Our website is currently down but we couldnt wait to share our Athlete of the Month with you. The amazing Karine Denis - a beauty both inside and out. Here is her story: When I was told that I was chosen by the DF team to be the Athlete of the Month for November, I was speechless, stunned and honoured at the same time. Although it’s not easy sharing such a personal story, writing this has made me realize how far I’ve come, not only physically but also with my overall well-being. Growing up I was a pretty active child, we would spend our days outdoors playing in parks, riding our bikes until sunset, getting more than enough daily exercise without even knowing it. Although looking back, I realize that most of my family and friends didn’t have the necessary information and tools on how to upkeep a nutritious and balanced diet. Naturally, once I reached my teens and that my lifestyle became less and less active, the pounds started creeping up. I all of a sudden found myself in somewhat of a rut: low self-esteem, unmotivated, unhappy and for the first time in my life I was very self-conscious about my body image. This continued for a few years, even when I attended University, I attempted to change my unhealthy lifestyle but found myself eating away my stress with comfort foods! In 2010, once I completed my post-secondary education and found myself an occupation that brought me a sense of pride and empowerment, I decided it was time for me to take charge of other areas in my life that were holding me back from becoming the best version of me! I joined the gym and slowly started taking an interest in nutrition and applied my new knowledge to the kitchen. I quickly noticed that I was feeling more energized, I had more motivation, I was sleeping better and that my overall well-being was improving. The physical change did not come right away; it came progressively but I knew this was the healthy way of doing it…with a lot of hard work, consistency and constantly pushing myself outside my comfort zone! As the DF instructors would say: “If it doesn’t challenge you it won’t change you.” I have to admit that I was a little intimidated when I first joined the group training classes but that feeling quickly faded as the instructors were so welcoming, encouraging and they gave everyone options: weather it’s an exercise variation for beginners or modifications for people who want to make their work out a little more challenging. I really appreciate how these group trainings could be individually adapted to each person’s fitness level. I wish I could give you an exact number for my weight loss, but I’ve never relied on the scale to measure my progress. Instead, I measure my progress by how I feel, and I can tell you I feel strong, I feel happy, and most of all, I feel healthy! I am grateful for my journey to fitness as it taught me that a healthy body means a healthy mind, I now have a whole new relationship and appreciation for food, and I enjoy fueling my body with nutrient dense foods. The group trainings at DF have become part of my weekly routine and I’m completely hooked on the feeling I get post-workout. Although I still have some personal goals I’d like to achieve I am proud of my progress. Investing in my health was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made, I truly believe that we should treat our body as a temple and we can begin to do that by being an active participant in our own wellbeing, rather than just a bystander.
Posted on: Sat, 01 Nov 2014 15:52:06 +0000
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