Client spotlight: Lashanda ivy

Our 1st client spotlight of  2019 is dedicated to LaShanda Ivy! LaShanda used our training to drop the highest body fat percentage in our Transformation Challenge!

Xpress Fitness: Tell us a little about who you are, what you do?
​LaShanda: Hi!  I am LaShanda Ivy.  Originally from Prairie, MS, I moved to this area four years ago to complete graduate school.  Currently, I practice as a certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA).  I joined Xpress Fitness in July 2017, because I had become very displeased with my health.  My total cholesterol level was over 200, and I started experiencing knee pain from the extra weight I had gained.  I also found myself squeezing into clothes that once fit perfectly, and I didn’t like the person I saw in the mirror.

Xpress Fitness: What do you like to do in your free time when you are not working or working out at Xpress Fitness? Fun Fact?
LaShanda: In my spare time, I enjoy cooking, reading, and spending time with friends and family.  I also enjoy an occasional shopping spree.
 
Xpress Fitness: How is training with us different than other gyms and how have we helped you?
LaShanda: Xpress Fitness has become my “fit family.” When I began my fitness journey, current members encouraged me to push through training sessions.  I never felt isolated and the results of others inspired me to keep striving toward my goals.  Xpress Fitness offered numerous fitness challenges throughout the year, which allowed me to pair with other members of Xpress Fitness who wouldn’t let me miss workout sessions just because I wanted to be lazy.  This type of camaraderie is often unheard of at other gyms, and it is the essence of what makes Xpress Fitness the perfect training environment for me.   Since joining Xpress Fitness, I have maintained over 20 pounds of weight loss, obtained a healthy BMI, and increased my upper and lower body strength.  I have also learned how to make healthy modifications to many of the dishes that I love to cook.  Because of the unique training program provided by Xpress Fitness, healthy eating and regular exercise is no longer a fad for me, but a lifestyle.

Xpress Fitness: What motivates you to work out and maintain a healthy lifestyle?
LaShanda: In addition to the obvious changes that I see when I look in the mirror, the health I desire to have when I am 60, 70, 80, and even 90 years old motivates me to train and maintain a healthy lifestyle.  I want to maintain good health now, so that I can avoid the consequences of poor health later.

Xpress Fitness: What is your guilty pleasure food?
LaShanda: A lazy boy peach cobbler topped with vanilla ice cream. 

Xpress Fitness: What advice do you have for somebody looking to start training?
LaShanda: The only way to get started is to show up; so just do it.  Getting started can be hard, but you can never achieve goals that you never attempt.  Being healthy is a lifestyle that is attainable with hard work and consistency. If I can do it, so can you!