  Persistence pays off.
1 year 6 months 2 months I’ve been procrastinating about posting this, but I thought maybe this could help someone that is struggling. Like I struggled. The picture above is me in June 2024. The second picture was me in June 2021. I was struggling. I was working out harder than ever. I was in the midst of publishing 3 books about overcoming trauma. I hadn’t slept for 3 full months and since turning 50, was in the trenches of perimenopause with hot flashes that invaded my days and nights, sometimes having up to 20 in a 24-hour period. My cortisol levels were through the roof, and my body clung to fat as I desperately tried to fight it. I tracked my food; my workouts were consistent. But all of that was being overridden by my extremely high stress levels. That wasn’t new to me. I’ve fought that battle before... movement and exercise helped. But this was different. Just like so many of us, my body was in severe overload from stress. As a personal trainer and a nutrition coach, I knew how to make changes to my body composition quickly and improve my mood. None of what worked in the past was working for me. My clients were succeeding with my programs, why wasn’t I? I was frustrated, and still not sleeping. But I persisted. I added more cardio, taught more fitness classes, only to pay the price with increased insomnia, anxiety and hot flashes. I worked with a nutritionist, began another high intensity weightlifting program, still no weight loss. This was a never-ending cycle. I tracked food with very specific protein, carb and fat counts. But no change. I was not comfortable with my body as it constantly rebelled against anything I did to try to change it. In January of 2023, I committed to strength training and nutrition tracking. I combined this strength training program with my Z-Health training. Z-Health is a neurological based training program, created to blend the functional neurology of pain relief and performance enhancement into training programs. This combination helped retrain my body how to move in a way that is beneficial for me. The lesson learned with this type of training is that movement is governed not by biomechanics, but by neurology. In other words, our brain is in charge, no matter how hard we work to change how our bodies move. I persisted. February 2023 was by far my worst month with a record low of sleep, But I continued. I was committed to show up for workouts several days per week. I refused to give in. After 2 months, I began to see changes. My clothes began to fit better. The weight started to come off. I was sleeping a little better. I saw big increases in strength. My anxiety was improving, my body began working the way it should. The result, in 6 months I lost 8 pounds, was down 5 inches off my hips, 4 inches off my waist and 3 inches from my chest and was continuing to drop. Fast forward to June 2024, I've lost a total of 20 pounds and a significant number of inches (down a full bra size!). It feels great to lose the weight, but more importantly, is what I gained. What I gained was renewed confidence, improved sleep, increased muscle mass, hormonal balance, strength, and nutritional knowledge for this specific time in my life. I did it. And so can you. Imagine the changes you could make in: 2 months 6 months 1 year Dedicate time to taking care of you. You will be glad you did. Persistence pays off. Contact me for more information about my private programs for women at any stage of life and any level of fitness. Be strong, ~Gina Gina Marecki G Fitness Studio Owner, established 2012 Personal Trainer & Z-Health Coach NASM Women’s Fitness Specialist Nutrition Coach Author "Why am I working so hard and not seeing results?"
"Why is it every time I exercise, I get injured or am in pain?" The key to answering these questions lies in understanding how the brain and body interact. Pain relief, health, fitness and performance all exist on a continuum of movement. Movement that is governed not by biomechanics, but by neurology. In other words, our brain is in charge, no matter how hard we work to change how our bodies move. Movement is complex. Not only is movement complex, but movement is also highly individual. As a result, typical training and exercise programs can only take you so far in creating better results for YOU. By integrating Z-Health neuroscience assessments and drills to your strength training program, new breakthroughs are possible for you. The human body and brain work together to create movement, balance, performance, and pain relief. Z-Health was created to blend the functional neurology of pain relief and performance enhancement into training programs. I am proof of how incorporating Z-Health Performance into my training eliminated chronic pain and lowered my nervous system out of the fight or flight response. I would later learn that past trauma can be released by targeting specific parts of the nervous system to calm the fight or flight response. Combine this with bodywork such as kickboxing and strength training and you will become stronger, happier and healthier. Aren't you ready to overcome the obstacles that hold you back from becoming stronger in both body and mind? Take the next step. I've got you covered. Moving out of our circle of comfort is difficult.
We create a safe circle and sometimes without knowing, we expand the border of that circle to let in new things. Then comes a point where you are at the end of your circle and want to make a new one. Or you may not want to make a new one, but fate keeps presenting you with doorways to a new circle. It is big, hard to navigate and sometimes, terrifying. Vulnerability, fear, new routines, learning something new, failure, taking criticism, all lie in this new perimeter. Feeling vulnerable can send you crawling back to your old circle. Sometimes you need to do that. But then you may find it is not where you want to be and you are ready to get out there. Have the courage. Try new things. Get uncomfortable. It may be terrible and terrifying when you are in it. Have support systems in place so you can talk to someone about your feelings and fears. You have to go through the muck to get to the beautiful side. Take small steps and when you are ready, or even if you do not know if you are ready, take a breath... And take the leap. Have faith. You got this, warrior. |
Gina MareckiYou need to write to feel in order to write to heal. Archives
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