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“PowerStrength has Saved My Life:” Busy Mom drops 50 Pounds, Gains New Lease on Life
Being a parent takes a lot of things, including time. Children become your priority, and many times you, and specifically your health, take a back seat.
Nathalie Hautala is the mother of 4 children ranging in age from 18-24. She spent years working full-time, getting her kids where they needed to go, and setting a good example for them.
Once they got a little older, it came time for her to lead them in another way – by taking care of herself. Nathalie made the decision to live a stronger, healthier, and more energetic lifestyle.
She was familiar with PowerStrength as 3 of her kids were part of the athlete program. When Nathalie decided to change her habits, she joined PowerStrength’s 40 and Over Personal Training program.
“When I first came here I was kind of at a low point in my life, pretty depressed,” Nathalie said. “I have four kids. I was running them around. I didn’t have really any structure to my life, it was everything about my children, and I knew that I wanted to start exercising because I had put on all the mom weight, but nothing ever stuck. I went to a YMCA and would end up just on the treadmill, and that would be boring and just tried some other things, but nothing ever held me accountable, and nothing ever made me interested to keep going. My kids were athletes here, and I saw a lot of good results from my children as athletes and I saw the pop-up for the adult program, and I’m like, ‘Well, let’s try it.’ My initial goal was just to start moving, just figure out how to start moving.
I thought I would just do it for a couple of months, and then I’ll end up taking up biking or something else. I thought it was just going to be like an introduction to doing something else. I was never really good at any major sport in high school, I was always just average. But as I got in here, I was like, ‘Oh, I can do this. I actually am pretty good at this’ and then it just kept me going. I got hooked to the coaches and hooked to the community, and been here 4 years and not looking back.”
LIFE-CHANGING RESULTS
She quickly found exactly what she was looking for. Nathalie was welcomed by a community of people just like her. Similar in age, fitness level, and position in life. The trainers were knowledgeable, easy to talk to, taught what she needed to know, and pushed her when the time was right.
It was different than anything she had ever been a part of.
It worked.
Nathalie was turning a corner, not just physically, but all around.
“Mentally, PowerStrength has changed my life,” she said. “I can see the difference in my attitude as I go throughout the day after I’ve had a work out in the morning. But I think PowerStrength has saved my life, physically and mentally. I’m the healthiest I’ve ever been in my entire existence. At 54 I’m healthier now than I was in my 20s, I believe. All my lab work is perfect. I’m not on any hypertension medication or any pre-diabetes medications that runs in my family. But mentally it is what I need to do something for me and to invest in myself and my coworkers notice it when I have I had a workout in that morning, they can tell by my mood. I eat better during the day, because I know I worked out that morning. It just helps with everything in life, I just feel so much better about myself because I’ve invested in myself and I’ve done something for myself that day instead of everybody else.”
PowerStrength feels so much like home to Nathalie that she trains 4 sessions per week. Twice in the small group session of no more than 6 people per coach and she plusses it by doing 2 one-on-one sessions a week with PowerStrength Kentwood General Manager Stephan Cress.
“I’ve formed some really good friendships with the other members and the coaches have been a big thing for me,” Nathalie said. “I get very attached to people, I’m a nurse, I invest in people and what I noticed is that they invest back in me, and you don’t get that in a lot of places. They know me very well, they know me better than myself, Steve knows me better than myself. To have that feedback of the community members investing in you and coaches investing in you, that’s just very unique, and you don’t want to leave. You have people who actually care about you, and they care about your goals and your health and what you’re doing that week. If you haven’t been there, they check in on you, it’s great. I don’t ever see myself leaving.”
THE CHEAT CODE
The hard work and dedication that Nathalie has shown in the gym is indispensable, but it alone could have created the change that she has seen.
It has been her consistent training coupled with improved nutrition that has spurred her transformation.
“I had a major lifestyle change where I was not only exercising, but I also invested myself in the nutrition aspect and everything else I needed to do to change my life,” Nathalie said. “I’m a whole different person. I used to live off of fast food. I would be a full-time nurse, and then I’d be a taxicab driver for my kids, and we lived off of fast food. It’s interesting that you put your kids in sports to teach them about being active, but then you’re feeding them junk because you don’t have time to be healthy. I learned a lot from the trainers in the beginning and it’s changed my complete life, I’m a fitness nut, and that’s what my co-workers call me. It’s very different than how I used to live my life as a mom.”
