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Transformation Tuesday

I am a sucker for a those before and after pictures on Instagram- you know, the ones of the folks who have completely changed their lives- a pic of them first looking not too thrilled, usually holding onto a few extra pounds- the after… huge smile, looking like they conquered the world! I wasn’t always a fan of those posts though…

There was a time when I looked at those pictures and they made me feel pretty terrible. I just couldn’t figure out why I couldn’t get it right. Where was I lacking? Why couldn’t I have an amazing transformation like all of those people out there… and there were SOOOOOO many!

For me, it finally clicked with two vital things:

  1. Community
  2. Food

I had been part of a gym community but didn’t really “buy” into it. I was just kind of dabbling to stay active- going to class, showing up, kind of doing the work. One year, for my birthday- I gave myself the gift of NO MORE EXCUSES and decided to REALLY show up, for myself, NO JOKE, for good. From that point forward I made every second of every class, of every training session count. Why waste my time, the instructor’s time, my trainer’s time? I deserved the best result of everything I was participating in, but that was only going to happen if I put the work in. So, I did.

Do you know what happened? Amazing things.

I had been kind of eating ok. Sometimes. And having a glass or two or more of wine whenever the urge hit. On Friday, Tuesday, Monday, oh, right now? Sure! That stopped. I had been sloppy with my diet and that showed in my figure. No more. I enrolled in a strict program to get my food right. It was not for the weak of heart, but it was what I needed to get my mind right and get started on the path to eating correctly again- for life. Of course, I still indulge, and you’ll even catch me with that glass of wine (sometimes even on a Tuesday) but MODERATION is key. And consistent clean eating is the overall plan.

I now adore those before and after pictures I come across on Instagram. I almost always stop and read the story about the how and why they got from here to there. That to me the the real WOW. The time it takes, the commitment it takes… it’s most certainly not an overnight, or one-month quick fix process- it’s a lifetime transformation. A MINDSET transformation more than a physical transformation. Arnold Schwarzenegger said, “Where the mind goes, the body will follow.” Spot on.

Get your mind right, and the rest will fall into place.

That is your Transformation Tuesday.

Be Well,

Laurie

My “Before & After” with THREE YEARS, 45 lbs., and lots of hard work between pics.

By Laurie Trezza

A Registered Nurse, turned Personal Trainer, with a specialization in corrective exercise, I bring a unique perspective to the world of fitness. I have journeyed through joint replacement, weight loss and other obstacles, all of these experiences shape the trainer I am today.

This concept was created out of a love and appreciation for movement. I'm sure you have heard the cliché, "You don't know what you've got 'till it's gone!" I kind of experienced that in reverse.... Let me explain...

As a little girl I truly despised running and moving quickly- any game that required speed and agility was just not for me. I gravitated to slower, low impact activities- movement was really just the worst. Why? My knees hurt after a short time of running or jumping. No one really knew what to tell me, they'd shrug it off and run away. I was just "no good" at sports. Despite my lack of fast motion, I did remain pretty active.... but those knees!

As I got into my college years, I finally went to a specialist. He refused to even image my knees. I was "too young" for any type of issue he said. "Take an anti-inflammatory, get some more exercise and ice afterwards. You'll be fine." he continued. That was not what I had been hoping to hear. Maybe I was oversensitive. Oh well.

I graduated from college, got my first job as a Registered Nurse on a busy telemetry unit in a large teaching hospital in the NYC metro area. I got married, a few years later had my first baby, then my second.... then number three (oh, and bonus! it was twins!!!!) Still... those knees.... worse, worse, and worse....

The final straw- at a party, I met another mom, also carrying twins, as we chatted about all things twin pregnancy related, she squatted down to the coffee table below us to retrieve a snack.... Whoa!!!! Her baby-filled belly was even larger than mine (she was further along than I was) and she got up and down like she was an American Ninja Warrior! There was no WAY I could do that with my knees!

Once the babies were born, and life was humming along at a relatively normal-insane pace, I found another orthopedist. He listened, imaged, and found that indeed, my knees were a disaster. For a number of years we played with all types of treatments to prolong the inevitable... total knee replacements.

The year I turned 40, I was given one of the best gifts ever... a pair of titanium and polyethylene prosthetic knees! The surgery was difficult and painful to recover from, but the results were truly life altering.

Since recovering from my total knee replacements (TKR's), I have re-discovered exercise and movement again. It does NOT have to hurt. Exercise and movement does not need to be high impact and harmful to your joints to be effective in changing your body composition and changing how you feel. Exercise and movement absolutely must be, a part of your life to keep you fit both physically and mentally.

Newton's law of physics... "A body in motion STAYS in motion."

I had no idea how impactful motion would be on my life, until I could move without pain. It has made such an incredible change for me, I decide to make it my livelihood.

I've tied my nursing background in with my life experience with joint replacement, and looped that with a certification in personal training and specialization in corrective exercise. I am focusing this work to help others like me- who may be struggling to regain motion and emotional control after a difficult surgery or other life-altering situation.

Physical activity is the most under-utilized antidepressant out there, and in my observations, it seems we have a society that is more depressed than ever. Focusing on movement to better the body, mind, and spirit, that's what my work is about.

Grab YOUR OpportuKNEEty and SHINE!