Member Spotlight | Have You Ever Asked Yourself, “What’s Next?”

Member Spotlight | Have You Ever Asked Yourself, “What’s Next?”

by | Dec 24, 2018 | All, Home, Member Stories

I remember finishing my residency, getting my first job, and asking myself “what next?” I had accomplished my goal of becoming a medical doctor but along the way, I picked up habits like stress eating and bad sleep hygiene. I started medical school at a size 0 and was now a size 12. For me, my weight was a reminder that I placed other things before my health in order to achieve my goals. I couldn’t think of anything I wanted more than to change my lifestyle. I craved work-life balance. I wanted to have energy, and not by being laden with caffeine, but by being well rested. I wanted to be able to run to an emergency without feeling like I was having an asthma attack. I wanted to look in the mirror and see a woman who practiced what she preached.

So, I joined LA Fitness as an investment in myself. My initial progress was slow. I was always apprehensive of going to the gym and embarrassing myself because I didn’t know how to use the machines. I decided to join the training program for additional help. I met my trainer Ryan in 2016. I made an awful first impression by kicking him in the crotch after he asked me to do a high kick. I believe that’s the only time he has asked me to do that particular exercise. However, over time, we found our groove and dubbed ourselves #TeamRymo.

Left: Pro Results® Personal Trainer Ryan F. Right: Omosede I., LAF Member

Having a trainer basically changed my fitness journey. All of a sudden, I was half of a partnership. I got a roadmap. I got instructions. I got structure. Most of all, I got support. It hasn’t always been smooth sailing. Working 12-hour night shifts, means that some days, I am low on energy and motivation. Ryan has always been understanding in this regard and has been flexible with my goals and helping them fit my lifestyle.

Its inspiring to see results. My initial goals were to look healthy and work on my endurance. However, I’ve also gained strength, knowledge, and confidence.

My first piece of advice to people looking to change their lifestyle is “know thyself.” I don’t think there is one formula, or one diet that works for everyone. I think success comes when you figure out what works for you. For me, having a trainer works because it takes the stress out of having to figure everything out by myself. I like being part of the “trainees” because I’ve been able to work out with some of them, and I enjoy the sense of community. Honestly, it keeps me from slacking off because I’m being held accountable.

Secondly, “love thyself.” I had to recognize that hating my body wasn’t helping me. I decided to love the body that I am in right now. I still have to squint pretty hard before I can see a “sliver” of abs on my torso and even then, the light from the window has to hit me the right way. The body I envision isn’t here yet but as long as I’m doing my best, then it’s okay. I’m working on changing my mindset. For instance, instead of thinking of dieting as being restrictive, I’ve decided to think of it as putting good things into my body. Instead of thinking of exercise as being bothersome, I’ve decided to view it as being essential.

Last of all, “we are made for now, not tomorrow.” I’m trying to learn to live in the moment. So, do what you can today. It all adds up, even if it feels like it’s little.

April 2016

January 2017

January 2018

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Member Spotlight | Meet Female Stuntwoman and Mom, Danielle G. – Part 1

Member Spotlight | Meet Female Stuntwoman and Mom, Danielle G. – Part 1

by | Nov 12, 2018 | All, Fitness, Home, Member Stories, Workouts

Meet Danielle G., a stuntwoman and mama-bear who wasn’t always the strong superwoman she is today. In college, Danielle weighed well over 200 lbs., wore size 18 pants, and felt uncomfortable in her own skin. Wanting to make a change, she started training at a local gym but a move to a new area brought with it limited access to the gym she was attending. As a result, her training started to slack, there was a decrease in motivation and subsequently, she began regaining the weight she had lost. A friend and mentor of Danielle introduced her to LA Fitness and encouraged her to continue with her training. Danielle credits the wide range of LA Fitness gym locations for making it possible for her to continue training again. With training once again underway, Danielle set a goal for herself to compete in her first ever NPC (National Physique Committee) Figure Competition. When the big day finally arrived, she recalls being in the best shape of her life.

“With the open environment, friendly gym goers (some of which I call friends now), I continued to see improvements in myself and was planning on competing again, but then I was given the blessings of being a mom (well, stunt mom).”

Danielle G.

LA Fitness Member

Even once pregnant, that didn’t stop Danielle from continuing her training at LA Fitness. She combines weightlifting and cardio and pulls ideas from the LA Fitness Living Healthy blog on nutrition to help her better balance her diet at the same time. Many of Danielle’s friends at her home gym are impressed with her continued dedication. She plans to stay a healthy mom and to continue her training to become a better and stronger stuntwoman. She is a firm believer that if there is a will there is a way. While she is now a mom, she believes that it is possible to find a balance between family and yourself. Danielle hopes to one day get back on stage for her second NPC figure competition.

“Don’t let excuses get in the way of what you want. Whether single or a mom, make sure to take time to take care of your health because if there is no you then the family will suffer.”

Danielle G.