The knowledge that she has gained from her PowerStrength trainers has been invaluable to her success story.
“I knew nothing about nutrition, even as a nurse, They don’t really teach you a lot as a nurse for nutrition. I learned more about nutrition here than I did in my schooling for nursing.”
PERSONAL TRAINING
Personal Training is what PowerStrength does. In most cases, it is in a small group atmosphere of 1-6 people, to allow for individualized attention from expert trainers. PSTS also offers one-on-one training for those who need even more focused attention.
Nathalie is taking advantage of both and it is rendering tremendous results.
“I have some goals,” she said. “I have a weight loss goal, and I’ve lost 50 pounds with PowerStrength and gained a lot of muscle. Steve keeps me on track and besides the training, it’s a friendship, and it’s priceless for me. I think I actually push myself more when I’m in my one-on-ones, I just like the accountability. Steve keeps me accountable to my goals, and it’s really hard to give up when you have somebody who is really investing in you and wants to see you get better, and he’s always pushing me to come up with a different goal, and work towards it. He knows when to distract me with things. I don’t see myself giving that up either. It’s just a nice mix of having both.”
After many years of supporting her children and setting them up for success in life, Nathalie is making it happen by investing in herself in a big way with winning results.
“I’ve just made it my investment to myself,” she said. “Not everybody can do that financially, and there has been some times where I’ve thought about what can I do to cut some corners, but I also have a strong faith, and I’ve been able to continue. I still have four kids to support, and I’m a single mom, so I make it work, and the kids know that it’s my commitment to myself, and it’s my priority.”
A SHINING EXAMPLE
Nathalie has always been a brilliant role model for her children, and she continues to be even as they have grown up. Being healthy is something that the whole family is taking pride in.
“They were very supportive, very excited for me,” Nathalie said referring to her kids. “It did get to the point where they said ‘Chill out,’ because everything was about PowerStrength. We talked about PowerStrength at the dinner table, but they’re still very supportive of me right now, even four years later, and they’re very proud of me and how I’ve changed. Now I try to be an example for them that with the genetics in our family, we can definitely hold on to some weight and I try to be an example that you can change, and if you live the right lifestyle you can be healthy.”
She is not just setting a great example as a mother, but in her job as well.
“As a nurse dealing with patients, I was in primary care for schooling as a nurse practitioner, and seeing all these patients coming in at age 25 with pre-diabetics and obesity, I was just so sad,” she said. “I thought that I’m going to be that way if I don’t shape up. And then how can I be a nurse practitioner and give all this advice as far as exercising regularly and eating well and doing all these things, if I’m not living it myself. How can I be an example to my patients? That was another reason why I decided to change my life to be an example for my patients.”
Natalie’s transformation has been remarkable, but she is not alone. People are changing their lives every day at PowerStrength.
The hardest part is often walking in the door, once inside, the coaches and community handle the rest. Nathalie has some advice for those that might need a change, but are concerned about taking the first step.
“I would tell people not to be afraid. When I first came in it was very intimidating, you see all these weights, and you see all these people, and they’re lifting weights, and you’re like, ‘gosh, I don’t know if I can do that,’ and especially if you haven’t moved for a while, you don’t have that mobility, but the way the coaches just embrace every community member that walks in here, it doesn’t matter what shape or size they are, they just embrace them and get to know them as people and love them as people. That’s the thing that draws me here the most is how much they truly love on everybody. They’re always positive. No one’s ever in a bad mood. I don’t know how they do it (laughs), they put their game faces on every day. I would just tell people not to be afraid and just try it, and you’ll love it. I didn’t think I’d be able to do it and now I can’t stop.”
READY TO TAKE CONTROL?
Men and Women over 40 who want to get stronger and have more energy can join the personal training programs at PowerStrength at any time. No previous workout experience is required as each program is customized to the fitness and ability level of each individual.
Multiple personal training sessions are offered in the early morning, mid-morning, late afternoon, and evening. Find your nearest PowerStrength location – Alpine, Kentwood, Jenison, Plainfield – and Holland COMING SOON!
Click HERE to learn more program details and schedule your risk-free consultation.
