“I think the best word to describe my journey would be emotional. I use that word because it can encompass so many twists and turns that I took to get here. When I sat down to write this, I had no idea how to start, so I decided to go back and read the email that I sent to Hitch Fit requesting a consultation. So here is the first sentence:The truth is that asking for help does not come easy for me, but I have reached a point of desperation to feel better, do better and be better. After a lot of trial and error and self-reflection, I have to admit that I lack all confidence and trust in myself to do this alone and completely.

My name is Heather, and I will be 40 in just a few short months. I am a single parent with a son that has kept me going for the past 17 years. When I was pregnant with my son, I was not the girl with the basketball belly. I gained 100 pounds. Some were from terrible food choices, and some were simply genetics. Learning how to be a mom, it was easy to push my health to the back burner. I did not grow up with healthy eating habits, which followed me into adulthood.

In 2011, after many years of taking diet pills and trying many different fads, a friend reached out to me and invited me to her boot camp. I only went because I wanted to support my friend, but I lost over 70 pounds just in time for my 30^th birthday. I thought I had it all figured out, but I slowly started gaining back a pound here or there because I didn’t carry any of that lifestyle with me.

Then, in December of 2012, my fiancé was killed in a motorcycle accident. At that moment in my life, I decided that I would put everything into raising my son. He has been a multi-sport athlete, and I went to every practice and game possible. And when friends invited me out, I couldn’t go because my son had sports or homework. I lost my life and sense of self in being “mom” because that was easier than the grief or looking forward.

In survival mode, I gained 80 pounds. And it wasn’t just the number on the scale, but the way my body carried it in my late 30’s was definitely different than when I was 22 and pregnant with my son. I felt awful. I was self-conscience about where I went, and would I run into issues because of my size? Will the old wood bleachers bow when I sit? Is my son embarrassed or disappointed that I can’t keep up with him when we walk through the parking lot?

In July of 2020, after many, many tears, I decided it was time to get it together. I remembered the instructor from boot camp had gone through a HitchFit transformation. For weeks I would pull up the website and read through all the stories. I scrolled through Facebook and watched some of Diana and Micah’s at-home workouts. I doubted my ability to commit and the chance to have a success story, but I reached out. Diana responded immediately, and I was set up to meet with a trainer the following week. That weekend, I got COVID.

It took me nearly six months to find another moment out of the darkness again and reach back out. The next day, Diana reached out said she had the perfect person for me to meet.

Working in the Hitch Fit culture helped me gain the discipline and courage to change my life!

I know how to listen to my body when it tells me what it needs. I crave the feeling of accomplishment from a good workout and know that my body can handle a little push. I don’t turn my nose up at healthy food options because I know it’s fuel to get things done. I have the tools and the understanding to move on to the next chapter of my journey.

Confidence and self-recognition are challenging for me. I know there is still work to do. But that’s the thing. For me, it was a lifestyle change. The work is never done to live your best life. I am proud of how far I have come, and thanks to Diana, and the other awesome people at Hitch Fit, I am motivated and confident that I will find all of myself and be healthy doing it. This is my success story.

If you are reading this and wondering if this is the right time or the right place. It is. The next step will be the best one. Reach out to Hitch Fit and know they will find the right person and the right program for you to start finding your best self.”