Jaime Creson, CPT, Pn1 · Jaime Creson, CPT, Pn1 I have been in the health and fitness industry for...

JaimeCreson,CPT,Pn1I have been in the health and fitnessindustry for over 15 years. I was veryactiveasachildinallsports,butIneverconsidered myself an athlete. It wasn’tuntil I entered my late teens that IdecidedhealthandfitnesswastherouteI wanted to pursue professionally – butit tookmore of a struggle than I’d everexpectedtogetthere.

It’snoshocktohearhowcruelteenagegirlscanbe;if you ever have been one yourself, or have any ofyour own, you are already an expert. I became anexpert the hard way; in my small town everyone

knewnotonlymyname,butmyongoingweightissues.ThelocalbulliesalsohadakeeneyefortheproblemsIfaced,andfounditfunnytoblamemyfailedrelationshipsonmyweight.Idecidedtochangethings.

Butwhenthemomentsseemtosurface,justremember:there’salwaysroomformoredamage. The first love I’d ever truly experienced (asmuch as one can trust in younglove)hadjustbrokenmyheart,andbecausemytownwassosmall ithadonlybeenaday before the cruelest girls found out what had happened. They told me I’d beendumped because Iwas too fat– even today, the thought seems ridiculous. Althoughbackthen,IneverwantedtoshowmyfacetoanotherlivingsouluntilIwasasskinnyastheywere.Skinnier.

Itshouldn’tcomeasashockthatIdidn’tgetmyboyfriendback,either.TheolderIgot,thelessshockedIbecamewhenIrealizedthatmymethodsforgettingthinwereasill-guidedasthebullygirlswhotriedto“guide”me.Theirmethodswereeasyenoughtoadopt; the internet, advertisements, and everywhere I looked: there was thinnessaroundme,beingpromoted,praised.Ihadtobeapartofit.

So,thewickedformulawassimpleenough.EverydayIskippedbreakfast,ateonlyaleafor two of lettuce for lunch, and had a few crackers for dinner. I took diuretics on aregularbasis,floodingmybodywithsomuchwaterIfeltlikeIwasdrowningfromtheinside.IwassothinIhadtoshopinthechildren’ssectiontofindclothesthatwouldfit–whichseemedlikeaperkfortheprices,butIwouldhavegladlypaidtheextra$20pershirt if I knew itwouldn’tkillme. Myhip bones protruded so severely, it hurt to liedownonmystomach.IwasweakandIcouldn’tthinkclearly.Couldyou?Howdidgirlslivelikethis?

Funnyhowtheysaysnackfoodscankillyou,right?Well,onenightIwasbingingandIatealmostanentirepackageofOreos.Thissoundslikethepunchlinetoasadjoke,butit’snot-withmydigestivesystemalreadydamagedfromallthediureticsIwastaking,thecookiesmademesosickIcouldn’tgetoutofbedfortwodays.Mybodyshutdown;I couldn’t even go to the bathroom. Two days without the toilet or movement, allbecauseofsomecookies.Justimagine.

Lookingbackonitallnow,Irealizethegirlsbullyingmewerejustprojectingtheirowninsecurities,asmanyweak-willedgirlstendtodoasadefensemechanism.Lookingbackat my healthy body in the mirror, and the photos of myself from back then, I alsorealizedthat therewasn’tactuallyany truth towhat theyweresaying. Iwasayoung,developing girl simultaneously scared and confusedly hateful ofmyownbody. AtmyheaviestIwas5’3”and130pounds;notskinny,butfarfromfat.Thisiseasytoseenow,butfromtheperspectiveofateenagegirlbeingbullied,myvaluesweretwistedandmythoughtsinfectedwithdoubtandshame.

This isn’t easy for me to talk about, especially in such an open way, but nothingimportanteveris.IttookmeyearsjusttoadmitthatIhadaneatingproblem–letaloneputanuglywordtoit.Anorexia.Iwasbetterthanthat,andstillam–andifIcanstopevenonepersonouttherefrommakingthesamemistakethatIdidwiththeirbody,allofthestrugglesaboutmypastwillhavebeenworthit.

Afteraboutayearfull-blowndiagnosedanorexiaIfinallystartedlisteningtomyfamily’spleas to takebetter careofmybody.Withmy familybymyside, I adoptedhealthierhabitsandmyfaithinGodgrew.Theysayyouneverfullyrecoverfromanorexia,andIbelieveit.Evenrecoveringaddicts,onesthathaven’tusedinyears,stillhavethatpartoftheirbrainthatwantsthediseasetoliveon.Thatsaid,Inolongerletthediseaserunmylife.IlovebeingmeandIforgivemyselffortreatingmybody,mytemple,socarelessly.

