CLIENT SPOTLIGHT! 

Amanda’s dedication to Kore and a healthy lifestyle is so inspirational. We had to share it! Keep up the amazing work, Amanda.

“My journey to a healthier lifestyle started in 2016. I had taken a tropical vacation. When I got home and started scrolling through the photos from my trip I was so upset by what I was looking at. I no longer recognized the person in those photos. I was overweight, unhappy, disappointed in myself and knew it was time to make a change. A serious change.

When I first met Kelly, she sat and talked with me about my ‘relationship’ with food. What I eat, why I eat, what drives my decisions. I had no clue. I had never thought about it. She asked I write my story about food, and asked I do a food journal. But instead of simply journaling only what I was eating, she asked I also write down what I was feeling and thinking as I was eating. As time went on I realized that I am very emotionally connected to food. I would eat to comfort myself in times I was feeling down. I would eat to celebrate or reward myself for what I felt were accomplishments. Everything I did was driven by food. And the decisions I was making with my food were never good ones. It was always Chipotle, pizza, ice cream, burgers, fries etc. It was never anything that made me feel physically good after. And feeling bad physically, always turned into feeling down mentally. 

So how did I change that mentality? Thanks to Kelly and her support, guidance, and workshops, I have learned to listen to my body and what it is telling me. That is the most important lesson I have learned. Shoving aside all of the emotions and thoughts and digging down deep to actually hear my body say things to me like “hey, what we had for dinner last night… I don’t like it. I feel like crap and that’s why all we want to do is lay around today”. I have learned to take notice to the fact that when I’m eating healthy and exercising reguarly (and I mean normal healthy eating. Not fad dieting) I have more energy. I don’t hit the snooze button 16 times in the morning, or feel the need for an extra caffeine jolt in the afternoon. I am giving my body what it needs to function properly and normally without struggle. I have learned to plan my meals so I’m less likely to hit the drive thru for lunch, or order a pizza for dinner. If I have a plan that I can follow, I know I’m more likely to be successful day to day. 

Planning my meals has taught me to experiment with food. I always thought salad was iceberg lettuce in a bag from the grocery store… gross!! But I have stopped letting myself believe that I hate all lettuce just because I hate iceberg lettuce. I have allowed myself to experience an entire world of unexplored foods. Ironically,trying new foods has been the most fun on my journey. Some things have been really gross, just like I thought they would be. But other things have really surprised me! Like green smoothies. Who would have thought that throwing spinach in a blender with some almond milk and fruit would actually be so good?! But in order to actually try that, I had to open myself up to be willing to try it. Don’t be afraid of new things.

Last thing that really made me find success was finding a support system, because well… this journey is hard. It is really hard, and anyone who says it isn’t hard, is lying. It is sometimes very mentally draining, especially on the days I don’t feel as successful or motivated. It is a constant decision every single day to make good choices regarding food and fitness. Even on the days I do not want to. I will be honest, there are days that I do not want to workout because it is too cold, too hot, I did not get enough sleep, I had a bad day at work etc etc. The list can go on forever. I knew I needed somewhere to turn. Kelly has done an amazing job at Kore Bootcamps by putting together classes and workshops that I find so helpful. The workshops have provided me with the knowledge and courage to overcome my worst days. They have also taught me to celebrate every single success of every single day, no matter how small it may seem. The fitness classes help me to know that I am not alone in my journey, and meeting other people and hearing their stories is inspiring. I have learned to always remember that everything I have done up to this point is worth it, and it’s ok to stumble and fall as long as I always get back up and continue pushing forward. 

Luckily for me I have had a ton of help, guidance, support, and just a touch of much needed tough love from Kelly. Without her guidance I might still be upset at the person who looks back at me in the mirror. Instead, I have been able to find the courage to step outside of my comfort zone and learn to love myself. I now look in the mirror happy with the person I see, and the body I live in. It isn’t perfect, but I will continue to show it the love it deserves to be stronger today than it was yesterday.”

 

 

Thanks for sharing Amanda. Come meet Amanda and congratulate her on her Fitness Journey! Everyone has different battles and different paths, let Kore help guide you down yours!