I've gotten quite a few questions regarding Heidi as an online coach.
I've been working with her since September 2014. I had originally planned to commit to a year with her and see how far I can go on my weight loss journey. I have since changed my mind. That is not to say that Heidi isn't great at her job, but what she has to offer does not work for me anymore.
She laid a very good foundation for me to progress in my journey. Showing me healthy food options, and that I can eat but not be starving. And giving me strength exercises that make me tired but do their job.
She's a worldwide coach, she's online only, she's got a vast amount of clients, she has appearances and just in general a busy life.
It does take her some time to respond back to my texts or emails because I can only imagine her having hundreds of clients and it's easy to be overlooked.
I've paid almost $500 for approximately 20-30 emails, and about 20 text messages. It's not fiscally responsible for me to continue that, when if I'm going to pay that amount of money, I'd prefer to pay for a hands on physical trainer.
She's a very lovely woman, and she has helped me tremendously on my journey. She may be more suitable for those who want to tone, and lose minimal weight, or for athletic competitors. I'm morbidly obese and while she can understand the physiological aspect of my body and how it breaks down food, she can't relate to the physical and psychological aspect of my body.
I'm not saying I want more attention than all her other clients because I have the most to lose/gain, but I would have wanted a more hands on approach from her. While as the client it is my responsibility to check-in with her, I do feel as a coach she should also check-in with us.
My Advice:
I will gladly recommend Heidi to people of all sizes who need to establish their weight loss foundation. I would also say you need to be extremely vocal with her. If she doesn't respond in 24-48 hours, send her another text or email. If an exercise isn't good for you, or it's more painful than hurtful or you just don't know the correct form. Ask her! If you don't speak out to her, she's going to assume that everything is OK.
For Myself:
I'm saving up money to have a physical trainer. And maybe in a year or so I'll hire Heidi back. I just need to get past my current plateau.
Thursday, April 2, 2015
Update 2015!!
I'm so sorry that I have not been updating this blog often. So I thought I'd do a quick update.
First off,
I post more frequently on Instagram - 2unfit2quit <----- Check out the link and give me a follow.
Secondly,
This weight loss journey is frustrating and exciting at the same time. I had a "relapse" so to speak at the end of 2014 and I just binged on everything in sight. Nothing satisfied my craving. I plateaued. No matter how many calories I burned, or how little I ate, the scale was not moving. Now I did feel so much better, and my clothes fit a tiny bit looser but nothing super dramatic like I lost another pant size or anything. I was just frustrated beyond belief and I really went to food.
I gained back some of the hard earned weight that I lost, and I felt so bad about it and because I'm an emotional eater, I just ate more. Didn't help that it was the holidays.
I did go on a vacation in December to Progresso and Cozumel, Mexico with my best friend. Did a 6 hour hiking tour of some of the Mayan Ruins. Yes, I said 6 hours. And I survived. I never thought it would have been possible. I may not have lost a ton of weight, but I gained so much energy. And I didn't really binge on the cruise. There were a lot of healthy options, and I stuck to those as best as possible. I did drink some of my calories though, it's vacation!!
Lastly,
I am back on track. I am currently doing a 30 for 30 Challenge. It's just a challenge for myself. It's doing a minimum of 30 minutes of activity every day for 30 days.
I'm not where I want to be but I'm not where I use to be.
First off,
I post more frequently on Instagram - 2unfit2quit <----- Check out the link and give me a follow.
Secondly,
This weight loss journey is frustrating and exciting at the same time. I had a "relapse" so to speak at the end of 2014 and I just binged on everything in sight. Nothing satisfied my craving. I plateaued. No matter how many calories I burned, or how little I ate, the scale was not moving. Now I did feel so much better, and my clothes fit a tiny bit looser but nothing super dramatic like I lost another pant size or anything. I was just frustrated beyond belief and I really went to food.
I gained back some of the hard earned weight that I lost, and I felt so bad about it and because I'm an emotional eater, I just ate more. Didn't help that it was the holidays.
