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In 5 1/2 month Lauras numbers are staggering
Age-27
Height-5’9″
Weight Loss-37 lbs
Dress Size From a 12/13 to 4
Bodyfat % Loss-17%
Inches Lost in Hips-8″
Inches Lost in Stomach-7″

SHE STEPPED ON STAGE TO SHOW HER NEW BODY AND LIFESTYLE!!!

This Hitch Fit Transformation is one of the most inspiring and biggest body changes I have been through as a trainer. Laura came in day one wanting change both physically and emotionally. Her body fat put her in the range of Obese and she couldnt even do a pushup. It was like starting from ground zero and building this masterpiece for her final transformation. Her story is very inspiring and pictures are amazing. She has changed as a person inside and out. She now has the “GLOW” which i describe as that person who walks in a room and is always bright!!! All I have to say is she is wearing a size 4 now. The first time in her life !!!!! I am so proud of her , many people just see the before and after pics, i got to see someone grow into a person that will pay it forward and help so many people close to her that want that same feeling and level of fitness and health.

In April of 2008 I started getting very sick. I was having symptoms I had not dealt with before and other symptoms I had been fighting since I was a kid were getting worse. I thought it was because I was working so much and was just run down, but in May 2008 I was getting to where I could barely function. My Vasovagal Syncope (I was diagnosed with in October 2004) was getting worse; I was constantly tired and falling asleep at abnormal times; I was having daily migraines, constant nausea, and random 103 degree fevers; my intolerance to cold was getting worse and now I had started developing an intolerance to heat where my feet were swelling and feeling like they were on fire; and I was having severe pain in my lower back and shooting pain down my arms. I was a mess!!!

I am currently 27 years old and I had been dealing with many of these symptoms, since I was a kid and had seen many specialists over the years without any progress other than my cardiologist discovering the syncope. The meds for that helped but not enough to continue taking them. I had given up on finding an answer and feeling better. Finally in June 2008 I was referred to a Neurology Specialist who for the first time since I was in 5th grade had the answer: I have what is called Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome or P.O.T.S. I had now developed every symptom which includes the Syncope, adrenal fatigue, random fevers, constant nausea, Dysautonomia and more. In addition to P.O.T.S, I had muscle blockage in my back and neck which was causing the pain. I was immediately started on a prescription for the POTS and was put into physical therapy for my back.

Over the Summer of 2008 I gradually started getting better and had learned from my physical therapist how out of shape I was and that some of my muscles were so underdeveloped my brain could not even tell them how to flex on its own. When I was in college I had learned a lot about health and nutrition and had been working out with trainers at a gym. I was addicted to it then, but had fallen out of my routine after my grandma’s passing and my 4-wheeling accident. From that time I learned several things about myself: I do the best with weights when I have someone pushing me and coaching me, but I had some bad experiences with trainers and had become very picky about the kind of trainer I wanted to work with and their methods, including their position on a person’s diet.

In August of 2008 I by chance got in contact with Micah Lacerte on MySpace. I read about his gym and his success with transformations and sent him a message. I was pleasantly surprised at his prompt reply, his professionalism and willingness to answer my long laundry list of questions. He was very patient with me and took genuine interest in my condition and my improvement with my physical therapy. We talked off and on for a little over a year about his methods of training, views on diet, my condition, what his approach for me would be based on what he knew, and staying in touch on my progress. I knew I had to be not only physically prepared, but I had to be mentally and emotionally prepared to start my journey to a healthier, stronger me.

This time came a little over a year after I first started speaking with Micah, in late 2009. My real estate office had finished doing a Biggest Loser contest during the summer, in which I got 2nd and were getting ready to start a new session, which I was signed up for. People asked me why did I sign up and would tell me I looked great and they didn’t know how I had any weight to lose. I remember thinking, yeah; well you haven’t seen me without my clothes on. This helped me realize my motivation and the fact I was finally 100% prepared and committed to starting my journey of my personal transformation. I met with Micah in late 2009 to speak about my goals and to take my measurements. I started out at over 29% body fat – that was hard to take – and wearing a size 12 or 13. My goal was to get down to 15% body fat, so we decided to do a 16 week program consisting of me lifting weights with Micah 3 times per week and doing my cardio on my own the other days. He set up my meal plan for me and the next week the hard work began.

I say hard work, not to scare anyone, but it is the truth. It is hard to make a commitment; it is hard to show up every day at the gym and to make the correct, positive choices every day from choosing to eat the right food, to not drinking or not drinking as much, to staying positive and even removing negative influences from your life. However, it gets easier with every day and eventually it becomes a habit or rather a way of life – an extremely positive one – and before you know it, your life has changed in a way that I honestly did not imagine. I had no idea when I started this Journey with Micah where I would be at the end – I did not realize the changes that were about to take place not only in my body, but also my mind, my soul, my life and in the lives of those around me.

Day 1 was a Tuesday and we did upper body. I could not even do a push up and I joked with Micah, but was actually serious, that he should video tape me struggling through his work out. I knew he was tough and would push me, but I really didn’t have a clue until I started working out with him. I remember thinking, what the heck did I get myself into and I will be doing good if I don’t get sick or pass out. At the same time though, I had a smile on my face as I knew this was the first step to reaching my goal. Micah was awesome – he pushed me, but he was also very aware of my condition with P.O.T.S and took that into account. See, I have shortness of breath with POTS and sudden movements, especially up and down can trigger the syncope. I made it through my first work out and even though I was exhausted and my arms felt like jell-o, I couldn’t wait until our next appointment on Thursday.

