Heidi Skoog
2021 Elk River People's Choice Winner
When I was asked to write a transformation story, I said that I had already written one in the past and no one needs to hear from me again…but then I started thinking. I HAVE had a transformation over this last challenge, but not just the change on the scale or my body composition; maybe someone could benefit from what I still have to say.
If you know me well, you know that I can be a pretty emotional person. Some might say I’m ‘soft’.
I don’t like change. I like things to remain consistent and predictable and I like to feel in control. I sound like a pretty exciting person, right? Well, for a while now- maybe since Christmas, I was feeling “off.’ I didn’t know why or what change I needed, but I was frustrated. Feeling frustrated made me emotional and I was questioning a lot of things. Maybe I had too much time on my hands to overthink things? Maybe I just needed to unload those feelings on someone? Coach Connor got to be the lucky person I unloaded on.
I was ready to quit everything. I felt like I didn’t know my place, like I was failing because I spent almost 3 years working so hard and I had plateaued. Sure I was getting stronger and was walking taller, but I felt like I was at a stall with my progress. I had been at the same weight for about 2 years. (I'm not counting the 10lbs I gained during the first COVID-19 shutdown that I had to work all last summer to lose). I felt stuck.
I switched coaches to Coach Connor, unloaded all of these feelings on him and he assured me I was actually in a good spot. I COULD do this and working out MORE wasn’t the answer. I needed to get out of my own head and stop overthinking everything.
Then he said: "it was all nutrition."
If you know me well, you know that I can be a pretty emotional person. Some might say I’m ‘soft’.
I don’t like change. I like things to remain consistent and predictable and I like to feel in control. I sound like a pretty exciting person, right? Well, for a while now- maybe since Christmas, I was feeling “off.’ I didn’t know why or what change I needed, but I was frustrated. Feeling frustrated made me emotional and I was questioning a lot of things. Maybe I had too much time on my hands to overthink things? Maybe I just needed to unload those feelings on someone? Coach Connor got to be the lucky person I unloaded on.
I was ready to quit everything. I felt like I didn’t know my place, like I was failing because I spent almost 3 years working so hard and I had plateaued. Sure I was getting stronger and was walking taller, but I felt like I was at a stall with my progress. I had been at the same weight for about 2 years. (I'm not counting the 10lbs I gained during the first COVID-19 shutdown that I had to work all last summer to lose). I felt stuck.
I switched coaches to Coach Connor, unloaded all of these feelings on him and he assured me I was actually in a good spot. I COULD do this and working out MORE wasn’t the answer. I needed to get out of my own head and stop overthinking everything.
Then he said: "it was all nutrition."
We talked about my goals:
I did want to be lighter- but what I actually wanted was to look leaner. I’ve been around long enough to know that the number on the scale isn’t what’s important. I put all of my energy into listening. I listened to his nutrition plan for me and the schedule for my workouts. I started reading up on macros.
Every goal Coach Connor gave me for the challenges was one I stuck to. I really needed to do this for myself. Coach Connor was so confident in me that I could see the change I wanted to if I listened to him. There was no way I was showing up for a check in with him unprepared and not following the plan. I didn’t want him to tell me, "If you’d just listen to me you would get results." Maybe subconsciously I was trying to prove him wrong? Instead, I proved why he won the Elk River best personal trainer two years in a row or as we call him, "BPT2". I proved to myself that I CAN do this. I CAN get results. I CAN be in control of my results.
My transformation over this challenge was so much more than losing 15 lbs. Although I am at a weight I never thought I’d see again by eating healthy… I am stronger, fitter, leaner and more in control than I have felt in a long time. My transformation was a mental transformation and the physical change happened as a result.
This is all a still a work in progress. There will be times when I fall off track…but after 3 years at FitClub, I know I have the ability to not only get back on track but I have the BEST support system with the FitClub community and the coaches!
