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This is the second blog post from a newer member of the Pittsburgh FIT community. We’ll call her “Sally” (not her real name).
Sally has has been at Pittsburgh FIT for a little while, but when I asked for their story, she didn’t want to share at first. Details have been changed to keep her anonymous, but we thought there are more than a few people that haven't started yet that could benefit from knowing what it actually feels like when you walk through the doors.
And today, she’s allowing me to tell the story through her eyes.
Hi again, it’s Sally. If you’ve been following along, you know I’m pretty new to Pittsburgh FIT. In my last post, I shared how I got started with personal training and nutrition coaching, and how I was starting to feel better and stronger. But today, I want to talk about something that honestly terrified me when I first started: the InBody.
Now, I know I mentioned this before, but for me, the InBody was a game-changer. It’s this crazy piece of technology that’s basically like a body measurement scale on steroids. It takes a look at your body fat, muscle mass, water levels, and more. The first time I saw it, I’ll admit—I was scared. I’ve been on so many different diets over the years, and I’ve always weighed myself religiously, but this was different. This wasn’t just about the number on the scale. This was going to show me exactly where I stood. And honestly? I was terrified.
When I first got on that scale, I closed one eye, hoping the number would be a bit more forgiving. But nope, it was exactly what I expected—hard to look at. The number on the scale wasn’t what I wanted, and seeing my body fat percentage? Well, that was a wake-up call. But here’s the thing—our coach explained it to me in a way I’d never thought of before. It wasn’t about the number on the scale. It was about the weight of the fat, where I was carrying it, and how much muscle I had. She told me I might even gain some muscle in the first month—and even though I didn’t love the idea of seeing the scale go up, I was willing to try.
A few years ago, I would have never been open to the idea of gaining weight. But after years of trying different diets and never really feeling like anything stuck, I had to face the truth: I needed a change. And I hoped that maybe adding a bit of muscle would help me tighten up and feel better in my body. I was so far past my “skinny jeans” I couldn’t even fit into my “respectable” jeans anymore.
After my first week at Pittsburgh FIT, I had to make some big changes. Jim and I spent some time cleaning out our kitchen and refilling it with healthier options. It wasn’t easy, and I’ll be honest, it felt like a struggle at first. The stress from work was still there, and old habits die hard. I’ve worked in a high-pressure job for over 13 years, and I’ve learned to cope with the stress by relying on food—coffee in the morning, a light salad at lunch, and then I’d fall into a pattern of mindless snacking in the afternoon. I’d always tell myself that the carbs and sugar helped me power through the day, but I knew deep down that it wasn’t the right approach.
It wasn’t just the food; it was the way I was treating myself mentally. I was so hard on myself. The negative self-talk would kick in, and I’d feel guilty every time I couldn’t keep up with the workouts or made a less-than-healthy food choice. It wasn’t helping me, but I couldn’t break the cycle.
But slowly, things started to shift. I remember those first few personal training sessions with Corey. They were hard. And I mean HARD. I wasn’t used to pushing myself like this, and every time I left the gym sore, I thought, “Well, this is what I deserve.” But Corey’s approach wasn’t about pushing me to the point of exhaustion; it was about making sure I could see progress, no matter how small. And it worked. The workouts might have been tough, but they were manageable. And as I worked through them, I started noticing little changes in my body—and in my mindset.
The turning point really came when I started working with Heather on my nutrition. She didn’t give me a strict meal plan or make me feel like I had to give up everything I loved. Instead, she helped me find a way to eat that worked for my busy schedule and my goals. Little changes—like incorporating more protein into my meals and cutting back on mindless snacking—started adding up. And guess what? I wasn’t feeling deprived. I still enjoyed my favorite foods, but I was learning how to balance them with healthier choices.
I’ll admit, the InBody scan still intimidated me when I had my next one. But this time, I saw some changes. The number on the scale might not have dropped as much as I wanted, but my muscle mass had increased, and my body fat percentage had decreased. It wasn’t a miracle, but it was progress. And that felt pretty amazing.
The stress at work didn’t magically disappear, and the old habits didn’t vanish overnight. But I was beginning to see that I didn’t have to keep living the way I had been. I could make small changes that would lead to bigger ones—and that was empowering.
In my next post, I’ll share more about how my mindset has changed and how I’ve learned to be kinder to myself throughout this process. It’s not just about losing weight or getting stronger—it’s about feeling better in my body and creating sustainable habits I can live with for the long haul. Stay tuned for more!
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