Thursday came and when I walked into HitchFit Gym my right arm was stuck in a 45 Degree angle – it had been that way since Wednesday and even though I tried to stretch it didn’t want to budge. We all still joke around and laugh about me asking him if this was normal that day. Micah told me it would work itself out and that working out would actually help it. Thursday was lower body and I walked out with my legs shaking and an arm that wouldn’t move. Driving that day was interesting as I drive a standard so pushing the clutch in and trying to shift with my right arm was not much fun at the time, but now I look back and it brings a smile to my face to see how much I have progressed. That Friday night after we did another upper body workout, I had to go show houses to some of my buyers and I could barely walk up the stairs in the house. This was week 1 and the start to a great journey that cultivated into a new set of goals I did not know possible.

I never got discouraged from being sore – in fact it motivated me. Micah educated me on some supplements to take like amino acids including glutamine and reminded me the importance of stretching, which helped tremendously. I took my workouts with Micah, my cardio, and my meal plan seriously and started seeing results very quickly – results that I had never got with other trainers. Some people may say my workout and eating habits sort of became an obsession, but to me they just became a part of my life – a part of me. Working out is addicting and it is amazing how much better you feel physically, mentally and emotionally.

Every day with Micah was a new and different day with new exercises or variations – there were never two days that were the same. He even showed me how to keep cardio from becoming boring by changing up intensity for example. Micah pushed me past what I thought were my limits and made me realize I was capable of so much more, something that was hard for me when it came to my body and athletic ability. I found something else I had not expected and that is a great friend in Micah as well as with others at HitchFit. Micah is not only an awesome trainer, but he is also an awesome person and one of the most down to earth people I know. He genuinely cares about his clients and friends and wants them to be healthy. He also knows that everyone’s bodies are different and that healthy for one person is different for another. My program with him was what was best for me and it was constantly changing as my body was changing.

I started to see a huge change in myself and not just physically. I was more confident, I was happier, I was at a higher place of peace within myself and I started setting higher goals. About a month after starting to work out with Micah, I ran in a charity 5k run and completed it without stopping in 33:44 minutes. I took this as motivation in the gym and started competing against myself to improve my time. I also decided after some issues with the meds I was on for POTS to stop taking them, and through working out, eating better and using different vitamins controlling my POTS condition. It has not always been easy, but so far I have done well and I am healthier. I still have POTS but I have made my body healthier and have improved, thus controlling the symptoms the majority of the time.

Another large challenge – goal came towards the end of January of this year, when there was talk of the Liberty, MO Fitness Figure competition coming up on April 23rd and I asked Micah if he thought I could be ready. He said he thought it would be a great experience and if I was willing to commit to the work out and meal plan I could be ready. My goal had just moved from reach 15% to reaching 10% to 12%. We knew I would be smaller in muscle mass, but it would be a great starting point and learning experience for me to see if competing is something I want to do. So, we started working on the new goal and I was thus introduced to the world of Tabata, carb cycling and either two a day work outs or three. I was so excited about competing, and even though I really did not know what was in store for me I knew it was something I had to do – I had to prove to myself that I could.

I did just that with Micah’s help and support, Diana’s coaching on posing and walking, and the support of friends and family. The competition was an awesome experience and I learned so much. I plan on competing again in the fall, but this time I will have more muscle mass!! I made a lot of friends along the way and most of all I discovered strength, a discipline and will power within myself I did not know existed. I am going to continue training with Micah and I look forward to achieving the new goals we’ve set and preparing for my next competition. I am also going to try and get back into some modeling work – which is something I thought, would never be possible again – and who knows what else.

What I do know is this: Anything is possible if you are willing to put your fears and excuses aside and admit to yourself what you want to achieve; and then write down what you want or what your goal is, visualize it, tell others and then start on the path to achieving your goals. Please do not let others knock you off your path – they just don’t understand or are jealous and as I have come to learn, if they really care about you, they will come around as they see you changing and achieving your goals. If they do not then “Let them go!” Let go of the negative influences whether they are people, events or things and focus on the positive! If you do this you will be amazed what you can conquer, what you’ll learn about yourself and new opportunities that will come into your life.
I surpassed what I thought was possible and reach 12.5% body fat and now wearing a Size 4 Dress and Size 4 jeans – a size I have never been able to wear until now!!!
Good Luck to those who are currently taking steps and to those who are thinking about becoming a healthier you. If you are reading this and wondering if you can do this, don’t wonder – KNOW YOU CAN DO THIS, ANYONE CAN!!!

Thank you Micah for your dedication to helping me achieve my goals and also to your dedication of helping others – for truly caring about the health of people and taking great steps to do this around the World. Thank you to everyone at HitchFit Gym, to my friends and family for being a part of my life and for your support along the way.

Are you ready to take the next step and change your life.  Diana and I will do everything we can to get you in the best shape of your life.  Regardless of where you liveYou can be the next LAURA..

Micah LaCerte and Diana Chaloux

www.hitchfit.com

Latest Blog- Oops You Cheated again…http://hitchfit.com/dianac/2010/05/04/life-coaching/how-to-overcome-weight-loss-obstacles/

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