On day 1 Anusha was a stress eater who found it hard even to walk to the gym.
Now she has a new body and new healthy habits that she can maintain forever.
We sat down with her to hear how she lost 15 kg and 20cm off her waist and feels like herself again in only 5 months with ATP Personal Training.

Anusha lost 15 kg and 20cm off her waist and feels like herself again in only 5 months with ATP Personal Training.

"When I came for my initial consultation, I was exhausted from walking up to the hill and then the steps to get to the gym.  I was so embarrassed"

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

My name is Anusha; I’m 31 years old and I work as a teacher in Hong Kong.  I’ve been here for 4 years and I always loved the outdoor lifestyle here, either hiking at weekends or running around after the kids at school.

What made you decide to join ATP Personal training?

Everything has been so different for the last couple of years, with a lot of virtual teaching and of course all the lockdowns…  when it got to about the 5th lockdown I just knew something had to change as I was spending so much more time sitting at home in front of my laptop.  I wasn’t used to sitting still all the time and so I was looking for something to help me become more active.  I had heard of ATP from one of my colleagues so I knew who to call.

How did you stay motivated when things got tough?

My goal was an old picture I had of myself that I showed to my ATP Coach at the very beginning.  She could see it was the same person but I had changed so much since that photo was taken and I really wanted to get back there.  I was only ever comparing myself to myself, which I think helped too.

What is one of the main differences you have noticed in the last couple of months?

When I came for my initial consultation, I was exhausted from walking up to the hill and then the steps to get to the gym.  I was so embarrassed – I wanted to join ATP but couldn’t even get there without panting.  Thing are different now though; I don’t even think about that hill anymore!

How did you find the workouts at ATP?

Actually, I really enjoyed them!  They were tough, of course, but I never felt that I was given something I couldn’t do, or at least learn to do in time.  For me that was really important because if I’d been expected to do things I considered unachievable, I might not have seen it through.

When I first tried to do a pushup, I couldn’t even hold myself up for more than a few seconds.  But my ATP Coach, Melanie, told me to remember that feeling because it would feel different very soon.  She was right of course; within just a few weeks I was able to do 10 pushups and to hold a plank for 90 seconds.

"I thought the nutrition side of things would be much harder but actually it isn’t that hard at all and it makes such a difference."

You’re going to be leaving Hong Kong soon.  Do you think you will be able to maintain what you’ve achieved since you started at ATP?

When I first knew I was going to be leaving, I was concerned that I wouldn’t have my ATP Coach Mel with me.  Right from the start I asked her just to tell me what to do and I would follow it, so without her there I thought maybe I wouldn’t know what to do.  But throughout the ATP process, I’ve learned so much, not just about training but also how to live a normal life and incorporate healthy habits like good nutrition and exercise into it.

Since I started training at ATP, of course things have not always gone 100% smoothly outside the gym – I have a family and friends, and events like birthdays and dinners to go to, just like everyone else.  But my coach was able to help me learn how to enjoy those things while at the same time getting closer to my goal.  At the beginning it seemed almost too hard to get a daily walk in, but now I know how good I feel when I get my steps in so I make time for it.  I sleep better at my current weight than I did before and everything feels so much more balanced now I have built some consistency into my life.

"Throughout the ATP process, I’ve learned so much, not just about training but also how to live a normal life and incorporate healthy habits like good nutrition and exercise into it."

Has your experience at ATP had a knock-on effect on anyone else in your life?

My husband is definitely feeling the benefits because I am now cooking so much more at home.  I used to feel exhausted after work and have no mental capacity to even think about what t have for dinner, so we’d just order a takeaway or go out for dinner.  We can still go out for dinner sometimes of course, but my ATP Coach gave me so many meal ideas that I usually have something planned for dinner, or sometimes even prepared in advance.  I thought the nutrition side of things would be much harder but actually it isn’t that hard at all and it makes such a difference.

Is there one thing you have learned from ATP that you would say is the most important?

I have learned so many things but I think the most important one for me was that it isn’t only the gym that’s important; it is all the things you do outside the gym that really make a difference.  Your food, your walks, even your rest.