In December 2015 when I walked into Real Fitness PT I was a broken person.I hated what I saw when I looked in the mirror, but worse than that (because you can avoid mirrors) I hated how I FELT – ALL. THE. TIME. My “moment” that made me so disgusted with myself and the condition I had let myself get into was doing something simple, I was not able to get up off the floor after playing a board game with my teenage son. I literally had to get onto all fours and pull myself up on the lounge. I was so ashamed of the way I had let my health and fitness decline. But to be honest, I was even more overwhelmed with the fact that I knew that I had what seemed like an incredible amount of weight/fat to lose and I had, by myself, only been able to lose 5 of those kilograms in 2 years. At my heaviest I weighed 92 kilograms. Which confrontingly, was even more than I weighed 9 months pregnant with either of my kids. Needless to say I had hit rock bottom. I couldn’t comprehend being able to lose what I would need to – over 30kg – in order to reach what would be a healthy weight for me. So I gave up. I stopped doing things that I was known for – having immaculate hair, doing my make up every day, wearing nice clothes. I decided that if I felt and looked this bad I may as well “dress the part”. Everyone knew how down I was but Chloe, more than anyone else, being my “person” knew how uncomfortable I had become in my own skin and was devastated to see her mums “light” go dim. I stopped being photographed, stopped socialising, stopped living.. So Chloe encouraged me to try a gym and offered to go with me. But I wasn’t happy with this. I hate gyms. I don’t like personal trainers. Gyms made me feel intimidated, they were full of fit, muscle bound gym junkies and overly made up females who were there for the social scene, I did not fit in at all, being a middle aged, overweight, unfit, insecure mum. Person Trainers (in my experience) stood with you while you worked out and looked around at whoever else was around. They told you what you should and shouldn’t be doing and after barely paying attention during your session with them, left you to it for the rest of the week until your next session came around. And then one day in December Choe picked me up and said she was going to give me an early Christmas present that was a surprise. When we pulled up at the front of what I could see was some kind of gym by the sign my heart raced, I felt sick inside and I already felt like a failure, even before I walked in the door. I fought back tears as Chloe excitedly told me about “Vicky” “mum you are going to love her – she is not like any trainer you have ever met and I just KNOW that she will make you feel comfortable. I wanted to run. I wanted to tell Chloe I couldn’t do it. But I didn’t want to ruin the excited tone and huge smile that Chloe had on her face as she delivered the news of what she thought would be the “best Christmas present ever”. So with tears welling in my eyes, I took the hardest steps of my life and walked into Real Fitness Training. The first thing I noticed about Vicky after our introduction was that she didn’t judge me. She had a warm, empathetic and compassionate tone and manner about her that made me feel comfortable almost immediately – albeit through the tears she had to watch stream down my face in our first meeting. And while Vicki listened to me talk about the food I ate, the alcohol I drank, the lack of exercise I participated in, the excuses I made, there was not one shred of judgement that came from her. It was all positive. Vicki could help me, I could do it, I am a strong woman, I am worthy (that’s the part that made me cry the hardest because I’ve always struggled with feeling worthy) and that was all before I’d even set foot in the gym – Vicky believed in me – she understood. I think the thing I loved the most about my time with Vicky is the holistic approach – it’s not just about typical exercise, cardio & strength, it’s about treating your body in such a way that you heal yourself from the inside out while you make it stronger. Being encouraged to participate in Yoga, meditation, making time for yourself, and of course the right nutrition for your body, all of this, coupled with the weekly one on one session and the classes offered – ALL OF THIS has contributed to helping me reach a level of fitness and health that I’m starting to feel proud to be. I believe that I am strong, I believe that I am worth it, I believe that I can have a healthy lifestyle and push my body to do things I previously wouldn’t have dreamed of. My mindset has changed. My body has changed. My priorities have changed – I have become a priority to myself and that’s probably the biggest change Vicki has helped me make. Real Fitness PT totally changed my mindset in EVERY WAY.As for the usual gym and personal trainer – from the very first time I walked into RFPT to train with Vicki I was greeted by the smiling faces of the other trainers – and within a week they all knew my name and greeted me personally, something that made me not only feel comfortable walking in, but confident because I felt like my goals were everyone’s goals and that I had a support team cheering me on! The other gym members were also supportive – they would celebrate each other’s achievements and everyone would also smile and be welcoming whether they knew you or not. The whole vibe of the gym is one that is totally welcoming & supportive. I am more than excited that after 6 months training with Vicky that I have lost enough excess fat that I have gone from the “obese” category to “acceptable” I feel fitter, healthier and stronger. But more than that I feel positive. Positive about my life ahead and positive that I can do anything I put my mind to. I can’t thank Vicky enough. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed (well maybe that’s a strong word to use for the strength training!) every minute I’ve spent with Vicky, Wes and Rosalie. I’ve learned to love HIIT training and enjoy the way my body and mind feel after Yoga and Meditation. I will forever be truly thankful and indebted to Vicky for helping me reclaim my life and help me learn to love and accept myself again.If you are looking for the right guidance, support, accountability, and motivation look no further then Real Fitness Training. We have created a non-intimdating environment where everyone cares about you and your results. Contact us today if you are looking for a result like Lynda’s.*Results may vary from person to person. Proper nutrition and movement is essential to losing and maintaining weight loss.