RISE Blog – Briefing Meeting 29th Jan
It must have been fate that I became involved with RISE. I’d just set up a page on Facebook to promote my newly launched beauty business and was relentlessly looking for ways to get more ‘likes’. I was almost at 50 and decided that I’d offer my 50th like a free set of eyelash extensions. My 50th like, happened to come from a member of the RISE Team and unbeknown to her she had won. So I was checking out her profile and saw this add for Macclesfield Biggest Losers a free 28 day boot camp and thought how much I’d like to be part of that process. Having been unhappy and overweight for some time I was ready to make a change in my life, the cycle of low self-esteem and comfort eating had got so out of hand.
But there was a problem. I’d been feeling run down for some time and was undergoing various tests that uncovered I had quite a serious B12 deficiency (B12 is essential to life and allows the body to produce red blood cells, red blood cells carry oxygen around the body). My B12 was so low at this point I was experiencing severe side affects including chronic fatigue, breathlessness, weight gain, skin problems and digestive problems to name a few but the most worrying was the nerve damage that had taken place, I had constant pins and needles in my hands and had developed tinnitus. Until the B12 was under control I was told by my doctor not to carry out any physical exercise.
Luckily the treatment for my condition was fast and effective, so once I’d finished the course of injections and saw another add, this time renamed The 28 Day Body Transformation I jumped at the chance to get involved. It was time to change once and for all, and this time I wasn’t going to let ill health get in my way!
I was nervous about joining, I didn’t really know what to expect but had looked at the various videos on You Tube and knowing one of the trainers I knew I’d be in good hands. This didn’t stop me being awkwardly self-conscious when I first walked through the door, I hadn’t been in a physical fitness environment for 5 years and there were thoughts rushing through my head about what people must think of how I look. But as soon as I walked in I was greeted by a very energetic hello and a big smile, which instantly put me at ease. I was shown into the Studio where two other women were sat together and straight away they started chatting to me and I felt much more comfortable as I hadn’t come with a friend and most people in that meeting were in a pair.
Jon and Matt then came and did their presentation, we had some laughs but all the while I was thinking I’m ready to take this seriously now, I’d had had enough. I left the meeting a bit bewildered, but excited. I still didn’t fully understand what was expected of me but over the coming days we were drip fed little bits of information in order to help us prepare for the first week. I must admit I had a final ‘binge’ that weekend, but once it was over I actually felt a sense of relief. I knew I had a hard journey ahead as it wasn’t just about getting fit and changing my routine I needed to face up to the truth that I had developed some really serious eating habits. Once you start a process like this there’s nowhere to hide, you have to be honest with yourself and I went to bed thinking was I ever going to go back to that place in my head that was responsible for inflicting all this self harm?
