GET A GRIP TOTAL FITNESS, INC.
LAND O' LAKES, FLORIDA

I (aka The Someday Coach) have dedicated my life to helping others. I have been in the fitness/nutrition/health field for over 24 years and life coaching for over 18 years. I wanted to be a teacher when I grew up and here I am today. Before my career started, I was a high school swim coach for girl’s ages 11-17. Wow, that was interesting, but it taught me a lot. Many of them suffered from body dysmorphic disorder. It broke my heart. They were so young and beautiful and didn’t even know it! Plus, too young to have issues like that, and probably will struggle with it all their lives. This gave me another reason (other my own passion to help others) to help others and make a difference. At this point, I started reading everything and taking this workshop and that workshop and certifications and etc. It turned into my mission! My biggest trick became my clothes. The whole scale thing, would mess with my mind. I would weigh in first thing in the morning, at lunch, at dinner (sound familiar) and I would be all over the place. I became so frustrated, I decided I can’t do it anymore (hard – but the best decision I ever made). I used my clothes as my measuring point. When they got tight I knew I needed to give myself a swift kick in the butt, especially sense the rule was I couldn’t buy bigger sizes. It was NOT an option. If I gained weight I still had to wear the clothes tight or not. I wasn’t really one to like to draw attention to myself, so it wasn’t fun! But, it WORK!!!!! There is hope for each and every one of you out there; you just have to be ready to change. You CAN find what can WORK for you just like I did. I use many other tactics today to help me with my stress eating (yes, I am a stress eater – I can eat as much as my husband) and I can help you, too. You heard it: My passion and mission is to help as many of other people live the life they deserve, period!!! I hope my story gives you hope and maybe helps you get off the couch and do something about it. Nothing feels better than being comfortable in your own skin. Try to be kinder to yourself along the way. Give credit where credit is due and NEVER quit! If you live in Tampa or its surrounding areas give me a call and we’ll see how you can change your life! As you know, the Get A Grip mission is to help people move from where they today to living the life they deserve!!!! You do NOT have to live unhappy OR wait for, “I’ll be happy when…” We have the missing links to help direct you from A To B and with speed (the legal kind). We provide you with an environment of anything is possible, accountability, motivation, and friendships you are unable to find anywhere else. With the people and the growing team, we are going to have the best year yet in reaching our goals of changing people’s lives, what all of our passions are. Thank you to all the current members for helping us grow and add such a great team. I came to Get a Grip Total Fitness in the Fall of 2012 as a client. By that time, I had conquered a weight issue and had lost 60lbs, but my health and fitness journey were just beginning. As an avid runner, I was looking for a place to add strength and conditioning to my fitness plan. When I found Get a Grip I knew it was a perfect fit. The studio offers convenient times and I really enjoy the boot camp style workout. The nutrition programs are outstanding. I wholeheartedly BELIEVE and LIVE the programs we teach for health, nutrition, and fitness at Get a Grip Total Fitness. I embrace our Mission to EMPOWER others to maximize their full potential and believe nothing is impossible. I have seen so many success stories…well, I am one of them too! I am continuing to learn and grow as a trainer and person. What a great journey! Yes! You read it correctly; my highest weight was 250 pounds. As I graduated high school and moved on to college, my choices became slightly healthier and I began to lose weight slowly. I would have on and off again memberships with the gym as well, but I was still stuck in a body that I did not like. It wasn’t until about 3 years ago, that I realized that if I wanted to break out of a physically overweight body, I also had to break out mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. It helped that I was living with a friend who had her own weight loss transformation. Watching her lifestyle choices encouraged me to become wiser at the choices that I was making. I lost a little weight, but again, still felt stuck in a body that I hated holistically. So, I started small. I began to eat like my roommate, who is gluten free. I started to listen to my body and how it reacted to what I put in it. This helped me cut certain foods out (like breads, grains, and even dairy) and introduce certain foods into my daily diet like a variety of vegetables. I even became more active with friends as well as becoming more consistent in gym visits. But I also knew one of my struggles was portion control (it still is today), so I began to track my calories. It was a way that worked for me. I began to feel so much healthier. My clothes fit better and people were noticing the effects of the changes I was beginning to make. At the age of 23, I was down about 50 pounds since high school and felt good about myself. I was beginning to love myself. I was doing things that I never thought I would let myself do because I had let the weight hold me back. I found my voice, or rather began using it. Once a month, you can find me in a local coffee shop open mic and on stage the following Sunday at church leading worship. You may even scroll across a short clip of a song that I just HAD to sing in the great acoustics of my bathroom. I’ll even share with you my story about one of the most dangerous but fulfilling hikes I took to a waterfall in Haiti. I know my body has so much more, and I am still working to become conscious of the everyday choices I am making to contribute to my new lifestyle of health and fitness. But it has been a journey that I know will continue to be life changing. I am SO proud of this young lady and I’m super excited to see what is next for her. She has a whole life ahead of her and she will do amazing things with no doubt.