I did go on a vacation in December to Progresso and Cozumel, Mexico with my best friend. Did a 6 hour hiking tour of some of the Mayan Ruins. Yes, I said 6 hours. And I survived. I never thought it would have been possible. I may not have lost a ton of weight, but I gained so much energy. And I didn't really binge on the cruise. There were a lot of healthy options, and I stuck to those as best as possible. I did drink some of my calories though, it's vacation!!
Lastly,
I am back on track. I am currently doing a 30 for 30 Challenge. It's just a challenge for myself. It's doing a minimum of 30 minutes of activity every day for 30 days.
I'm not where I want to be but I'm not where I use to be.
Monday, March 16, 2015
Hardest Part of Weight Loss
The hardest part of this whole weight loss journey is learning to train my brain to look at food as nourishment not as comfort.
There is no coach, book, pill, shake or wrap to change an emotional eater's mentality.
-I'll be updating my blog this week.
There is no coach, book, pill, shake or wrap to change an emotional eater's mentality.
-I'll be updating my blog this week.
Friday, November 7, 2014
Heidi Somers Online Training Program - Review
Well my first 6 weeks of the Heidi Somers training program are completed and I thought I would give a review of not only the program, but of her.
In regards to the program:
It is an online training program. I paid for 6 weeks of meal and strength training. It cost me less than $200. She responded in less than 24 hours on my inquiry, and she had my meals and exercises ready about a week after I sent her payment via PayPal. My meals were the same for all 6 weeks, and she detailed my breakfast, lunch, dinner, post workout, and snacks on the meal plan. There were a few items that I changed after her acceptance of the changes. One of them was a cabbage dish, I personally am not a fan of cabbage so I swapped it with Spinach. And the other was grapefruit. Now I love grapefruits, but for the past two weeks the ones I picked up at the market were not good, so I switched to oranges. With an online program, you still are your sole motivator. She laid the foundation for me, and I had to follow it. There were days I didn't work out due to time maintenance or being sick, and there were times when I cheated on my diet. In the end, I know it was my cheat days that really hindered me from losing more inches and weight.
The Flaws of the Program:
This is just in general to any online program. You have to do all the work. No one is going to cook your food for you, no one is going to be at the gym telling you to do it again, or lift hard, or walk more. It's all you. And it's very easy to mentally break down, but you have to want it. At the end of the day, it is your sole responsibility to get out of the rut you physically put yourself into.
In regards to Heidi:
I had followed Heidi on Instagram and YouTube, so I knew she was a BioRhythm athlete and spokesperson, and to be honest, I was fearful that she was going to be just like every other nutritionist or trainer that I spoke to and start selling me a ton of products. She never once mentioned BioRhythm in the 6 weeks we've worked together. She did not try to sell me on any products whatsoever. She did mention 3 supplements that I should take, but they could be found at my local vitamin store. Thru emails you can tell she has a very bubbly and friendly personality. 90% of the time she responded within 48 hours of my emails. She seems very knowledgeable about her chosen career field, and when it came to preparing my plan, it appeared that she took time to research my physical capabilities and I was never hungry.
The Downsides I Faced with Heidi:
There was one particular week that my email was overlooked and I had to email her again to take a look at it. After that she did work hard to make up for that error. I think she could personally be more active in checking in with her clients and I say that knowing full well it is expected that the Client is suppose to check in with her once a week at minimum. I just think it would mean a bit more to her clients, if she also did random check-ins. Just a simple text or email, asking if everything is going well, anything need to be changed, or for my case "GET YOUR ASS UP AND GO TO THE GYM"
Just in general with online trainers, I wonder how many clients they have to give a sort of individualized attention that each client needs. Not every body is created equal, and I know for me I'm a rather large client with way different needs than others.
Overall:
I lost 17 pounds, and I'll have to look back at my journal to see the inches I lost. But I definitely didn't gain. And I even purchased another 16 weeks with Heidi for the following reasons.
1) I can't do this on my own.
2) I spent 3 months searching and she's the only one to offer to help.
