Amanda Mechanic

Tell me about your life before Vision?

As a kid, I had never loved exercise and was never very fit, at school I was always the lazy one on the team who wouldn't run for the ball but merely wait for it to come to me. When I moved to Australia I joined one of those big gyms and used to do group classes as I was never confident enough to do anything on my own. After a workout, I used to reward myself for working so hard by eating junk foods as I had 'clearly earned it'. Obviously, I wasn't seeing any results for my efforts and I never really had. My mum and aunty were training at Vision Personal Training and I saw the great results they were achieving and thought it's time to make a change. I then received a birthday present that would go onto change my life…..my first Training Program at Vision Brighton.

What Results have you achieved?

Since joining Vision I have completed a number of different fitness events including 2 half marathons, run for kids, 60km Coast Trek, 2 x Eureka Stair Climb and a large number of 5-10km fun runs. I had never previously done an event and the first time I tried running, I made it 2.5kms in before giving up. I have also lost around 10kgs and more importantly 8% in body fat!

How has life changed for you?

There are two things that stand out most clearly for me that I can truly say have changed my life and had a big impact on me. I now view food very differently, I understand and can control my emotions relating to food which previously I was unable to do, leading to a bad relationship between myself and what I was eating. My education and knowledge around nutrition is a million times better and I know now that healthy food tastes great too! Exercise used to feel like a burden to me whereas now it is the part of my day that excites me and I look forward to! I use my workout now as a stress relief and escape from areas of life. I love achieving goals and events that I never thought I could do, one day I would love to run a full marathon as well as a half marathon in another country. My husband and I exercise most weekends together and have completed multiple events together, it has definitely been an important part of our relationship.  A big milestone for me personally is that for the first time in my adult life I' am now classified within the healthy weight range by doctor's standards. As a 20yr old I was told by a doctor I was overweight/obese and I had never managed to shake that until now!

What is your favourite thing about training at Vision?

Oh, it's hard to just pick one thing, there are so many. I love the feeling of training in a community or a big family where everyone knows and supports each other. I get to train with my mum who has been a massive inspiration to me and the reason I started in the first place. The Trainers here are amazing and I have to thank Dan and Dee especially for working with me, however every trainer makes an effort and shows you how much they care. They all take the time to check in with you and understand your goals so you never feel on your own. Secondly all the tools you need to achieve your goals are right here, and you can be assured that if you follow your program you will achieve the result. There is no aimless training or going through the motions.

What advice would you give someone in a similar situation to where you were, and is thinking about making a change? 

I would say take your goals seriously, you deserve to achieve whatever you want to. Surround yourself with the right people and follow the right program for you and it is all so achievable, get off the couch! Manage your expectations correctly, don't set yourself up to fail. Know that if you need to pull back, it's okay but have a plan in place. Be realistic with your goals and don't ever beat yourself up over mistakes, they are all part of the journey.