Margaret & Family

“Training with Corry Matthews has been a real eye-opener. Seven months ago, I gave birth to a beautiful, healthy, baby boy. Prior to his birth, I had been working on my MBA. I had no time to eat, and exercising was just not an option. I had always been active in sports. In both high school and college, I played soccer year round.

While I considered myself in decent shape, working on my master’s definitely took its toll on my mind and body. I am not the type of person who is “naturally” thin. I have always had to work at my physic and against my genetics, but while working on my Master’s I had lost 45 lbs. It felt great to be a size 4-6 and weigh 125 lbs. again. This was due to the not eating, sleeping, or exercising regimen that I had created for myself. I looked better than I did in college, but what I realize now is that I was not healthy!

Ironically, I became pregnant and still working on my master’s… I began to use my pregnancy as a license to eat. I watched my figure and my genetics take over me, as I gained 100 lbs.! I weighed in at 220 lbs. That is more than the heavy weight champion of the world! (Mike Tyson – 219 lbs.) And my son only weighed 8.8 lbs of it all. After a long and grueling labor, I remember thinking that I would never get back to that mere 123 lbs. that I once was, and furthermore, would my body ever even function the same way again?

For Christmas, my husband bought me a training package with Corry Matthews. My son was born on January 1, 2006. Right from the beginning, Corry was supportive and gave me small exercises to do at home, with my doctor’s permission; I started 4 weeks after my son was born. In fact, when I went in for my first follow-up appointment, he couldn’t believe that I was already so focused on getting in shape instead of healing. As he looked at the purposed list of activities, he raised his eyebrows, and said “this is good stuff; I don’t have a problem with you doing any of these exercises.” What was crazy to me, I thought at the time, was most of it was breathing, squeezing, and stretching (a lot like yoga), and afterwards, I didn’t feel the burn or the “pain” that I had always associated with exercising. Quite frankly, I was skeptical that I would ever lose 100 lbs. at this snail’s pace. (No wonder my doctor didn’t have a problem, right?)

When I asked Corry about this, she simply explained that the first few weeks was a healing process, and the activities she had given me, were designed to help me heal and coupled as a pre-cursor for prepping my body for the harder exercises she would train me through later. Her exercises also included my son. Instead of lifting dumb-bells, she had me use him, in safe and fun positions for both of us. And as he grew, which was fast, the intensity of these exercises definitely increased.

Since my first appointment I have watched my body transform and with Corry’s help, I am slowly regaining the confidence I had before becoming pregnant. It has been a very fast and slow seven months. The time has gone by very quickly, and unfortunately, all of my weight has not come off yet. I am now at 165 lbs., and probably very close to the weight I was at before I lost that 45lbs. pre-pregnancy, but the wrong way. I know I still have a very long way to go, but with the help and support from Corry, we are both very confident that I will get back to where I once was.

If you asked me why I value training with Corry, I would answer because I matter to her. She works out very hard, but doesn’t expect any less from her clients. She doesn’t expect me to do, anything less than what she would do for herself. And this is why I enjoy working out with her. I know that she is going to push me to new levels, and not “baby-sit” me through a workout. Not to mention, she has a great attitude and you just want to be around her. Her dedication is both contagious and inspirational… but what is different about Corry is that she really believes in fitness, and she really believes in her clients.

As it turns out, Corry Matthews has been one of the greatest Christmas gifts I have ever received!!! Thank you, Corry, for your continuous motivation and support! ”

~Margaret Livesay
Age 30