3) I know if I was 100% committed, I can do better on my weight loss.
4) I faced one "flaw" with her in 6 weeks time, not bad.
I think I'm going to commit myself to working with Heidi for a year. I want to not be this size anymore and I want to make it work. I can be a completely better version of myself with her help.
Check out Heidi Somers on the following platforms.
Heidi Somers YouTube
Heidi Somers Instagram
Heidi Somers Facebook
In regards to the program:
It is an online training program. I paid for 6 weeks of meal and strength training. It cost me less than $200. She responded in less than 24 hours on my inquiry, and she had my meals and exercises ready about a week after I sent her payment via PayPal. My meals were the same for all 6 weeks, and she detailed my breakfast, lunch, dinner, post workout, and snacks on the meal plan. There were a few items that I changed after her acceptance of the changes. One of them was a cabbage dish, I personally am not a fan of cabbage so I swapped it with Spinach. And the other was grapefruit. Now I love grapefruits, but for the past two weeks the ones I picked up at the market were not good, so I switched to oranges. With an online program, you still are your sole motivator. She laid the foundation for me, and I had to follow it. There were days I didn't work out due to time maintenance or being sick, and there were times when I cheated on my diet. In the end, I know it was my cheat days that really hindered me from losing more inches and weight.
The Flaws of the Program:
This is just in general to any online program. You have to do all the work. No one is going to cook your food for you, no one is going to be at the gym telling you to do it again, or lift hard, or walk more. It's all you. And it's very easy to mentally break down, but you have to want it. At the end of the day, it is your sole responsibility to get out of the rut you physically put yourself into.
In regards to Heidi:
I had followed Heidi on Instagram and YouTube, so I knew she was a BioRhythm athlete and spokesperson, and to be honest, I was fearful that she was going to be just like every other nutritionist or trainer that I spoke to and start selling me a ton of products. She never once mentioned BioRhythm in the 6 weeks we've worked together. She did not try to sell me on any products whatsoever. She did mention 3 supplements that I should take, but they could be found at my local vitamin store. Thru emails you can tell she has a very bubbly and friendly personality. 90% of the time she responded within 48 hours of my emails. She seems very knowledgeable about her chosen career field, and when it came to preparing my plan, it appeared that she took time to research my physical capabilities and I was never hungry.
The Downsides I Faced with Heidi:
There was one particular week that my email was overlooked and I had to email her again to take a look at it. After that she did work hard to make up for that error. I think she could personally be more active in checking in with her clients and I say that knowing full well it is expected that the Client is suppose to check in with her once a week at minimum. I just think it would mean a bit more to her clients, if she also did random check-ins. Just a simple text or email, asking if everything is going well, anything need to be changed, or for my case "GET YOUR ASS UP AND GO TO THE GYM"
Just in general with online trainers, I wonder how many clients they have to give a sort of individualized attention that each client needs. Not every body is created equal, and I know for me I'm a rather large client with way different needs than others.
Overall:
I lost 17 pounds, and I'll have to look back at my journal to see the inches I lost. But I definitely didn't gain. And I even purchased another 16 weeks with Heidi for the following reasons.
1) I can't do this on my own.
2) I spent 3 months searching and she's the only one to offer to help.
3) I know if I was 100% committed, I can do better on my weight loss.
4) I faced one "flaw" with her in 6 weeks time, not bad.
I think I'm going to commit myself to working with Heidi for a year. I want to not be this size anymore and I want to make it work. I can be a completely better version of myself with her help.
Check out Heidi Somers on the following platforms.
Heidi Somers YouTube
Heidi Somers Instagram
Heidi Somers Facebook
Wednesday, November 5, 2014
Round 2 - Get Lean by 2015
As I mentioned in my previous post, I purchased another 16 weeks with Heidi Somers. That's four months of her helping me GET LEAN BY 2015. I'll break it up into 4 week segments and post monthly results.
Overall Goals this time around.
