How This Woman Lost 55 Pounds And Helped Others Do It, Too!
For so many of us, the thought of losing weight and getting fit is overwhelming. It requires a complete overhaul of our lifestyle which means that we must be up for the challenge. While there are many reasons why people fail at weight loss, two reasons in particular are among the most common: failure to take ownership for our lives and trying to reverse years of bad habits in a very short period of time.
At age 27, Adriana Morrison of Denver, Colorado, weighed in at 205 pounds. She decided that it was time to roll up her sleeves, lose the weight, and get fit once and for all. By making gradual changes in her diet and increasing her level of physical activity, Morrison lost 55 pounds. Fifteen years later, this mother of four, NPC competitor, and Wilhelmina model trains her clients on how to do the same thing.
In an interview with Self Magazine, Adriana, who now trains clients at Pura Vida Fitness & Spa, remembers that life-changing Sunday back in the summer of 2001 when a glimpse at herself in the mirror led to a moment of clarity: “I had an a-ha moment,” says Morrison. “It hit me that I had put myself in that position.”
While she admittedly knew nothing about exercise programming for weight loss, she committed to getting active and making gradual changes: "I was scared of failing, so I thought if I could start with one thing at a time, then it wouldn't be such a monumental feat," she said.
The added boost of energy she got from her new-found diet helped spur her commitment to healthier eating. At the gym, she started attending group fitness classes. Early on, it wasn't pretty. But, Morrison checked her ego at the door and did the best she could at every class. Eventually, she was working out four to five days per week. It took seven months to drop 55 pounds. Normal healthy weight loss is one to two pounds per week, so Morrison was right on track.
Her passion for helping people as a mental health counselor spilled over into fitness. By the spring of 2003, Morrison got certified and started teaching group fitness classes. By 2008, she became an NASM-certified personal trainer. The experience of losing weight herself has helped Morrison to truly understand the challenges her clients have. She also knows how to keep them motivated. She credits her success to believing in herself and making herself a priority saying, “You discover that you absolutely can do what you thought you couldn’t. You are forced to work on you, so the outside world has to wait. You are no longer the last priority.”
Taking ownership for her life and being honest with herself was where the journey began. And now, Morrison helps others make the journey as well.
