I’ve been doing a bit of work on this…not lots as want it to come from the heart rather than be too polished. Let me know your thoughts when you get time ❤

Health is truly your wealth and, for a long time, I’d been gambling with my health, making terrible choices in terms of nutrition, exercise and lifestyle. I’ve been on some sort of diet or transformation journey on and off since my teens, succeeding in the short term but quickly reverting to bad habits as it was simply unsustainable to continue doing what I was doing or I was aiming to lose weight for a one off event rather than seeing the bigger picture. I was so anxious about failing “again” so just didn’t bother trying for a long time. I’d never quite learned that if I didn’t stop, I wouldn’t have to keep starting again!

Something clicked for me in early 2022 when I was preparing for a long awaited holiday with close friends but rather than feel only excitement for this, I also felt sad, disappointed and stressed…nothing fitted me, I was sore, stiff and genuinely the unhealthiest I’ve ever been. I decided to draw a very firm line at this point, the fear of what I was doing to myself outweighed the sense of being hard done to or missing out on things by making different choices. I had a lot of knowledge and experience of what didn’t work and needed to make sure I did things slowly and sustainably this time. I decided I was in it for the long haul and it would take as long as it took - I had to accept this as there’s really no quick fix. I went on holiday and, of course, had a fantastic time but knew it could have been even better if I’d been less preoccupied by how I looked and felt deep down.

Before I could truly show up for myself, I had to lean on someone else and, much as it was really tough, I reached out to Martin. I’ve known Martin for years, have dabbled with some PT with him previously but never truly invested myself in this. He’s honest, knowledgable and straight talking and, I knew he might say that he didn’t want to work with me again given my previous faffing. I decided it was worth the risk and here we are - I wonder where I’d be now if he’d sent me on my way that day. I didn’t need a PT, I needed a coach, to build my knowledge and confidence and to hold me accountable until I could own that myself.

I’d always followed Martin’s socials and was often blown away by his client stories, particularly Stacey, whose transformation I’d seen earlier in the year. I remember congratulating Stacey on social media but, at the time, didn’t believe for one minute I could achieve that type of success. Gradually I moved from “Can I do this?” to “I AM doing this” - the mindset shift definitely came after the physical changes started to show.

It’s been an amazing journey and one where, yes, I’ve had to make sacrifices but I have continued to socialise regularly, have had many overnights and holidays and been able to make progress towards my goal consistently by remembering my “why?” and what I want more in life. I initially told Martin “I won’t be joining a gym” and cobbled together a wee makeshift setup in the garage where I continued to train until late 2022 before the cold weather got the better of me! I’m now in the gym 3 times per week and, dare I say it, loving this!

I’ve not been asked to do anything outside of my ability and I’ve been in the driving seat making realistic changes with Martin’s guidance. The TeamTank coaching group has been a place to share successes, challenges and feel supported and surrounded by likeminded people. I’ve also got amazing family and close friends who have been always been in my corner. Has it been hard? Yes! Blood, sweat and tears stuff!! Has it been worth it? Absolutely! I’ve gained so much more than I’ve “lost”.

I’ve now achieved what I set out to…health and reduced risk of all of the nasties that I was setting myself up for. The physical transformation on the surface is a tiny part of this, it’s what’s inside my body and my head that I’m most grateful for. I’m just a normal, busy, working Mum who’d tried and failed so many times to turn things around. If I can achieve this then anyone can!