My Fitness Journey So Far

Hey there, Vanessa here. I wanted to share a little about myself for you.

My passion for fitness started when I was very young through swimming every weekend with my dad. I did this for about 10 years until life took hold - as I started my A-level studies at collage my dad, unfortunately for him, experienced a severe accident as a result of his diabetes that left him unable to stand or walk, let alone swim. So during collage I took up studio classes with a friend; street dance, zumba, pole fitness & I absolutely loved it! Although I loved physical movement, there was still something wrong with my approach to it...

My Unhealthy Cardio, Coffee & Calories Addiction

It's OK, a lot of us women have been here. *Be as small as possible*

After all, society would be a hypocrite for expecting us to think otherwise.

After completing my A-levels I went to Leeds University to study Law. If you've ever been there, you'll know that on campus they have really decent subsidised gym & swimming pool facilities.

But there I was, every day, running for 50 minutes on the treadmill, trying to "earn" my food, & fuelling myself with coffee. At the end of the 50 minutes, I would dabble in the free weights, but often the lightest dumbbells that never pushed my strength capabilities. I was so focused on being AS SMALL AS POSSIBLE, never to fluctuate outside of my UK6-8 dress, never to weigh more than 50-55kg/110-120lbs.

The Beginning

These were some of the things that contributed to this unhealthy approach:

THIS IS A MANS WORLD 🎶 - The free weights & barbell racks section in this gym was so unapproachable & such a 'mans land'. I remember that any time I would walk over there to get a dumbbell I'd always get out as quickly as possible simply because there were no other women there. Thankfully this has massively changed in recent years.
DIET - My diet was so toxic & restrictive. For over a year I deprived myself of bread, sugar, milk, & so many other food groups. I certainly wasn't getting enough protein. I was obsessed with natural yoghurt with all the seeds you'd find in a 'superfoods' blog post, literally to the point that my flatmate said I ate bird food...aha!
TOXIC INSPIRATION - I didn't take inspiration from the right kind of influencers. I was looking at a lot of unhelpful things online that would reinforce my unhealthy approach & the, frankly foolish, idea that to be strong or have muscles is to be unfeminine.

Looking back now, I feel compassion towards that girl, but I also know that, without her, I wouldn't be where I am in my fitness journey today.

At Last, She Fell in Love with Weights

My love for weightlifting & bodybuilding started in 2017 when I moved gym after university. Though the culture was still very male-dominated, I began to feel more confident in knowing what I was doing & less afraid of looking silly if at first I didn't use a machine correctly. Thanks to mums home cooking, my previous restrictive ideologies had shifted away from more cardio, more coffee & less calories & I became a much healthier version of me.

During lockdown, like many of us I had more time to focus on my fitness & there was a widespread increase in mental health awareness. I started doing loads of home workouts with the weights I had, & as lockdown restrictions lifted I spent early mornings & evenings in a friendly boutique gym. From 2020 - 2023 my relationship with the gym really flourished here. I could probably count on one hand the amount of times I used their treadmill, & when I did, I was interval sprinting for 10-15 minutes.

But I didn't stop running altogether. In fact I improved at it. It's just that my perspective towards & reason for running had changed. I was no longer running to "work off food". Instead, I was eating more to fuel my marathon runs through gorgeous Hampstead Heath.

In August 2022 I decided to give up alcohol for a year as I felt that even the slightest hangovers were affecting my physical performance, mental wellbeing & ability to get things done. Turns out I really enjoyed it, ended up losing count & exceeded a year...

How I Discovered my Fitness Calling

So let's just randomly go back to my dad for a second, bear with me (& if you've read this far already, you're awesome). At the end of 2019 he had a surgery which didn't go so well, & left him blind. Now, I involve my dad in my story not for sympathy, but to explain why I love fitness so much. Dad was a fast runner, a great swimmer, & very athletic for his age group.

Sorry to get heavy for a moment, but I have first-hand witnessed the life-altering implications of when a person is, through no choice of their own, unable to exercise or move freely & independently. There are many people in the world that find themselves in this position & this is something that the rest of us take for-granted, & I still have to remind myself sometimes.

I have fallen in love with movement & I will continue to move for as long as I have that privilege, & I hope I can motivate others to feel the same.

Today: My Weightlifting Journey

Since Summer 2023 I have been posting content on my social channels (@vanessrhewitt) & sharing real-time workouts that I have put together over years of learning from notable people in the fitness industry.

I am currently training 4-5 times a week & working on developing a more muscular physique in conjunction with maintaining an overall healthy lifestyle & diet. In 1 year I have gained 7kg (55kg to 62kg) of muscle mass & I am absolutely here for it!

Looking to the near future, I aim to qualify as a personal trainer & nutritionist with a reputable provide to enable me to share my knowledge & experiences to help others on their journeys.

Qualifications

[PENDING]