TheHealthierMeIn 2002, I receivedmy Personal Training Certification from theNational Endurance&Sports Training Association, along withmy Certification in CPR, Fitness Nutrition andPilatesInstruction.Now,whatprofessionaladventurestobeholdnext?Iinsteaddecidedtodive in and try a littlebit of everything. In addition toworking a full-time job as amarketing assistant, I began building my personal training client base. I also startedteaching a few exercise classes at the local gym, which was of course a personallyrewardingexperiencebecauseIgottowitnesspeoplejustlikeme,peoplethatwantedtheir bodies to be better, doing it the right way. Seeing that kind of endurance anddedication,somethingthattookmeyearstolearnandgrowinto,wasnothingshortofinspiring.However,in2003,IdecidedtoreturntocollegeandIputthepersonaltrainingaside to focus on school and my “real job”. I also discovered how much I enjoyedteachingbothyogaandPilatesclasses,somethingI’llalwaysrecommend.

Four years later, I graduated with a B.A. in Psychology. Immediately, pursuing anadvanceddegreeinPsychologyseemedliketheidealroute-itwouldenablemetohelp

others, and maybe even people suffering from the deadly diseases of anorexia andbulimia. No one “got it” better than me. The only issue was, I was already entirelyengagedwith,andexcellingin,mymarketingcareer-soeventuallyIdecideditwasn’ttherighttimeformetostartanotherfewyearsofschoolingtogetmyPhD.Whenthetimewas right, I knew that schooling would be the way I’d end upmaking the bestchange.Icontinuedtopracticeyoga,Pilatesandworkoutonmyown,butmypassionforhelpingotherswithhealthandfitnessremainedonthebackburner.

BecomingaTeamBeachbodyCoachIn 2010, after going through a painful divorce resulting in a debilitating bout ofdepression,Ilostmyway.Thisdeepsadnessleftmefeelingemotionallyandphysicallyweakandoutofcontrol,afeelingmanyofusaretoofamiliarwith. Istoppedworkingoutand Igainedasubstantialamountofweight formysmall frame.Timepassedandslowlyas I’d realizedwhatwashappening Ibegan toputmy lifeback togetheragain,onepieceatatime.ThisiswhenImetChristi,aBeachbodyCoachwhochangedmylife.

IhadheardaboutBeachbodybefore,butIknewitonlyas“thecompanythatmarketsP90X”. Sowhen ImetChristi, Iwas in forabigsurprise.Beachbody issomuchmorethan justP90X.P90X isenoughtoscareanon-regulargym-goer,especiallyoneoutofshape.Christidissolvedthatfearandchangedmywholeviewontheconcept.

Beachbody is a fitness company that truly cares about the well being of others. ThecompanyoperatesaccordingtothefollowingfourCoreValues:

1.Deliveronyourpromises.

2.Treatpeoplewithrespectandbecourageouslyforthright.

3.Takeinitiativetoimproveeverything.

4.Workwithpassion,enthusiasm,andcommonsense.

By talking toChristi, and thendoing a little researchonmyown, I soon realized thatBeachbodyisacompanyfullofpeoplewhobelieveinthepotentialofothers.It’snotaget-rich-quick scheme. Being a Beachbody Coach means you have a passion to helpothersgethealthierandlivemorefulfilledlives.Beachbodysupportstheidealofpeoplehelping people – from all across the country – working towards one common goal:Reversing theTrendsofObesityOneRelationshipataTime.Wow. I realized that thiswasmycalling!IsignedupasaCoachimmediately.

FocusT25(A.K.A.MyFIRSTFavoriteWorkoutProgram)Beachbodyreallyknewwhattheyweredoingwhentheyinventedthisone.Weallhaveour first loves, and in the fitness world, Focus T25 was mine. Even after now beingcertifiedtoteachtheINSANITYprogram,Istillknowasimpletruth:thosewillingtoput

theeffortanddedicationintochangingtheirattitudesand lifestyleswillalsoseethosechangesintheirbodies.JustlikeIdid.Andforme,FocusT25wasthestart.

EvenasaBeachbodyCoach,Ihadtroublefindingaworkoutprogramthatexcitedme.Ifeltlikesuchahypocrite–believedintheCoreValuesso,soverymuch,butIjustwasn’tfindingmyselfstimulated.ThenI foundFocusT25:an intenseprogramthatonlytakes25minutestocompleteeachdayandproducesridiculousresults.

I have now completed the 10-week program 4 times alongwithGamma, the 4-weekadd-onprogram.DuringthattimeIdropped4%bodyfatandgainedmorestrengthandendurancethan Ihaveeverhad inmy life. Ialsotightenedandtonedupeverywhere,eveninplaceswhereIdidn’trealizeIneededit.

FocusT25gavemetheconfidenceIneededtosignupforINSANITYcertification.WhileIdon’t teach it, the knowledge I gained from certification has benefitedme in greatlyfromacoachingperspective.Plus,IloveShaunT(whodoesn’t?)

21DayFix/Extreme(Simplicityatit’sBest)Lastyear,IwasluckyenoughtofindanothergreatsystemthatItruly,trulysupport:the21-DayFix.I’vebloggedabitaboutit,sofeelfreetocheckoutsomearticlesI’vewrittenprovingjusthowmuchIloveit.Thepromiseisatemptingone–ifdoneproperly,theFixis supposed tomake you lose up to 15 pounds in just threeweeks. For someone asexperiencedinsiftingthroughfitness-scamfool’sgold,IknewIhadtotryitmyself.TheresultswerehonestlybetterthanIcouldhaveimagined,whichiswhyIrecommenditsohighlyandreallythinkeveryoneshouldtryit–especiallyifyou’reoneofthosepeoplewholikequickresults(thatlast)–anddon’tweall?

