By Amy King
How one lady, overcame her negative experiences with fitness and nutrition, and found the courage to speak up and pave the way to help others succeed in a male dominated industry.
In this special episode of AKE Fitness Connect we speak with Client Kate, who is leading a program to train and mentor women in a male dominated industry and working on her own health journey.
In 6 months, Kate has changed her relationship with fitness, food and alcohol and lost 12 kilos. We discuss Kate’s personal journey as well as deep dive into the following topics:
What I love most about this episode is you really get to see through Kate’s experience how making changes to your food and exercise habits has a positive overflowing impact on the rest of your life.
Kate is becoming more of herself and contributing more value to others as a result. As a coach, this is the shiz that makes you tick – well at least for me it does. The physical transformation is really a dull shine compared to the shift that goes on internally.
Here’s a brief overview of the juicy topics we covered in the episode...
Training and Coordinating Women in Male Dominated Industries (4:00)
Imagine taking up an apprenticeship in the mines as a young woman, new to the industry and working remotely…
That’s Kate’s story and she shares with us her 12-year journey from a tradie in male-dominated industry to now leading a career pathway program that trains and mentors women with no mining or trade background in the mining industry.
Kate also shares her recent 6-month weight-loss journey where she has lost 12 kilos (more now by the time of this release) and how her relationship with food and alcohol has changed through finding the right support… and an openness to the thought that “there’s got to be a better way”.
The negative effects of drinking alcohol and poor nutrition (15:32)
We’re constantly reminded about how bad alcohol and unhealthy eating is for us, but it’s hard to make a change even when faced with a catalyst for it.
Some of why it is hard to make a change relates back to our upbringing and in this episode, we explore how Kate’s upbringing influenced her previous eating and drinking habits.
We also talk about the catalyst for change she had and and how she had previously struggled to make a big shift in her lifestyle.
The Importance of Finding the Right Support (24:01)
It’s not uncommon to quit the first few times when we make some big changes. Kate is no different and we talk about her experiences on this.
When Kate first started at the gym she was coached in powerlifting and strength training and whilst she loved pushing big weights, she found that the style of coaching she was receiving was not working for her. She felt overwhelmed, judged and did not respond well to militant pushing.
Kate also learned that the Navy Cadets’ style of coaching, which was more about accountability and leadership, works better for her when it comes to support.
So, finding a coach who could meet her where she was at, make her feel heard and in control was more important than she initially realised.
Kate shares with us further insights on how working with her current coach (me) has made all the difference. The different approach had involved working with her to make sustainable improvements, such as focusing on small steps, like eating two meals consistently every day.
“It is often the simple things done consistently that make the most difference. In my experience a coach should help you to figure out how to practically do the right thing at the right time… not just push you.”
Whether you're looking to improve your lifestyle habits, take your athletic performance or overall performance to the next level I'm here to help.
As an experienced fitness, nutrition & performance coach I work with you to optimise all area of your health & well-being.
To see how I can support your journey, why not connect with me over a virtual coffee?
Establishing boundaries and understanding what is in and out of one's control (55:35)
In this part of the episode, we discuss the importance of setting boundaries and understanding what is and isn't in one's control.
Often a lack of boundaries or maintaining boundaries is what gets in our way in terms of making a change.
One of the first steps in setting better boundaries is to become clear on what is actually in your control, what you have some control over and what is not in your control.
Another step is to understand what your responsibility is, and what is not, when it comes to dealing with others.
Kate shares with us how, with support, she has started to learn the importance of not taking on the responsibility of fixing someone else and understanding that it is not her role to be someone else’s hero.
As well as the importance of detaching from the idea of fixing someone else and understanding that she can still help without getting herself in a difficult situation.
Finding One's Voice (1:06:45)
When we feel confident in our bodies and learn to control what we can, we start to feel more confident across the board. When we start taking consistent action we start to become confident and wiling to give other things a go… such as speaking up.
Kate is a perfect example of this, and she shares with us her journey of finding her voice, overcoming her fear of speaking up, and how she keeps “proving her brain wrong” and understanding that people don't always have to agree with her.
Kate departs some further insights and wisdom by encouraging others to not give up and to take pride in every small win.
“When we share our stories that we can help others find their own voice.”
I hope you enjoy this episode as much as I do and make sure you’re subscribed to the AKE Fitness Connect Podcast available via Spotify and Google Podcasts to hear more powerful stores like Kate’s!
Amy King is the founder of AKE Fitness & Nutrition. When she’s not serving her clients, she is pursuing her corporate career in mining, bodybuilding and spending time with loved ones. She calls Perth, Western Australia home.
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