Post #1 - Fitness

I've always enjoyed exercise... no, I've always loved exercise. There are certainly days that I get out of bed that I don't have the energy, or time to get to the gym, but I firmly believe that the one thing that can make me feel the best is getting my ass in gear. As a matter of fact, over the years I've changed almost everything about myself, my location, my eating habits, my boyfriends, my hair color, but the one thing that is constant is the fact that I have always gotten my butt to the gym. I've tried pushing myself to the limit, I competed in national dance team competitions in high school, competed in 5K's, a half-marathon and completed triathlon in 2006. I even went through a training program at the gym in my hometown to become a substitute group fitness instructor, subbing cardio kickboxing, a pilates/yoga fusion class and a 30 minute ab-intensive. I just never got my nation-wide certification in Group Fitness or Personal Training, which most gyms require in order for you to have your own fitness class. Now of course there were some weeks that I do very little, and some that I overdo it, but overall I know that if I'm going to be happy, I've got to exercise.

So, when I finally decided on a career path that I enjoyed (read my story) I always knew that I would integrate fitness into my nutrition practice one day. Currently I am the sole proprietor of a company called BEE Lifestyle, which is a health counseling business promoting a "balanced eating and exercise lifestyle" (www.beelifestyle.com) but although I help my clients to go to the gym or start an exercise program with a trainer, I've never been a trainer myself. Once I graduated from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, I knew the next step in my educational journey would be in fitness.

After researching all the gyms in the New York I found what seemed to be the best of the best. And little did I know but I was working part-time for a company that was also employing one of the managers of the fitness chain, so I got a referral. Soon after I sent her my resume I was contacted by one of the personal training managers, Christen* to for a phone interview. I contacted her immediately and set up a time to call.

*Not her real name