Thebestthingaboutthe21-DayFixisthatyoudon’thavetochangeeverythingaboutyourscheduleinordertodotheprogramcomfortably.AsI’vesaidbeforeonmyblog,thebeauty is in itssimplicity:Allyouhavetodo isusethespeciallydesignedportion-controlcontainersanddoone30-minuteworkoutperday.Theresultsarejustaspecialtreatyougettoseeforyourself.

Also,asasidenote,andspeakingasawomanwritingthisduringbikiniseason,Icantellyouthatthreeweeksisn’talotoftimeforsuchrewardingresults.Spreadthewordandseeforyourself.Contactmeifyouhavequestions

TheHammer&ChiselProgram(WeightLiftingRediscovered)I’vesaiditbefore,andI’llsayitagain:SagiKalevandAutumnCalabresemeanbusiness.Botharerenownedandseasonedtrainersandaward-winningfitnesscompetitors.Whobetterthantohavetrainedyou?I’vewrittenabouthowgreattheprogramhasproventobeinmyblog,buthereisthe soyoutoocangetinontheaction.officialwebsite

Bothsharethecommongoalintheirwork:tohelpdefinemusclegrowth,whileteachingpeopletomanagetheirportioncontrols.Asanytrainerwilltellyou,learninghowtolive

thelifestyleofhealthandfitnessisalmostimpossiblewithoutguidance.TheHammer&Chiselprogram,asliterallyasitsounds,istosculptyourbodyintoaworkofart.

The program does so through training specifically one’s stabilization, strength andpower–which,accordingtoSagiandAutumn,arethreequalitiesthatmakeapowerful,definedbody(andmine,aftertryingit,agrees).

Also,ashomage to theseamazingly inspirational trainers,youcanseeSagi’s site hereandAutumn’s .here

Shakeology(Coincidentally,MyFavoriteMealoftheDay)Beingfitinvolvesmorethanjustexercise.It’salifestylechoice;weallknowthat.Inmyconversations (and sometimes confessions)withChristi Imentioned thatmydietwashealthyoverallbutlackedsomething.Theproblemwas,Ihadnoideawhatitcouldhavebeen. I’d seemed tobedoingeverything right - I triedmanydifferentprotein shakes,vitaminsandsupplementsbut I stilldidn’t feelasenergizedasawomanofmyyoungageshould feel.SherecommendedShakeologyandgavemea fewsamples. Ihave toadmit,eventhoughIwassoldonBeachbodyasacompany,Iwasabitskepticalaboutameal replacement shake being the answer tomy low energy. Boy,was I wrong. Thisstuffisincredible.

Threedays intodrinkingShakeology Iwasamazedathowgreat I felt.Myenergywassky-highandI lostthecravingforsugaryandsaltyfoods.(Thatwasapersonalfirst inmyentire life.)Andallofthishappenedwithin justthreedays.So Imadetheobviousmove:Ipurchasedmyfirst30-daysupplyandIcouldn’twaitforittoarriveatmydoor.

This was in March of 2012. Since that time I have not missed one single serving ofShakeologyand Ihaveenjoyedallof thebenefits I still see today:myenergy remainshigh,mycomplexionhascleared (for someonewhohadcysticacne, this is huge),mycravings for unhealthy foods are gone,my hair and nails grow like crazy,mymind isclear,andultimatelyIfeelterrific.IhaveeveryoneIlovedrinkingitandtheyallwhole-heartedlyagree.Itisanah-mazingproduct.

YettheJourneyContinuesOn…It isamazingwherelifetakesyou–it’sdefinitelyaseriesofupsanddowns.Thatsaid,foranyjourneyyougoonyoumusthavetheabilitytoadaptandchange.Weallhavethatpowerwithinus;sometimesyoujusthavetodigreally,reallydeep.Lifeisnottobetakenforgranted.Live,loveandopenyourheartstoothers.ThatiswhatBeachbodyisall about, and becoming a Beachbody Coach is one of the best decisions I have evermade.

On the surface, these might seem like advertisements. But they’re not. They’re realreviews,writtenbysomeonewhoisrealandhastriedallofit.Someone,likeyou,who

hasstruggled,hadtoworkthroughmyownissuesandlaterworkedmybuttofftogetwhereIam.Forme,BeachbodyhelpedguidemetodosomethingInevermighthave,andIamhappierforit.Forthisreason,Ialsowanttobeopentoyou,asreaders–shareyourexperienceswithme, tellme ifanyofmytrickswork foryou. Iwant toknowatleastsomewhereoutthere,Icanhelpsomeone.

Iamalways looking forpeople to joinmyteam– I’d love tohear fromyou ifyouareinterestedinchangingyourlifethewayIdid!