A New Start …A New ME!
The day I hit my goal weight in February 2011 I will never forget. The last 1-2 stone had
taken me the longest time to get rid of and the last 7lbs seemed to take FOREVER to go away. But that morning when I stepped on the scales and saw my weight was 1/2 pound UNDER my goal weight I jumped off the scales and ran around the house screaming! I was so so happy. I’d finally done it and it was an unbelievable feeling. This feeling of euphoria lasted about 10 minutes before the enormity of what I had achieved actually sunk in. I sat on my sofa in the lounge and just started crying and crying. I cried on and off for most of the day. I know that sounds completely ridiculous, but my life had been completely consumed with reaching my goal for the last 2 1/2 years and now I had DONE IT! Part of the tears were of absolute joy and part of me was crying with fear – fear of not being able to maintain and stay where I was. The worry of “what the hell was I going to do now?” was also a big part of it. I had lived and breathed dieting… now what was I going to do?
Well…. who would have known how my life was going to turn out. After hitting my goal weight I decided to take up running as a hobby; just something to help burn those calories and keep me fit. My hubby decided to enter me into the Spar Spartan Challenge 2011 and after getting through the qualifications I was selected as the Wicklow representative and went on to train for the Dublin Marathon. I finished my first marathon in a time of 3 hrs. 33 mins just a short 8 months after my first walk/jog and was also crowned Queen of Spartans and winner of the Spar Spartan Challenge. At this stage I knew what I wanted to do, I wanted to reeducate myself so I could help others and that’s exactly what I did. I went back to college, reeducated myself in nutrition and fitness and started to put my business plans in to place.
In March 2012, Why Weight Ireland was born. While the new business got off the ground I was asked to Personal Train and Manage Pat & Karl Henry Fitness Centre in Lower Pembroke Street, Dublin. I did this for 6 months and it was a fantastic experience but due to the success and demand of Why Weight Ireland I could no longer do both. I was also asked by Athletics Ireland to be the Ambassador for the Fit4Life Programme, which was a real honour. 2012 was a great year for the business and me as I had articles printed in
all the national newspapers as well as some magazines including front-page covers for the Irish Independent Fit Magazine, Irish Runner Magazine and Women’s Way Magazine. The popularity of Why Weight Ireland was increasing daily and the results that members were having also started to show.
With people having such success with the Why Weight Ireland plan I decide to open my first Why Weight Ireland Local Studio in Unit 2, Riverside Business Centre, (Ground Fl. Behind Credit Union) Tinahely, Wicklow in January 2013 to offer people an even better chance to lose weight by offering private weigh-ins, fitness classes, personal fitness training, Bootcamps and more. The studio has been a huge success for the local community and in 2014 I started up a free Why Weight Runners Group, where people from the area and surrounding towns & villages meet on Monday & Wednesday evenings to run. I see people coming to see me at the studio not just from Wicklow but from neighbouring counties and counties further afield.
In 2013 Why Weight Ireland went from strength to strength, releasing my first fitness DVD ‘Total Body Tone’ and becoming an award winning business by winning the Wicklow Chamber of Commerce Business Awards. Why Weight Ireland has gone on to win and become finalists in numerous national business awards.
As you have read, my life has completely changed over the past few years, from over eating and working in a bank (and pretty much just living on a day to day basis with no real direction) – I’m now at the weight I want, I have a lovely family, I have a fantastic business which I love doing every day, I am the Ambassador for Fit4Life, I am a Marathon Runner, County Champion Runner, motivational speaker and columnist for the Irish Runner Magazine and all in such a short time. Sometimes I have to pinch myself because it just seems so surreal that such a drastic change is possible; but now I KNOW that it IS possible. My passion is helping others to realise that change can happen to them too so that they can live a richer and more fulfilling life.
Why Weight Ireland is all about helping others achieve the goals they are looking for. Through the online diary, fab online video workouts, personal email support, fitness plans and one-to-one contact in the studio, I hope that I can help even more people be the person they always wanted to be and making their changes last. I hope my story can help motivate and encourage others to do something about their health and fitness.
You can follow me on Twitter, Facebook & LinkedIn and please feel free to get in contact with me
Hannah x
