Life happens to the best of us. Sometimes fortune smiles warmly upon our faces . . . and other times (most of the time) it has a way of kicking us in the teeth. The trick, of course, is not only how we deal with the bloody lip, but also how we handle life when things are flush with goodness.
The other week Liz Merriweather (nee Place) contacted me via that social networking juggernaut, Facebook. Older than me (and more fit), she graduated from Clarkston High School in 1979. She now lives in Nashville, TN with her husband and is embarking on a new chapter in Life’s book. As a matter of fact, she and her business partner Josh Meyers expect to publish their first book this fall . . . but I am getting ahead of myself.
Liz has become this ultimate fitness chick and she’s on a mission: ‘I want to let people know, no matter their circumstance, you can improve your health. There is hope. I’ve lived it.?
She has gone through an entire life transformation, emotionally, spiritually and in body. Though a trained social worker and psychotherapist, Liz let life take its toll on her. A toll that culminated with ending a 24 year marriage, career change and weight gain. She weighed 252 pounds and, ‘For the first time in my life I was on my own.?
She needed a change — needed to change. ‘It hit me, I am here for a purpose.?
To the point, she worked on her spiritual and emotional self and ‘hit the gym.? She lost weight, but plateaued. On Jan. 1, 2012 she resolved to lose the final 40 pounds to reach her goal weight.
She read more in print and on-line and ‘knew? what she needed to do — come on she’d been researching weight loss for years, for goodness sake!
By February she knew she was over her head and ‘I wasn’t going to make it.?
Her new husband suggested they invest in a professional trainer. Enter former U.S. Marine, body building competitor, nutrition and fitness expert Josh Meyers. Meyers provided her with the information she needed. Information like . . .
. . . What, when and how to eat.
. . . What, when and how to exercise.
And, by Dec. 12, 2012 the 40 pounds was gone.
‘And, I knew for the first time in my life, that I was fit for life,? she said.
You see, Life happened. It happened over and over. Each step of the way was a stepping stone to the next choice and next opportunity to take the correct step. Now, she and Meyers have put their separate expertises together to help others. ‘He’s the expert in fitness and nutrition. I help with life coaching, helping people change their mind set.?
They’ve created an on-line fitness course that can customize plans and support system to help members attain their goals. These plans include not only nutrition and physical exercises, but also mental — or mind — exercises.
‘Dieting is hard to do. You need the correct information. You need to understand yourself, the negative and the positive,? she said.
Having a support system, is also important she says. On her journey she found her support on Facebook . ‘My friends from Clarkston were my cheerleaders. We were still new in Nashville and my friends back home were so supportive.?
Liz is the daughter of longtime Clarkston residents, Don and Carolyn Place. For more info about her new program, www.theultimatefitnessworkbook.com
A book on the subject is due out this fall.