In February of 2017, Haley Rathe began her weight loss journey. Over the last four years, she has lost a whopping 92 pounds!
After attending a friend’s engagement party, Haley had an epiphany. She saw herself in some photos with her friends and thought “you are too young to be this unhappy with yourself.” That was the moment she committed to bettering her health, both physical and mental.
Check Out The 28-Day Weight Loss Challenge
It wasn’t always easy for Haley. “Almost every day I wanted to give up,” she said. “It was so frustrating to go out to eat, for example, and all my girlfriends order whatever they want, and I would get a chicken salad with the dressing on the side.” This is a great example of the sacrifices we make in the name of achieving our goals. Haley would also get picked up by her friend five days a week to workout at 7:00 a.m. Excuses were always easy to make up, but luckily she had a friend who would push her. For a lot of people, supportive and motivating friends and family are the most important part of their fitness journey.
Xperience Fitness turned out to be the perfect place for Haley. “Xperience was definitely a place that never made me feel like I didn’t fit in,” she said. “Everyone smiles and says hello. It’s just a positive environment.” Intimidation is something that many people fear when going to a new gym, and Xperience strives to be a warm and welcoming place to everyone.
Working out and losing unwanted weight has a ripple effect and causes benefits that go far beyond the gym. Haley has more energy throughout the day now and overall feels stronger and happier. “I love to see what I can do at the gym. The progress I can make when I lift weights makes me feel like I can do anything.”
The work isn’t over, though. There are always new goals we want to set and work towards. “I continuously make new fitness goals, small ones, week to week. It makes it easier that way, to me. I plan out my gym days to fit into my work schedule, and make grocery lists,” Haley said.
Hitting goals takes time, and Haley knows all about that. “Whatever your weight loss or fitness goal is, it’s not going to happen overnight,” she advised others. “It’s going to test your mind and your body, but all good things take time. I always tried to remember why I was working so hard, and what I was working toward. Everyone at the gym is working toward something different, so don’t let where others are at make you feel like you’re not where you’re supposed to be.”
Thank you for all that you’ve shared, Haley, and good luck as you continue your journey!