I’ve never been what you’d call an athlete. I’ve also never been super thin, however I was able to keep my body at a comfortable weight. I’m 5 foot 8 inches tall and as I got into my early 30’s, I found that I had put on an extra 10 pounds leaving my weight stuck at an uncomfortable 160 pounds.

As I entered my 30’s I saw myself falling into the roll that so many wives and mothers fall into; I was putting myself last. I felt out of shape and didn’t like the way I looked in my clothes. I made a decision to do something for myself and hired Amanda. I worked out with Amanda twice a week for about four years. During that four year period I can say that I never did the same workout twice.

I used to find workouts very boring and almost embarrassing as I never knew if I was using the machines properly and hey, who actually knows what you’re supposed to do with all those machines anyway?! Having Amanda show me the correct way to exercise gave me the security I needed to try things I thought my body would never do. Amanda would create new challenges to motivate me. On a regular basis we’d review my fitness goals and determine the best way to achieve those. Working with her made me accountable— which is what I needed to motivate me.

Another positive about Amanda is her education level on the human body. Due to my desk job, photography and carrying around heavy kids, I developed shoulder and wrist problems. Amanda worked with my physical therapist and was able to adapt my workouts so I was able to continue working out without causing additional stress or injury to my shoulders and wrists.

I worked out with Amanda all the way up until I was 35 weeks pregnant with my second child. During my pregnancy I gained 50 pounds but was able to take all of the baby weight off and even more by using the tools and strategies that Amanda had taught me during those four years. The budgeted money that I used to use for personal training now goes towards a nanny, but Amanda taught me so many useful techniques while I worked with her that I was able to use that information on my own, to get the baby weight off. When my son is old enough to go to pre-school, I’ll be going back to Amanda for sure!

Now at 37 years old and 145 pounds, with two kiddos, I’m in better shape and am healthier now than I was 10 years ago. I just recently accomplished an amazing fitness challenge for myself. I hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon. Only 1% of the 4.5 million people that visit the Grand Canyon each year hike to the bottom… and I did it! I doubt I would have been able to do that 10 years ago.