Client stories
Personal training with Shelley – Rachel’s story ..
I’ve been going to META for years. Why? Because I have seen the long term benefits; becoming fit; losing weight and keeping it off and learning about guilt free choices.
2 years ago
Working out at META 3 times a week, rowing twice a week and ergo up to 10k at a time most weeks and loving it! Loving my food and a glass or two of wine, enjoying my life. I was then hit with a virus that rendered me incapable of doing virtually anything, so here we are 2 years later and I am back to square one. Frustrated beyond belief, depressed by my inability to recover and sadly having put a load of weight on. Whilst age doesn’t matter, being in my 60’s it would have been easy to accept that was my fate.
Thank heavens for Shelley and META
Let me tell you how personal training helped me. Irrespective of not attending META, all through my illness Shelley would keep in touch. She would suggest things to help with the frustration and help me accept what was happening was out of my control. Providing me with tips to try and help with movement and agility too.
At the end of 2021 I was only able to manage one 30 minute session a week at META, which just involved basic movement. With Shelley being so patient and very creative she has and continues to help me stay motivated and deal with the frustrations. Very slowly I have started to be able to do more.
Shelley likes you to set goals, but for me, I was baffled on how you do that. At this point walking up a flight of stairs wiped me out.
META to the rescue
Shelley got me to set ‘baby step’ goals. This helped me have a sense of achievement and see my improvement. Finding activities that I could stick to. At the beginning of Feb 2022 I saw a walking challenge advertised. Walking 100K in 3 months, that’s only around 1k a day so I set that as my goal. Pre 2020 I would have scoffed at such a goal to be honest, but Shelley helped me readjust my mindset. She was there encouraging and supporting me all the way.
Now I have completed it and it was a real challenge for me but there was a HUGE lesson learnt. It’s not what the goal is nor to worry what others think, but to set a goal and stick with it. Making the choice daily to allocate time to my goal. Instead of sitting on my phone or watching TV for 30 minutes, I would go for my walk. Not sure who was more thrilled at my completing the challenge, me or Shelley! I am now up to 2 x 1 hour sessions a week.
I have to say a huge THANK YOU SHELLEY AND TEAM META for your unwavering support, patience and creativity. But for anyone who just wants to feel healthier go to META, just try it.
Life After Crash Diets
Personal training with Shelley – Steve’s story …
I started on a lighter life diet in 2005 when my weight was close to 24 stone inspired by family members who had done this crash diet! With what seemed to be fantastic results! So I began my journey!
The diet was easy. There is no thinking required. Why? Because you don’t eat normal food, you only take on 600 calories per day in the form of shakes & bars. On top of this you must drink a minimum of 4 litres of water per day. This is so that your body starts to feed off your body fats and sugars within the muscles to survive. I was seeing results including weekly weight loss in excess of 7 pounds. I reached my goal of 14 stone 7 pounds in 5 months which I maintained for about a year. But unfortunately I then slipped back into old habits which saw my weight rise to 18 stone plus!
So what next?
For me the only answer was to go back onto the diet! This time time it was the Cambridge diet, which was the same as lighter life but a lot cheaper! By this time I’d also worked out how to cheat on the diet. The more water I drank the more weight I would lose so I began drinking 8-10 litres a day. I was advised it was dangerous but yet I continued. It was like a drug! Each time I went on the diet I would see massive weight loss. Over a stone in the first week, which meant less time on the diet! So for me it was a win win but in reality this was the start of the addiction.
Side effects and addiction
Sadly there were a number of side effects with this diet, including bad breath & chronic constipation which required medication. This crash diet then became my crutch for the next 11 years, using it to keep my weight ‘in check!’ I’d bounce on and off this diet 2-3 or even 4 times a year depending on my weight at the time. This was no longer a habit but an addiction!! Every time I went on the diet the harder it became, mentally it was so difficult, even depressing but I was driven by the easy weight loss!
Finally I realised something had to change. I couldn’t continue on this path or diet! Having used this weight loss method for so long it was having drastic, negative effects both physically and mentally. It had left me with depleted muscles and an obsession with food. Even now when I put a little weight on, in my mind I need to go back on the diet, I haven’t but this is how it draws you in!
Coming out the other side
Looking back for me personally it got my weight down fast. Being as big as I was, I don’t think I would have done a normal diet where you only lose 1-2 pounds a week. But if I had only done this crash diet once and lost the weight. As well as changing my lifestyle, understanding where I was going wrong, and changing my mindset, it may have been worth it. Unfortunately it’s not that simple because without the knowledge and understanding of where you’re going wrong, like me you will be unlikely to keep the weight off!
So for all the reasons above these crash diets are addictive!
It is not a safe way to lose weight. So let me tell you how personal training helped me. My advice to you would be to seek professional help on how to make the right choices with food, control portion sizes and exercise. I have done exactly that, since 2016 I have been working with Personal Trainer & Nutritionist Shelley at META Evolution Gym. We have not only worked on the physical damage but also the mental damage caused by my addiction to crash dieting! Four years on and my journey is not over as I continue to become healthier and stronger in every way. This has been my biggest challenge to date and with Shelley’s help I know I’m on the right path.
Steve’s journey continues …
It is 2020 and I’m still working to regain the strength & muscle mass lost over years of diet abuse! META has without doubt been my saviour. I’ve gained so much form training here and as my journey continues the personal battle with my food addiction has finally been won! I’m now seeing the results I’ve wanted for so long!
What’s changed?
I’ve stopped lying to myself and the people that have been trying to help me for so long. Mainly Shelley the PT who has given me so much knowledge and time! I’m sure I’ve tried her patience at times too! I have now taken ownership of my diet and by making myself accountable I’m seeing the right results. META as a fitness studio is great. It is relaxed, friendly and if you are looking to make positive changes to your life, diet and fitness then you will without doubt find what you need here! From professional personal trainers for 1:1 training, to group classes! If I can turn it around then you can too!