LA Fitness Member

Typical Gym Routine –

My typical gym routine is basically working to separate muscle groups (i.e., legs and arms, biceps and back, etc.) for about an hour, followed with 30-45 min of cardio, and some days strict cardio only. Always mixing it up to keep the body aware.

Nutrition –

In the very beginning (college days), I would eat whatever was in front of me. Originally obtaining my degree in medicine meant a lot of stress dealing with early to late night classes, lab time and exams. So, I did a lot of emotional/stress eating, such as eating fried foods, high carbs, sugars, you name it. When I was prepping for my competition and my career as a stuntwoman, I was on a stricter diet. I was on a high protein low carb diet eating about 1,675 calories per day and drinking a gallon of water per day as well. I focused primarily on making sure I was meeting my macro count per day. Eventually, I was seeing about 0.5-1 lb. of weight loss per week. Occasionally there were times I plateaued, but with encouragement, the weight continued to drop. I had to keep reminding myself it took me time to get to being overweight, so it’s going to take time to get it off.

Changing Lifestyle –

In all honesty, I wasn’t happy with who I was with the amount of weight I was carrying. I didn’t feel attractive at all. And in complete honesty, it took one guy, when I was in college, who was the first to tell me he loved me. That made me think: how could he love me when I didn’t love myself?! Talk about a wakeup call. I gave myself a hard look at myself, being over 200lbs and asthmatic where the outside world literally was my enemy. I knew I had to make a change. So that initially started me on my journey to redevelop myself into the person I wanted to be. I focused on finding a balance between school and going to the gym with diet, and slowly started to see the changes that I didn’t think could happen for me.

Setbacks –

I don’t care if you are an average person or the fittest person in the world – there are always setbacks. And it’s really just finding that push/dedication to overcome it and not make bland excuses. For me, it wasn’t just being overweight; being asthmatic also was a huge setback for me. How did I overcome it? I just listened more to my body and the orders of my doctor. I figured by doing that, it would mean a faster way for me to get back into the gym and continue training.

Active Lifestyle & Career –

Fitness plays a huge role for me as a stuntwoman. You must not be just mentally strong, but physically strong and flexible as well. If I was going into my career being overweight as I was, that would have made it difficult, if not impossible. The physical aspects of the job are so demanding that being overweight will not just tire you out faster, but it would also be so much harder on the joints, increasing chances of injury. So, striving to be not skinny but fit is imperative. Fitness is also important especially for stuntwomen in the fact that the clothes and pads we have to wear on set are sometimes minimal compared to our male counterparts. So the added weight, in addition to pads and clothes when you are doubling for the actress can be a big thing.

? Subscribe to Living Healthy and keep an eye out for Part 2 of Danielle’s fitness journey, coming soon!

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Member Spotlight | Aim for Progress, Not Perfection

Member Spotlight | Aim for Progress, Not Perfection

by | Oct 1, 2018 | All, Home, Member Stories

I have been a member of LA Fitness for the last 4 and a half years – I joined the LA Fitness Vanderbilt Beach location in January of 2014! Over the last 4.5 years, I have used my gym (my second home) to do countless things including lose fat, build muscle, gain self-confidence, train for a bikini competition, prepare for a mud obstacle course race, and just plain get my endorphin fix!

Right now, my fitness goals are to continue to beat my personal records, try new things, whether it is a fun Zumba or Cycle class, sign up for my first marathon that I need to use the cardio equipment to build stamina for, and last but not least continue living healthy and staying as active as possible.

When I joined LA Fitness, I had never lifted a weight or even stepped foot in a gym, I was actually the girl who opted out of PE and team sports in high school for fear of failure. I was self-conscious and shy at the time, but the other members of LA Fitness and its employees welcomed me with open arms. I enjoyed learning about the different machines, experimenting with different workout routines, and of course, rewarding myself with a delicious shake from the smoothie bar after a hard work out! I’m not sure of how much weight I lost or how much muscle I’ve gained, I’m only sure of how my transformation has made me feel.

I’m much happier in my own skin and I have a sense of confidence today that I never knew prior. LA Fitness has felt like a home away from home for me for close to 5 years and I’m excited to see what amazing changes the next 5 years bring! Thank you, LA Fitness, for changing my life!

My piece of advice to others would be – its progress not perfection that matters! Set little goals for yourself and pat yourself on the back when you conquer each one. If you focus too much on the long-term goal you may get discouraged and feel like you’ll never get there. Continue making progress on your short-term goals every day and every week and I promise you’ll blow your own mind when you look back at how far you’ve come!

Left: January 2014 | Right: January 2018

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Member Spotlight | The Sunshine of the Gym

Member Spotlight | The Sunshine of the Gym

by | Sep 17, 2018 | All, Home, Member Stories

Let me introduce myself. I am Donna S., and this is how my fitness journey began. On January 6th, 2016 I joined Weight Watchers and Curves for Women. At 198 pounds, I knew I had to take charge of my life. After being diagnosed with an autoimmune disease called Polymyositis, in which I was prescribed Prednisone for 4 years, my weight started creeping up and up until it was out of control.

