My clients are going to enjoy this way too much....

Sadist, Satan's spawn, mean Lauren, crazy, masochist, the devil behind the smile... I have been called them all. Nearing 7 years as a personal trainer and hundreds of clients, I still look back and laugh at all the names my dear suffering clients have called me in the midst of their 5 set of lunges at 6am. Many times during a rest this was followed with "it's easy for you because you're naturally in shape and you work in a gym all day" which I always laughed off or pointed out that I had lost about 25 lbs a few years back after a tough year (I dropped it in 2 months from over training and under eating mind you).

Oh how I wish I could take all those laughs back now because the tables are turning...

In case you haven't been kept in the loop, or you don't know me and are reading this for a good laugh and some inspiration, let me do a quick recap of my life in health and exercise...

I've been a personal trainer on and off for about 7 years but took a job with Life Time Fitness in March 2006 just shy of 21 years old. I've worked with a wide variety of clients from young athletes to models to rehabilitative injuries to older guys wanting to convince themselves that can still look 20 :) and to many many many weight loss clients. I've worked all sides of the fitness triangle... nutrition, strength training, and cardiovascular training. I was a volleyball player in high school and became a gym rat after graduating. I got into running December of 2007, did a few road and trail races, and even had a running coach that some early mornings on a track I wanted to throw my shoe at (love you Ian). Once I became a runner I was always feeling great and stayed in shape.

Fast Forward to August 2009...
I packed up my apartment and puppy in Centreville, Virginia and drove 3 looong days to Phoenix, Arizona. What I thought was going to be a huge upswing in my life (awesome weather, low cost of living, beautiful Life Time Tempe club, lots of mountains to run on and keeping the money I made so I could have fun) turned out to be... well not so much. I was in a disaster of a club, the program I was brought in to run was bulldozed before I got there (first paycheck $300) and I couldn't find a way of out the quick sand. So on November 3rd 2009 I did what I thought I would never do... I walked about from my job at Life Time and the career I loved. Crying ensued... blah blah let's move on.

So the past 4 months have flipped my whole life and how I live it out of balance. Insanely low income (thank you too many friends and family who helped me out the past few months I love you all dearly) no gym (ah!) poor eating habits, what I cant wear sneakers and running shorts to work? I felt like crap, I was very depressed, my workouts grew farther and farther apart (finally got a gym membership again late December 2009) and hello weight gain and poor endurance. And well my spandex yoga pants just don't look so hot anymore.

So now its time for a taste of my own medicine.....