To say the last year of my life has been hectic is an understatement. In October of ’09, I lost my dad very unexpectedly. Then, another blow, my mom went in to the hospital for “routine” surgery and ended up on a ventilator and in ICU just 6 weeks after my dad passed away. After over 2 months in the hospital, she was able to come home with physical therapy and a home health nurse. (Thank God!) After all that, my family was still in the process of running my dad’s business as we waited for a buyer. Oh, have I mentioned that I have 2 very active boys who play several sports, a full time outside the home job and many other activities that we are involved in? Time for exercise? Um, I don’t think so. Fast Food trips? You betcha! Easy, convenient and cooking was one less thing I had to deal with. Plus, I was way too busy to deal with worrying about what I should be eating and how I should be handling stress. If I swept it under the carpet, it’ll all go away right? Wrong! Exhaustion, illness and a few extra pounds started to sink in.

The weather started to change and get warmer. The thought of having to put on a shorts or (gasp!) a swimsuit seemed like a nightmare. All the while complaining to my husband about how I don’t have time get everything done in a day let alone ADD a workout. He did his best to still be understanding of what I was going through emotionally and try to help me see that exercise would help. Oh I’d take a walk, try to eat a salad here and there. But it didn’t really make much of a difference. Then, I saw the lifestyle changes one of my very close friends was making. Brandi was a busy mom and had an amazing transformation! She encouraged me along the way to join her, but I shrugged her off at first. How could I possibly commit to that? Then I saw her final pictures. (phenomenal!!!) It was time to do something for me.

I emailed Hitch Fit the following week. I was put in contact with expert trainer James Hanton. He was very professional and agreed to meet with me before I made a decision about my plan or if I even wanted to commit to it. He was very patient and he listened to me. I was embarrassed when he asked me about my eating and exercise habits, but he never flinched or acted like I was doing anything wrong. He just listened. He asked how quickly I wanted to see results. I answered, “12 weeks.,” half hoping he’d tell me that it was impossible. Instead he said, “You can do it!” After I left the initial consultation, I called my husband. He encouraged me and told me he had my back. “You should do it, Andrea and I know you can.” (Love you, babe.)

I decided to get going right away. No use it putting it off! After my first training session with James, I cried the whole way home. Not so much because I hurt from the pain of working out (well maybe a little bit) but more because I did it! I took the first steps to a healthy lifestyle and I knew from that point on I was 110% committed. After the first couple of weeks of sore muscles, I really started to enjoy the workouts. The designed meal plan was easy to follow and with a few tips from James, I even got a few new recipes to mix it up a bit. James was enthusiastic and positive every step of the way. He was flexible with my schedule if I needed to make a last minute change and I never felt like I wasn’t going to reach my goals! There were many times that I didn’t think I could lift another pound, do one more push up or hold my position one more second. But I did! Just behind me I’d hear James’s infamous battle cry, “GET IT! GET IT!” And I pushed harder. I wanted it more and more with every pound I lost. My schedule was and is still crazy. But I learn to manage my time better and everything still got done.

So here I am 12 weeks later, where did the time go? I don’t want to think of this as the end of a transformation. It’s just the beginning of a new lifestyle for me. I can deal with stress in better ways and make better choices. James, thank you for your encouragement and faith in me! I am truly grateful for all you have done. To my boys, thank you for your patience with me and for never complaining about a trip to the gym or for eating more veggies. (I told you we wouldn’t miss pop in the house!) And to my wonderful hubby, I couldn’t have done this at all without you. Thanks for making me feel beautiful every step of the way.