Hi! I’m Jennifer Loman, a Certified Personal Trainer located in Matthews, NC.  I became a CPT in 2008 then worked for No Excuses, Energy Fitness, Curves and client in-home training before opening A Better Body Fitness studio in 2013. 

 

In the past I was overweight and, like many people, tried to lose weight but always gained it back.  This continued until I was wearing a size 18, and very unhappy with myself, so I set my mind to lose weight the right way: naturally and gradually.

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I grew up in Asheville and was an active kid – I loved riding my bike, walking all over the neighborhood and just playing outdoors. When I was 9, I gained a lot of weight - I drank flavored sodas all the time and ate a lot of ice cream sundaes so, before I knew it, I couldn’t fit into my clothes anymore.  I became less active and ate unhealthy food so I continued to gain weight throughout my teen and young adult years.  In 1994, I moved to Charlotte and started working in a corporate environment where I was sitting at a desk all day, very stressed and drinking alcohol after work to relax.  At my heaviest I was 205 pounds and just felt terrible physically, emotionally and mentally.  I was actually ready to change my lifestyle!!

 

In 2003, I joined Curves and built the habit of going there 4-5 days each week.  I slowly started losing weight and, after 3 years, I had lost about 30 pounds.  Yes, I know that’s a slow process but it was a great start and I had not gained it back!!  I was ready to join a bigger gym where I took some classes and did the cardio equipment.  I eventually hired a personal trainer and I really hated the workouts (for various reasons) but knew I needed it.  Soon after, I was laid off from my job and thought that I could be a Personal Trainer and actually make it “fun”.  In 2008, I decided to make a big, scary career change to teach other women how to lose weight and help gain their own confidence back…and I absolutely love it!

 

When I opened my little fitness studio, I tried a lot of different types of training but, honestly, 10/12/15 reps can be a little boring.  I started incorporating Periodization for Strength Training and TABATA for HIIT training.  Over many years, I refined my own unique way of training using feedback from my clients. Yes, exercise is hard (after all, it’s called a WORK out) but it feels so wonderful to grow stronger, better balanced and more coordinated – not to mention losing or even just maintaining weight!

 

What I have learned is that weight loss definitely takes time, planning and effort.  Believe me, it doesn’t happen without change, which can be hard.  General guidelines for exercise are at least 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity aerobic activity or 75 minutes per week of vigorous aerobic activity, or a combination of both. As we age, we also need to do strength training to build strong bones and lean muscle mass.  And nutrition is an important part of weight loss, and good health, as well.

 

I don’t always want to work out but I feel so good afterwards.  I regularly exercise with clients as well as run between 5-6 miles 6 days each week.  In 2016, I ran my first half-marathon (13.1 miles) in Venice Beach, CA and then another half marathon in 2018 in Key West. Currently, I am registered in “Run the Year 2020” where I will run 2020 miles in a year. I also plan to run a full marathon in 2021 for my 50th birthday!

 

I hope my story inspires you to take the first step in your own journey to better health today – all you have to do it get in touch with me!