Amy's story.
Before we started, Amy was, in her own words, a huge ball of anxiety. No way was she walking into a gym full of people she thought would judge her. She had zero confidence in her ability to do anything beyond the treadmill. She tried crash diets, not eating, home workouts. None of it stuck.
When she first came to me she was completely open about every single fear she had. So we started with baby steps. I'd meet her at her car and walk her in. I'd introduce her to people. Each week we'd add something new — a new machine, a new exercise — just enough to push without overwhelming.
Then came the free weights room. Her exact words: 'ABSOLUTELY NOT.'
She got in that room. It became her favourite part of the gym.
Along the way she had panic attacks mid-session. We dealt with them — her on the floor, legs up the wall, me sat next to her talking rubbish until she came back round. No drama. Just getting through it together.
She lost weight slowly — because she wasn't starving herself. She started loving food again. Each week she added a bit more weight to the bar. And somewhere in all of that, she went from someone who would do anything to not be seen in a gym to someone who walks in on her own, asks for help from strangers, and actually looks forward to going.
The gym went from something she feared to somewhere she feels safe.
