My Road Back

“After having all of my kids, I weighed 195 pounds, and my comfortable, strong weight was always around 150-155 pounds. Nothing fit me, and I was tired of buying bigger clothes month after month.”

Suzanne Galletta

Hey! My name is Suzanne, and it’s an absolute honor to write an article about my physical and mental transformation since joining Fitness Incentive one year ago.

My Past

I’d like to start by sharing a little bit of my background to give you some perspective regarding my journey. I was always an athlete who could exercise regularly, eat whatever I wanted (I’m talking bagels, pizza, burgers, you name it!), and miraculously gain and maintain muscle mass. In 2017, I got married and had about 15% body fat. I was motivated, determined, and proud of all of my hard work.

In 2018, I had my first daughter. We knew we wanted to have more children, so I thought, “I’m not going to work my butt off if I’m just going to get pregnant again.” In 2019, I welcomed my second daughter. Woah. Life with two under two was way more difficult than I had anticipated; therefore, I would treat myself to all of my favorite things (wine, beer, cookies – you know, the “good stuff”) to cope with the stress of parenting two little girls.

I started working out at home sporadically to try to get myself back into fighting shape, but no amount of exercise could counteract the amount of garbage I was putting into my body.

One More Becomes Two

In 2021, we decided to go for “one more baby.” In 2022, we welcomed TWINS boys. My mind and body were pushed to every limit, as I’m sure many mothers reading this can imagine. My sons were in the NICU for about one month, and the week we brought them home, my husband started a new job where he didn’t get home until after 7:00 PM every night.

Four Under Four!

I had four babies under four years old, and I was doing my best to survive. I had four mouths to feed before worrying about myself. Meal prep? Not a chance. Squeeze a workout in? When and how?

Considering My Options

During the summer of 2023, I started hearing all about this magic shot that helped people lose weight. Maybe you’ve heard of it? Ozempic.
Like many people, I had questions, in fact, a ton of them. I am the type of person who does not even take Tylenol, so the thought of injecting some new drug into my body wasn’t a real possibility, but still, I was curious. I wanted to know more about the long-term side effects, how it worked, everything! I even went so far as to speak to my doctor about it, who was surprisingly (or not so surprisingly) all for it. But, in the end, it was not the route I decided to take for myself because I know once I set my mind to something, I’m all in.

After having all of my kids, I weighed 195 pounds, and my comfortable, strong weight was always around 150-155 pounds. Nothing fit me, and I was tired of buying bigger clothes month after month.

So It Begins…

In September of 2023, I decided to join Fitness Incentive because they had child care with Miss Linda, who has a great reputation with all of the parents and children. I started training 6 or 7 days per week and was even more motivated when I saw my friend get amazing results from working out and training with Jourdan. Every week, I weight train on my own, and I do HIIT classes, spin classes, elevated training, pilates, and Power45 with Jourdan and Liz. I knew that even if I worked hard at the gym, I’d also have to make huge dietary changes to see the results I was looking for. I completely cut out alcohol for four months, and I continue to limit drinking alcohol to once per week, if that. I also prioritize protein, and a lot of it. I never count calories or measure my food because I tend to get too obsessive when trying that route.

It Works!

All in all, big results are possible if you find something that works for you and your own personal goals. For me, it was daily and intense exercise, prioritizing protein, cutting way back on carbohydrates and sugar, and limiting alcohol. Finding a family (literally – my husband, sister, and sister-in-law all joined, too!) and community within the walls of Fitness Incentive, where everyone is just trying to be better versions of themselves, has changed my life and motivated me in ways I’ve never been motivated before. I can’t wait to continue getting stronger and being the best role model I can be for my children. Being thin was never my goal, but being strong always will be.

Post Script:

Suzy has taken the next step – She’s now a Certified Personal Trainer at Fitness Incentive! She’s excited – and so are we – for her to bring her experience, knowledge, and commitment to our PT Department. If you’d like to schedule a Free Consultation with Suzy or any of our Trainers, you can stop by the front desk or click here.