I want to get below 400 lbs. I want to be a size smaller in ALL brands of jeans that I own. I few of them are baggy on the waist now, but I have like 4 brands of jeans and of course clothes are never universal.
I have a cruise lined up for Mid-December, so by that time I'd like to be able to walk 3 miles at one time without stopping. I'm going to shoot for 1.5 hours to complete but I pretty sure I can beat that on the treadmill. I'm going to Cozumel with my Best Friend and I want to be able to keep up with the group while we tour the Mayan Ruins, I don't want to ruin her experience because she has to stay behind with me. Plus I hear that the food is great and available at every corner on a cruise, so I want to know I can resist temptation.
And most of all, I want to not cheat on my diet this time around. I know sometimes going to the gym is impossible to due my body saying no, or just my school schedule saying No to gym but Yes to sleep. I do not want to waiver from my select diet plan.
I need to find a meal replacement bar that I can grab and go to keep in my purse for days that I don't make it home for lunch due to being hectic at work. I know I've bough Quest Bars several times, but I wonder if that's the best High Protein, Low Carb/Low Sugar bar out there.
Overall Goals this time around.
I want to get below 400 lbs. I want to be a size smaller in ALL brands of jeans that I own. I few of them are baggy on the waist now, but I have like 4 brands of jeans and of course clothes are never universal.
I have a cruise lined up for Mid-December, so by that time I'd like to be able to walk 3 miles at one time without stopping. I'm going to shoot for 1.5 hours to complete but I pretty sure I can beat that on the treadmill. I'm going to Cozumel with my Best Friend and I want to be able to keep up with the group while we tour the Mayan Ruins, I don't want to ruin her experience because she has to stay behind with me. Plus I hear that the food is great and available at every corner on a cruise, so I want to know I can resist temptation.
And most of all, I want to not cheat on my diet this time around. I know sometimes going to the gym is impossible to due my body saying no, or just my school schedule saying No to gym but Yes to sleep. I do not want to waiver from my select diet plan.
I need to find a meal replacement bar that I can grab and go to keep in my purse for days that I don't make it home for lunch due to being hectic at work. I know I've bough Quest Bars several times, but I wonder if that's the best High Protein, Low Carb/Low Sugar bar out there.
Week 6 - Final Week & Results
Well I finally got a hold of Heidi. She answered my question, and since then had been actively communicating with me.
There was nothing phenomenal that occurred during week 6 either. I followed the diet and worked out for 5 days.
As for my results. I lost a total of 17 lbs. Yay me!!
Overall my experience on this program was great. 90% of the time Heidi was communicative and I was motivated.
I cheated on my meals every now and then, and I had my ups and down with exercising. I think I could have lost more weight if I was 100% committed. Who knew that during these particular 6 weeks, I was going to go thru an emotional roller coaster with my personal life.
I ended up purchasing the 16 week plan from Heidi. I have a cruise planned for mid December and I want to not be winded from all the touristy walking and constant step climbing I'll be doing on the boat. I also want to reach my goal of being under 400 lbs, and I'd like to go a pant size down in all the different types of jeans that I owe.
Where I saw myself falter was in the time maintenance department. I started off really hard and strong in the beginning, with meal prepping and having everything prepared and ready for a "Grab and Go" situation, but then as I got flustered with school and work and family situation, I saw my meal/snack prep just deplete, and it was in those times that something convenient always won out in the end.
I want to be better, I just need to do it. There are no excuses in this lifestyle journey I'm trying to make. I think I could have seen a lot better results if I fully committed. But now that I know what I did wrong, I can make myself better in these next 4 months with Heidi.
Round 2 here we come!
There was nothing phenomenal that occurred during week 6 either. I followed the diet and worked out for 5 days.
As for my results. I lost a total of 17 lbs. Yay me!!
Overall my experience on this program was great. 90% of the time Heidi was communicative and I was motivated.
I cheated on my meals every now and then, and I had my ups and down with exercising. I think I could have lost more weight if I was 100% committed. Who knew that during these particular 6 weeks, I was going to go thru an emotional roller coaster with my personal life.
