey starts, but for as long as I can remember I’ve had major self-esteem issues and have been incredibly hard on myself. I don’t remember a time when I looked in the mirror and didn’t pinch, poke and critique every little thing about my body. I’ve always been very self-conscious about my body and very reluctant to wear anything remotely revealing. I developed a larger chest very early, much earlier than most girls my age, and I always got a lot of unwanted attention because of my breasts, so I did anything I could to hide them. I was that girl who wore jeans all through hot summers because I hated my legs, and forget about ever being comfortable in a swimming suit. After our wedding five years ago, I really lost the drive to work on my body. I went back to school and got really busy with working full-time and taking classes and just didn’t have the time to go to the gym, or so I told myself. After working so hard for 3 years, I had some setbacks in my schooling and career and was really down about myself. I was never very athletic in school, but I was always confident in my academic abilities, and I got a swift kick to the ego when I wasn’t accepted to the program I had dreamed about. This led to me weighing the most I’ve ever weighed and feeling the worst I’ve ever felt.

I’ve known my trainer Deron since we were little, and I’ve seen his transformation over the years, and of course, knew his incredibly inspiring and motivational story of beating cancer not once but twice. I was so impressed by his strength and determination so I followed his journey through social media, that’s how I learned about Hitch Fit and eventually the Groupon deal that changed my life. I saw the Groupon for quite a few months and just couldn’t work up the courage to actually buy it. Finally, I had it. I was tired. Tired of feeling crappy. Tired of constantly comparing myself to fit women and falling short. Tired of having no energy and just talking about making a change without actually doing something. So I brought up the Groupon and going to Hitch Fit to my husband. I had about zero confidence in my ability to get through a workout with Deron, so I needed his encouragement, and he was instantly supportive and believed in me 100%. So I texted Deron and just told him how I was feeling and that I was thinking about buying the Groupon and all he said back was “let’s do it!” I bought it and before I knew it I was driving to Hitch Fit.

My first day going to Hitch Fit was incredibly intimidating to me. I had never been to a gym like this and didn’t know what to expect. I just assumed that everyone would look amazing and look at me and instantly know that I didn’t know what I was doing. I remember sitting in my car for a good 10 minutes before I got up the courage to actually walk in. I couldn’t have been more wrong. Deron, with his big smile, was there to greet me and then he showed me around and introduced me to all the other trainers and they were all so nice! I was still very nervous to even be there, but I was really put at ease by how friendly everyone was. It truly is like a family there and the atmosphere (especially the transformation wall) is so positive that you can’t help but be motivated.

My first session started with a chat about why I was there and then we did the dreaded weigh-in and measurements. I’ve never been overweight but when I found out that I was made up of 24.9% body fat, I was really shocked. I knew that in the past few years I had really neglected my health, but I couldn’t believe that it had gone that far. Then it was time to work out! Deron put me through a pretty serious workout (or so I thought at the time) and I went home feeling tired and sore but more determined than ever. I liked working hard. I loved being sore the next day and knowing that I had done something. A fire was lit in me, I was hooked and ready to get moving!

My goal when I started my transformation was not to get skinny. My goal was to gain muscle and be strong! All of my life I’ve been called “skinny Linnie” or “mini Linnie”, and for once I wanted to be considered strong. Every time I told someone about starting to train with Deron and heard “why are you working with a personal trainer, you’re already skinny” it just fueled me to push harder and do better. There was absolutely nothing about this transformation that was easy. I am working toward being a Registered Dietitian so the diet aspect of it wasn’t too bad for me because I strongly believe in the benefit a healthy, whole food diet, but my cravings the first few weeks were pretty serious (I carried gum with me at all times!). The few times that I cheated and ate something not so great, I was so sick the next day that I never wanted to do it again. It’s amazing how awesome you feel once you get all the crap out of your system. The workouts kicked my butt, but the more I saw my measurements dropping and my body changing, the more excited and determined I became. I seriously could have hugged the first person who called me “fit”, and the trainer who said my shoulders looked defined put me in the best mood ever that day. The scale didn’t move for me until about week 6, but by then I had dropped 5% body fat. This made me a true believer in not letting the scale dictate how I feel about myself. Major change comes from hard work. There is no magic pill, special food combination, or fad diet that will produce results like this, there is only healthy eating and hard ass work.

The last 12 weeks have been incredibly trying but I’ve come out on the other side a stronger, more confident person who knows how to work hard. I feel like a new woman and I’m not willing to ever let myself go back to how I was before. I want a family someday and if I have daughters I refuse to pass on my body issues to them. I want my children to grow up thinking that women who work out hard and have muscle is the norm, not the exception. I want to give my family the good habits of healthy eating and daily exercise.

I don’t have enough words to thank Deron. He saw me through the last 12 weeks and never stopped pushing me and believing in me. He made me do things that I never thought I could, but I did (like doing pull ups and doing box jumps from a seated position)! We were friends before so I had no doubt that I was in good hands but he is really an outstanding trainer, and it’s obvious that he truly cares about his clients. I had no idea what to expect in a trainer, but he exceeded anything I ever thought. He gave me the start to the body I want (I met my goal but I’m not done yet!) but more importantly he helped me find my confidence. I also have to thank my amazingly supportive husband Luke. He pushed me every step of the way and even stepped up his workouts and followed my diet along with me, which made all the difference in the world. He’s going to start a transformation with Deron in a few weeks and I can’t wait to see him reach his goals. I know he’ll be just as grateful for this process as I am. So thanks again to Deron and to everyone at Hitch Fit! Every single high five and “awesome job” really pushed me through and I can’t thank you all enough!”

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

Contact him today:

Email: [email protected]

Call: 785-317-0780

Or call 816-753-8900 and request to train with Deron.

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]