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Many of our readers have asked us to elaborate on our own "personal stories" that led us to our involvement and passion for fitness. Well, this is your LUCKY DAY! It’s almost Trish’s birthday (May 20^th), so we both felt that this would be a good opportunity to fill you in with some of our personal background. (She’ll be FORTY!).

One typically assumes when taking a look at the relatively fit (and beautiful!) members of a health club that they have always looked that way. Well, in respect to Trish and I (and many others) this is certainly NOT the case! Fitness is a journey, and we all start at different places.

The following will give you an idea of where both Trish and I began….

I have taken my own "journey" to fitness, and have benefitted directly as a result. I know of the pain, and self-loathing, and desperation that one feels when apparently trapped in a body that just doesn't seem to respond to conventional fitness and weight-loss protocal.

Like many others, I was "burdened" with what appeared to be a "low metabolism". This, combined this with hypoglycemia, bronchial asthma, and lack of education regarding proper nutritional principles and need for physical activity (plus a Mother who showed love by cooking), makes it is no wonder that by the age of 34 I was a massive 275 pounds with a body-fat ratio of over 40%. Obese to the MAX! A truly difficult place to start. The more one needs change, the more difficult is is to implement it!

I can recall how humiliated and hopeless I felt going shopping for clothes. I had two objectives… find something that fit (I was up to a size 48, and climbing!), and find clothes that would hide and/or disguise my size. An incident that inspired (or shamed me) into taking responsibility for my body was when a very sensitive and courteous clerk in a department store suggested that I would be "better served" by shopping in a "Big and Tall" men’s shop. YIPES… this was a true wake-up call.

Somehow, in spite of all those awful and self-defeating feelings, I mustered sufficient courage and motivation to improve, and get fit.

And...what a long and arduous road it was! As is often the case, I did almost EVERYTHING wrong. Starvation diets, excessive and compulsive "cardio" exercises, fad diets, etc. I was absolutely unwilling to even consider joining a health club… that was for healthy people! I was ashamed and embarrassed by my shape, and weakness. And the last thing I wanted to do was be seen the way I truly was.

Finally, after much trial and error and apparent failure, I got the courage to "step through the door" of a local gym. I was so nervous and self-conscious. I felt EVERYBODY was in better shape than I was (that may have been true). But the need for me to be there was stronger than all those feelings. And I began!

After a while, by a lot of trial and error, I found the magic formula... a sensible combination of balanced nutrition (without deprivation), a moderate program of aerobic exercise, AND strategically planned and diversified progressive resistance training. I am convinced that the incorporation of strength training was, and is, the core of success. I also learned and applied Hatha Yoga, which gave me the opportunity to learn about my body… to establish a connection with it, and various muscles and positions. It also helped me to start reducing stress, a surprising but very welcome benefit of exercise.

In a matter of about a year, I lost over 100 pounds! But then the real challenge presented itself… how to KEEP IT OFF! Miraculously, for the past eighteen years I have maintained a very healthy weight and low body-fat, whilst continuously improving my strength, endurance, and overall health and fitness. As I gain years, my health actually gets better!

My personal experiences enhanced my ability to empathize and assist others seeking self-improvement, and about twelve years ago, I began my career as a Personal Trainer and Fitness Advocate.

No matter WHERE you are now... from obese to athlete, you CAN change, make progress towards a healthier body, and subsequently improve the your total life experience. Your body is truly the temple of your soul. HONOR IT... EMBRACE IT... NURTURE IT... CELEBRATE IT!

For most of my life I was blessed with natural health and fitness. I maintained my figure, and attractive weight of around 106 pounds. However, at the age of thirty-seven, things seemed to start changing for me. My middle got thicker, and slowly but surely I started losing that wonderful Brazilian figure that I was always so proud of. I was in a panic… and really didn’t know what to change, how to change it, and how to stop GROWING!

Additionally, I must confess I was "gym-phobic". I dreaded the idea of going into a gym to work out. "This should all be "natural". Maybe a fad diet or something might work…", I thought!

Well, they didn’t. And, with David’s support and encouragement, I commited myself to learn and practice the basic principles of health and fitness that he had discovered and incorporated in his own life. And, glory be, they worked!

I lost over thirty pounds the "natural way", incorporating strength training, aerobic exercise, and learning how to commit to my health with my husband David. And we even get to enjoy a fully diverse and fulfilling menu of foods including Cheeseburgers, Ice Cream, and whatever! David taught me that portion control, proper timing, and combining certain foods in certain ways was the long-term key to weight management. I am here to confess that he was right!

The last few years have been the most challenging and interesting in my personal career. It was quite a change for someone specializing in franchising (LSU / Franchising Institute of Brazil) and entrepreneur to become a Personal Trainer. I had to use my personal experience from being a gym phobic, working with a Chinese doctor in Brazil, practicing Lian Gong (a form of Tai Chi), to my position now as the General Manger of a Health Club in Washington, D.C.

My message (just like David’s)…. "No matter who you are, where you are, or what your past has been, change, improvement and wonderful vitality and health await you if you have the courage to take a few simple steps." I am proud to be one of the many who help people take those steps!