I ended up purchasing the 16 week plan from Heidi. I have a cruise planned for mid December and I want to not be winded from all the touristy walking and constant step climbing I'll be doing on the boat. I also want to reach my goal of being under 400 lbs, and I'd like to go a pant size down in all the different types of jeans that I owe.
Where I saw myself falter was in the time maintenance department. I started off really hard and strong in the beginning, with meal prepping and having everything prepared and ready for a "Grab and Go" situation, but then as I got flustered with school and work and family situation, I saw my meal/snack prep just deplete, and it was in those times that something convenient always won out in the end.
I want to be better, I just need to do it. There are no excuses in this lifestyle journey I'm trying to make. I think I could have seen a lot better results if I fully committed. But now that I know what I did wrong, I can make myself better in these next 4 months with Heidi.
Round 2 here we come!
Friday, October 24, 2014
Week 5 - [Insert Big Dramatic Sigh]
Things were going well. I hadn't missed a day of working out or eating properly. I was feeling good. Then Thursday happened.
I had this goal. Get up early, go to the gym for 2 hours, detail my car, clean my apartment, and then go back to the gym for another hour of cardio and strength training. It was a good goal for my day off.
I was an hour off schedule to go to the gym, only because after a week of phone tag I finally got to talk to my best friend. So it was a well deserved distraction.
Anyway, I get to the gym and walked my mile and did it under 25 minutes. I'm getting better at that. Then I went to the free weights and did some toe touches, knee lifts, and some stretches. Then on my way to weight machines I decided to stop by the locker room and weigh myself.
Here's my thinking. I have a heavy duty standard "analog" scale. You know the one that maxes out at 300 lbs, so it spins around again for your weight. That's what I have, and that's what I've been using to determine my starting weight and my current weight.
I'm 15-20 lbs away from being at the 400 lb mark. Which to me, I'm classifying that as a milestone. I don't know how long I've been over 400 lbs but getting there makes me excited to know I never want to be this weight again.
Anyway, I wanted to weigh myself so I can take a picture of the numbers and do a happy dance for when I finally cross that under 400 lbs threshold.
Now I know that not all scales are created equal, but fucking shit, this one was DRASTICALLY different. When I first hopped on it said that I weighed 456 lbs. Which not only is almost 30 lbs more than what my at home scale says I weigh, but it's also 23 lbs more than what I thought my starting weight was. I was so taken aback by this. I sat for a second and drank my water and tried really hard to get out of my head. I went to the weight machines and really worked my biceps and triceps until they were cooked spaghetti. Then did some leg presses. After I was done with those I decided to go back into the locker room to weigh myself again. I just couldn't believe that number. I hopped on again and it said I weight 443.4 lbs. Now seriously, there is no way I lost 12.6 lbs in just 20 minutes of predominantly arm workouts.
So maybe the scale is calibrated wrong. I'm not sure. I still don't like those numbers being that high. I realistically know I've lost both pounds and inches so I should feel good, but honestly I don't.
Seeing that number makes me realize I'm further away from the Under 400lb Milestone I want to reach. And what if the gym scale is more accurate than my at home scale? That means that my starting weight was worse than what I originally thought. And thinking that makes me feel utterly disgusted in myself.
How can a person walk at such a huge weight? Let alone be alive at that weight without being riddled with diseases. I mean I didn't have high blood pressure, my cholesterol isn't high, I am pre-diabetic, but not diabetic enough for my doctors to have given me metformin or any other pill that lowers blood sugar.
I'm beyond discouraged. I wanted to cry and eat a dozen cookies. I logically know that it took me 25 years of bad eating to get to this weight, and I know there is not some magical pill to make me lose 100 lbs over night. But I feel like it's a set back. And yes losing, close to 15 lbs in a month is a great goal to achieve. It's better than gaining weight or staying the same.
Can't I just be upset for a while? Maybe this is the motivation I need to kick my ass in to gear.
