Matt felt like he had revamped his lifestyle many times on his own. He would be what he had defined as “good” for a couple weeks. He’d hit the grocery store, prep his food, “eat clean,” do some form of exercise everyday, prioritize sleep, and stop going out. No exceptions!
Until, something would interfere. Stress from work, social occasions, or just the overall end of the day exhaustion from parenting, some thing seemed to always break his streak.
After years of struggling with his health alone, he decided to give Paragon a try, thinking “maybe a trainer will add some accountability.”
His first workout went well; it was hard, but he left feeling accomplished and hopeful, not rundown and fatigued. He signed up for a trial, and loved the accountability, but slowly began to learn the benefits of being flexible in his health routine.
Previously, Matt had been told over and over again that he needed more self-discipline and willpower to get healthy and stay fit. But, after a few months at Paragon, he began shifting his approach to being more flexible with his schedule, prepping his main meals for the week but still enjoying time out with friends, exercising regularly and actually enjoying it.
In one and a half years, he’s gained a lot of strength and set personal records he hadn’t imagined. He can keep up with his kids and doesn’t feel exhausted after a day of work. He has enjoyed the process enough that preparing some healthy food for the week doesn’t feel like a punishment – he’s living his healthiest life yet.
Two things that Matt recommends after almost 200 sessions at Paragon?
- Find a coach or a friend that holds you accountable, but also celebrates your wins and makes the gym fun! It was really hard for Matt to stick to working out when it felt like he was doing it “wrong”, and it felt like punishment for his bad habits.
- Approach your routine with flexibility. Rigidity sounded like a solution when he felt guilty for “messing” up in the past, but he has learned his mindset and routine need to compliment his life instead of punishing him for living it