I began this fabulous journey towards a healthy way of life. I used a different weight loss program to learn how to eat healthy and by tracking what I ate, my weight started going down. However, after 7 months I realized that it wasn’t giving me the results I really wanted. After my daughter had taken me to an LA Fitness club, I knew that I would get better results going there.

I should tell you that my daughter has been my biggest mentor and supporter during my weight loss and fitness journey. I was apprehensive at first to join LA Fitness, but my husband and I joined together in August 2016 when it opened here on Hollywood Road. We walked on the treadmills, rode the stationary bikes, and did some of the machines.

Pictured from left to right: Mary N., Donna S., and Cassie S.

Then on August 28th, 2016, I had a fitness evaluation with Mary. At that time my weight was down to 160 lbs., but I was still overweight for my health. My body fat was 41.7%, BMI (body mass index) was 31.3%, and I could only do a plank for 31 seconds and a wall sit for only 43 seconds. I trained with Mary for over a year every week, and then once a month for 6 months until I decided that she taught me all the skills I needed for me to meet my fitness goals.

On December 4th, 2016, my weight was down to 120 pounds, my body fat went to 27.5%, and my BMI was down to 22%.

I started going to the classes. I started with Zumba®, then added Body Works, Kickboxing, Power Circuit, and Boot Camp. I have a regular routine schedule for each day of the week. I go to the gym 6 days a week now.

Mary has always called me the “Sunshine of the Gym”. Yes, I do dress in colors and for all the holidays.

It’s something that has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember since I taught primary grades for 40 years, and my students always loved the colors.

I feel younger today than I did 20 years ago, and I owe it all to the support, help, and confidence that everyone, especially my daughter, has given me and still gives me. I have met a lot of people here and have fun every day.

I’m living a very healthy and happy life.

Some slight adjustments have been made to the member’s story for grammatical reasons, length, and/or clarity.

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Member Spotlight | How Pilates by LAF® Changed This Woman’s Life

Member Spotlight | How Pilates by LAF® Changed This Woman’s Life

by | Aug 20, 2018 | All, Home, Member Stories

The idea of exercise being a chore or challenge to get done is sadly a common consensus among many, but it doesn’t have to be that way.

Meet Shayla W. of Riverside, CA who wanted to be healthy but was struggling with finding the drive to maintain the healthy lifestyle she wanted to live.

You see, six years ago Shayla wanted to be healthy by her 40th birthday.

She missed that mark by well over 100 lbs.

Between 2012 and 2016, Shayla lost 80 pounds and then regained 102 lbs. She struggled with feelings of being a failure. Her doctor referred her for bariatric surgery.

At first, she was not convinced that the surgery was necessary. Instead, she buckled down and changed her eating habits and started exercising regularly.

It didn’t work.

Shayla had gastric sleeve surgery in May of 2017. While most people believe that bariatric surgery is an easy way to lose weight, that’s not necessarily the case. The surgery does help with reducing the amount of food your body wants to eat, but it’s imperative that you are consuming the correct foods.

While every person’s own nutrition needs vary, Shayla is currently consuming 5 – 6 small meals daily. She eats about every 3 hours. The mornings are typically started with a green smoothie, and she makes sure to have at least one salad a day.

Exercising also plays into a big part of the equation, especially after bariatric surgery when you can lose fat and muscle. Wanting to build her muscle, increase core strength, and correct her posture, Shayla was searching for a Pilates studio. She learned about Pilates by LAF® studios from her co-workers who had attended an introductory workout and enjoyed it.

She decided to give the introductory workout a chance herself, and she loved it! She was also impressed with the small class set up and decided to join.

“It is the highlight of my day. I leave work and go straight to the classes. It has become my stress reliever. I am so glad that LA Fitness added Pilates by LAF workouts.”

Shayla W.

Pilates by LAF® Member

Shayla’s current goal mirrors the same one of her past, and that’s staying healthy. “I firmly believe that being healthy is not one size or someone’s visual perception of what is healthy or attractive,” says Shayla.

Shayla’s Advice?

“Take pictures as you drop and tone. It will document your journey to good health.”

Shayla W.

Pilates by LAF® Client

Exercise doesn’t have to be so difficult. If you find yourself lacking the motivation to get moving, try switching up your routine until you find something you truly enjoy doing. If Pilates isn’t for you, consider participating in group fitness classes, playing in club leagues, or perhaps booking a session with a Pro Results® personal trainer to help figure out just what it is you like to do.

Get moving to get healthy! We believe in you, you just have to believe in yourself – and we can help!

Pilates by LAF is available to individuals 18 years of age or older (or at least 14 years of age and accompanied by a parent or legal guardian). Paid-in-Full Pilates by LAF memberships are only available to LA Fitness members. Non-LA Fitness members must provide valid I.D. and sign a waiver of liability to use Pilates by LAF studios.  Separate membership agreement and fees required to access Pilates by LAF services. Please visit a Pilates by LAF studio for more information, including membership options and pricing.

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