And to top off my shitty Thursday, my rent is going up $25. I hate that, but I also decreased my phone bill by $100 so it will all work out. I just needed to vent.
And lastly, it has been seven days since I sent my trainer that email. I wanted to renew with her for another 12 to 16 weeks thinking we can really kick it into gear, but now I'm somewhat second guessing that. But I know there's no way I can do this on my own, and if I struggled to find someone to help me before, I doubt that will miraculously change.
[insert big dramatic sigh]
Well here's the number on that stupid gym scale. God I hate looking at it. But the only silver lining I have to all of this, is that when the gym scale dips below the 400 mark, I can then do a mini celebratory dance!!
I had this goal. Get up early, go to the gym for 2 hours, detail my car, clean my apartment, and then go back to the gym for another hour of cardio and strength training. It was a good goal for my day off.
I was an hour off schedule to go to the gym, only because after a week of phone tag I finally got to talk to my best friend. So it was a well deserved distraction.
Anyway, I get to the gym and walked my mile and did it under 25 minutes. I'm getting better at that. Then I went to the free weights and did some toe touches, knee lifts, and some stretches. Then on my way to weight machines I decided to stop by the locker room and weigh myself.
Here's my thinking. I have a heavy duty standard "analog" scale. You know the one that maxes out at 300 lbs, so it spins around again for your weight. That's what I have, and that's what I've been using to determine my starting weight and my current weight.
I'm 15-20 lbs away from being at the 400 lb mark. Which to me, I'm classifying that as a milestone. I don't know how long I've been over 400 lbs but getting there makes me excited to know I never want to be this weight again.
Anyway, I wanted to weigh myself so I can take a picture of the numbers and do a happy dance for when I finally cross that under 400 lbs threshold.
And here is where my world went dark.
Now I know that not all scales are created equal, but fucking shit, this one was DRASTICALLY different. When I first hopped on it said that I weighed 456 lbs. Which not only is almost 30 lbs more than what my at home scale says I weigh, but it's also 23 lbs more than what I thought my starting weight was. I was so taken aback by this. I sat for a second and drank my water and tried really hard to get out of my head. I went to the weight machines and really worked my biceps and triceps until they were cooked spaghetti. Then did some leg presses. After I was done with those I decided to go back into the locker room to weigh myself again. I just couldn't believe that number. I hopped on again and it said I weight 443.4 lbs. Now seriously, there is no way I lost 12.6 lbs in just 20 minutes of predominantly arm workouts.
So maybe the scale is calibrated wrong. I'm not sure. I still don't like those numbers being that high. I realistically know I've lost both pounds and inches so I should feel good, but honestly I don't.
Seeing that number makes me realize I'm further away from the Under 400lb Milestone I want to reach. And what if the gym scale is more accurate than my at home scale? That means that my starting weight was worse than what I originally thought. And thinking that makes me feel utterly disgusted in myself.
How can a person walk at such a huge weight? Let alone be alive at that weight without being riddled with diseases. I mean I didn't have high blood pressure, my cholesterol isn't high, I am pre-diabetic, but not diabetic enough for my doctors to have given me metformin or any other pill that lowers blood sugar.
I'm beyond discouraged. I wanted to cry and eat a dozen cookies. I logically know that it took me 25 years of bad eating to get to this weight, and I know there is not some magical pill to make me lose 100 lbs over night. But I feel like it's a set back. And yes losing, close to 15 lbs in a month is a great goal to achieve. It's better than gaining weight or staying the same.
Can't I just be upset for a while? Maybe this is the motivation I need to kick my ass in to gear.
And to top off my shitty Thursday, my rent is going up $25. I hate that, but I also decreased my phone bill by $100 so it will all work out. I just needed to vent.
And lastly, it has been seven days since I sent my trainer that email. I wanted to renew with her for another 12 to 16 weeks thinking we can really kick it into gear, but now I'm somewhat second guessing that. But I know there's no way I can do this on my own, and if I struggled to find someone to help me before, I doubt that will miraculously change.
[insert big dramatic sigh]
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