JUST ME, your pt
Hello all,
I am Lisa, your fully qualified personal trainer. It has taken me 30+ years to get to this place where I can offer you guidance from my own personal health and fitness experiences, but let me tell you how I got to this point...
Frankly, I've not always been a healthy person - I spent my 20s in London working in advertising, I worked hard and played even harder. Most days were spent 'networking'; there weren't many occasions where I wouldn't have a drink in my hand. I didn’t realise it at the time but I was using alcohol as a coping mechanism for anxiety, and looking back now I can see this was a short term fix which led to a long term problem - depression.
In 2018, I hit a wall, I broke down - I needed to make a change. I’ll be honest, exercise was not the first thing that came to mind, so I sought the help of a mental health professional. After months of counselling, my mind became clearer, I began to better understand myself and feel more positive. I'd improved my mind but not my body.
At my heaviest (179lbs and I’m only 5’4), I felt really uncomfortable, not only in my clothes but in my body and mind. I tried multiple fad diets (5:2, paleo, meal prep delivery) with excessive exercise plans and each fell by the wayside after a few weeks. In turn I would gain more weight than I’d lost and became stuck in a vicious cycle. I had to make a decision - continue down this negative path or change my outlook on life(style), I chose the latter!
I signed up to the gym, I had a full induction and training plan; this is where my true journey began. I set realistic goals – "aim for 3 workouts a week and only eat one snack a day". If I missed a training day or "accidentally" ate a cookie (or 3), I didn’t punish myself, I dusted myself off (literally) and got back to it the next day. After 4 months of routine, I was loving life - working out wasn’t a chore, I was excited to get my body moving.
I started designing my own programmes to fit in with my life but also for variety, as I get bored easily. This was when it hit me – "I’m in the best place I’ve been mentally and physically since I can remember, I love this new ‘hobby’... is there a way I could help other people with their journey?"
So in 2021 mid-Covid pandemic, I hit the books and started studying, I took my PT exams and put in 18 months working at the gym to hone my skills and get to know as many of you as I could to know what you need from me.
Through my own experiences of using exercise to improve my anxiety and general health, I now help other women who are in a similar position to where I was back then.
