Testimonials

Best shape of my life physically, mentally & nutritionally

I joined Cannon Fitness in March of 2014. At the end of the first six week session, I looked at Heather and said “do people just keep doing this?” I have been enjoying her program and classes ever since. I am in the best shape of my life physically, mentally, and nutritionally. When I started with Heather, I had a four year old and a nine month old, and I had never done a workout program like what she offers. I had stayed active by playing softball for many years and in High School. During and after college, I participated in cardio kick boxing classes and continued to play slow pitch softball, but what Heather and Cannon Fitness offer is very different. It’s more than workout instruction…she offers a platform to grow in many different areas of life by being supported by a group of encouraging women. In the beginning, Heather modified activities without making me feel like I was doing less than the other people in her class. She cheered me on during my own little personal triumphs and she pushed me when she knew there was more in me. During those first weeks, when everyone else was running laps around the building, I ran down and backs in the ally. It was a huge triumph when I no longer had to modify my burpees. Another inspiring accomplishment was to be able to do a full pull-up. I kept going up and up and just couldn’t believe it. I absolutely love that every one of Heather’s classes feel different! She definitely offers a full body program through what she has her groups do.
In February of 2015, I signed up for the Cannon Fitness Clean Eating Program. The night before starting, I wondered what I had gotten myself into. Heather often asks us to write goals, and when she asked at the beginning of this program, I did not know what to write down. I did not sign up with the intention of losing weight, and I thought I ate pretty well. By the end of the first week, I realized one of the purposes for going through this process. I own Sierra Therapy Group which is a pediatric private practice for speech and occupational therapy. I frequently do not leave the office until after 6:00. For years I had struggled personally with eating dinner as late as we did…7:45-8:00 most nights. I thought for my husband and I it was fine, but I knew as my boys approached school-age that this schedule would not be a great option. Even though I knew I wanted and needed to move my dinner time up, I did not know how to do it. We now eat regularly between 6:30 and 6:45 during the week thanks to Heather’s program. I learned how to be prepared and know what food prep I need to do the night before or in the morning to maintain eating on our schedule! It was a huge personal accomplishment that during our first season of t-ball, we did not drive-through for any of our dinners because I had a plan that I could successfully follow. I learned that healthy eating does not have to include bland foods night after night….Heather includes really great recipes! At first the grocery shopping, prep, and kitchen clean-up were very overwhelming, but I stuck to it because I had a support system through the program, and I felt so healthy after starting the program….I had more energy, my brain felt clearer, and my whole body felt better. Now, the food prep is second nature and I have learned to save the harder recipes that I enjoy for days I have more time and resources to make them. I also learned that I was not eating nearly enough protein, my breakfasts were terrible, and I hardly ever snacked. Heather does a good job of including the ‘why’ behind eating dinner earlier in the evening or limiting sugar after 3:00 so the changes we make have purpose and aren’t just following a set of rules. By making these changes, I have also lost weight, increased lean muscle, and improved my overall tone…the only downfall to all of this is most of my clothes are way too big and frumpy looking!

I am a wife, mother, daughter, sister, friend, small business owner, speech pathologist, and Cannon Fitness participant. I wear many different hats. I believe that joining Cannon Fitness has increased my ability to juggle these different hats while still feeling balanced and confident! For these reasons and more, I choose to shine by starting my day early in the morning with an inspiring group of women.
Shawna R.

Things I learned from the Cannon Fitness Clean Eating Program:

Eating healthy all day…yes… that was all day, is actually a thing. The end of the day doesn’t begin when the kids get in the car after work. Oh, and yes, Friday through Sunday count as days too. Up until recently, I could get away with treating my body like a temple Monday through Thursday and a carnival ride on Friday through Sunday. But this summer it caught up with me, and even though I was working out regularly, the scale was creeping up and wouldn’t budge. After six-weeks of sticking to an actual plan, I have seen some pretty impressive changes to my body and how I feel. Go figure?
You see, I’ve always been a healthy eater. Or, so, I thought. What I’ve always been is a breakfast, lunch and dinner eater, mixed with a mid-morning and afternoon snack. But this plan taught me how and when to mix up different types of foods to fuel my day, and I haven’t crashed in weeks. As long as I stick to the guidelines, I’m not hungry, which keeps me from powering through a bag of tortilla chips the minute I get home from work. Which, technically, was probably my 7th meal on a lot of weeknights.
I work out. Yep… and DUH! The eating plan taught me that by sticking to healthy choices each and every day, not only do I have more energy during workouts, I’m giving my body what it needs to be strong the rest of the day. Working out is not a license to drink a bottle of wine and eat half a pizza on Friday. And not drinking that bottle of wine also makes a spinning class on Saturday morning a lot more enjoyable. A glass(or two) will do.
A girl can’t live on salad alone! Up until six weeks ago, I lived on green salads during the work week. I would bring my daily rabbit-habit, (I just coined that term, so don’t read anything explicit into it), which usually consisted of lettuce, and veggies and just a teeny bit of chicken and a drop of dressing. Each. And. Every. Day. Whelp, there’s more to lunch than lettuce. I’ll “leave” it at that, although this has been a huge realization for how I eat, even when I’m out to lunch.
Making a menu for more than dinner is life changing! I’ve always prepped my dinners and lunches, but it never dawned on me to do the same for breakfast and snacks. Being prepared keeps me from eating out, helps me stay on track….and…. I’ve found a little extra $$ in our account.
Finally, as women, we are all in similar life-boats, with a lot of the same thoughts and fears and worries and questions. For me, this is especially true when it comes to trying something new. We are under so much pressure from ourselves, and also the dozens of different roles we each take on in this life. The online forum was a great place for me to learn, and I really enjoyed the interaction and support I received from you and other participants.

Katie N.

Inspiration|Motivation|Encouragement

I am sharing my results and progress because I feel very blessed to have found such an amazing trainer and workout group. I started Cannon Fitness 2 years ago after having my second child. I was always active, and what I thought was “healthy”. However, Cannon fitness provided me with the tools and mind set to reach a deeper, healthier side of me. Each day brings more inspiration, motivation, and encouragement and I am so thankful for that. I have discovered a new side of me and that is; my body is capable of more than ever gave it credit for.

For me, it wasn’t until the Cannon Fitness Clean eating challenge that I started to see the bigger changes. I was losing weight and gaining strength however, that clean eating really allowed me to have confidence in foods. Not to diet, not to binge and feel guilty, but to enjoy food and healthier alternatives. Now, my family and I generally stick to a clean diet on a daily basis. We aren’t always spot on, but we know where to pick up again, and that has been the key.
During this last year is when I noticed that I had more stamina for running and felt great doing it. I was encouraged by my running buddies of Cannon Fitness and Heather Cannon to achieve one of my running goals; to run a half marathon. So in April of this year I not only reached that goal, but surpassed my running time for my first race. I have now have two half marathons in the books, a third one is coming up, and training for my ultimate goal; running a full marathon in December. All because of a little nudge of encouragement and the mindset of a strong body, thanks to Heather Cannon and the strong ladies that workout beside me.
In my journey over the last 2 years with Cannon Fitness, I have lost over 40 pounds. I feel great, the best I have ever felt. I am very proud of my accomplishments and success. Am I perfect? No, I never will be, but that doesn’t mean I’ll give up. Each goal, no matter how big or small is achievable with the right tools and support. NEVER say NEVER!
~Erin