A client's beautiful journey!

By Shanti G.,

My journey back to health and fitness began in Fall 2014.  My kids were 6 and 4, and I had not had a regular fitness routine for years.  In my younger days, I was fairly active – dance, softball, soccer, mountain biking, and more.  After having children, I struggled to fit in much physical activity.  What used to be toned muscles had turned to soft squishiness.  Nutrition had taken a total backseat in my life, too.  My husband and I got takeout multiple times a week, and when we cooked at home, it was mostly comfort foods like spaghetti, pot pie, lasagna, enchiladas, chili in bread bowls…and of course plenty of wine, and let’s not forget ice cream for dessert multiple nights per week.  Well, things reached a head in 2014, when I had grown to my largest non-pregnancy size and weight.  Having gone through ups and downs throughout my life, as many people do, I was caught by surprise at the big numbers on the scale and on the clothes tags…I was saddened, but also angry.  After limited success with working out on my own at the gym, I thought it was time to try personal training. 
I had driven by Fuerte a zillion times, since it was in my neighborhood.  I was attracted by its warm and intimate setting.  One day I finally took a chance and made a personal training appointment.  This would turn out to be one of the best decisions I’ve ever made!  My first sessions were with Jake, and it was really helpful to re-enter the world of fitness and start to rebuild strength.  After a few months, I joined the 12-week semi-private training group led by Adriana.  As I wrote in my previous testimonial, I really enjoyed the camaraderie of the small group sessions, and Adriana is just a joy to train with.  She kicked our butts, and we loved her for it.  The 12-week session really helped me build healthy habits, specifically strength training on a regular basis and tracking food.  Adriana measured our body fat, lean mass, and inches on a regular basis, which was really helpful for seeing progress beyond the scale.  At first, tracking food was such a chore…but then I started using the MyFitnessPal app and now it’s a breeze.  Adriana was super helpful in making suggestions for apps to use and target ratios of calories/carbs/protein/fat, which ended up being key for my personal transformation. 
I have continued to participate in the semi-private small group training sessions for the past 2 years, and it is one of the most positive experiences of my life.  Adriana and the other trainers she has brought in have been exemplars of healthy lifestyles.  Adriana also brings together a positive group of clients.  I have learned so much from each of these individuals!  Over the past year or so, a few of us have banded together to do 10-day, 14-day, and 21-day cleanses, each of which have helped me get unhealthy foods out of my diet and add more healthy eating habits.  Thanks to Adriana and this group of women, I have learned so much about nutrition, as well as what my own body needs for strength and wellness. 
Adriana has also been extremely encouraging of personal goal-setting.  One of my first goals was to lose 30 lbs…after about a year, I reached that goal and kept going.  Now at 2.5 years after starting my journey with Adriana and Fuerte, I am down 44 lbs and 5 dress sizes.  My muscles are in the best shape I can remember, and I feel strong and toned!  Everyone I know asks, “What have you been doing to get in shape?” and I answer: diet and exercise!  At Adriana’s encouragement, I started setting goals for strength, too.  Last year my goal was to do a yoga headstand, which requires lots of core strength, and I did it!  Next for me is pull-ups…
I am so thankful to have Adriana, Fuerte, and the extended Fuerte family in my life.  Here’s to many more years of encouraging each other to live healthy lives.