My weight and body image has always been an issue for me. When I would shop for clothes the deciding factor was never whether or not it was in style but rather which jeans hide my love handles and which shirt covers my arms. In college I made a habit of eating right before going to bed and I never made time for exercise. I was out of shape and unhappy. My weight would go up and down due to my extreme dieting, counting every calorie I put in my mouth. I’m convinced now that the weight I lost was muscle. I could see my rib cage but I was still flabby. I fit into smaller jeans, but my love handles still flopped over my waistband. They were smaller, but they were still squishy. At the time I met Laura I hadn’t been physically active for more than six months and I was fed up with my clothing not fitting me how I would have liked. I decided it was time to get active and since my own methods had always failed me I thought why not get some guidance through personal training. Laura introduced me to weight lifting, something I had never done. Now I love it. Seeing my strength increase and the shape of my body change is exciting. I was a vegetarian when I started working out with Laura and I soon learned that if I wanted to be firm and build muscle I was going to have to change my diet. Eating meat has dramatically increased my strength and I can see muscles popping out where there use to be flab. It’s an amazing feeling. I feel healthy. I look healthy. I have more self confidence than I did a year ago. I feel comfortable in sleeveless shirts. My clothes fit better now that they are on a solid body instead of a squishy one. The way I feel about myself is my self motivation; it keeps me coming back for more. -Adina