Client of the Month: Esmee
Esmee was having a hard time feeling herself again after having a baby – and going back to work made things even tougher.
She felt like she was in a constant state of sleep deprivation and found it almost impossible to summon the motivation to exercise or eat more healthily on top of everything else.
Esmee’s sister, who was already undergoing her own transformation at Ultimate Performance Amsterdam, encouraged her to sign up and get the support of a dedicated personal trainer.
After the first 20 weeks, Esmee feels like a woman transformed – she has got her diet in hand, she has slimmed down and got strong, and regained focus at work.
But the best of all, she says feeling fit, healthy and confident has enhanced family life and made her a better mum.
“I felt happy with my body again. I felt my pre-pregnancy glow was back. And definitely felt more attractive to my husband."I could focus a lot better at work. I felt more relaxed and less stressed. And it definitely helped me be a better mum because I had more patience.
"The effect it had on my health and family life was that I was a lot happier; I had a lot more energy to play with my son. Also, my relationship is better now, because I am not cranky anymore.”
A HAPPIER YOU IS A BETTER YOU!
Esmee says she was eating all the wrong foods and snacking all the time. She still managed to exercise twice a week doing cardio training, but she says it was getting her nowhere.
U.P.’s structured programme naturally put an end to all of that. She had a fixed nutrition plan that took the guesswork out of the diet completely and paired the food plan with targeted weight training and cardio regime. The impact was instantaneous.
“I was eating at certain times and not snacking. I was drinking a lot more water and trying to sleep at least 8 hours a night – at least if the baby didn’t wake me.
"I felt a lot more energetic and felt the changes immediately – also because of the weight training, my body felt a lot stronger. Even carrying my baby all the time felt easier."
Having to jump back into work and focus on your career while raising a family is tough for any new parent, but Esmee feels that being fitter and eating better really gave her the boost she needed.
For Esmee, it really feels like a while new lease of life – it gave her more of a positive mindset and gave her physical as well as mental strength.
“My trainer Sigrid helped me a lot. She was very strict but kind at the same time. She sometimes snapped me out of it when I was feeling rebellious in any way. It also helps that I really enjoyed weight lifting – something I thought I would never like it because I'm used to team sports.
“It changed my way of exercising, and I would definitely recommend lifting weights to my girlfriends instead of cardio all the time. Especially post-pregnancy, because you gain your core back a lot easier.
“Before I wasn’t really that interested in weight lifting because I had the notion it was something for guys. But I love to see muscle on myself now! I feel very powerful that I am more muscular than before, and I like it a lot better than being really skinny.
"I look at the mirror, and I actually like what I see whereas before I was judgmental of myself. I feel strong and confident, and I now know that if I set my mind on something, I can achieve it."
