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Forget Being Skinny; Be Strong, Says Orange County Trainer

CORNWALL, N.Y. -- Jessika Ramie is all about helping people discover their value through eating right and exercise.

Cornwall mom of two Jessika Ramie, founder of Fyte.

Cornwall mom of two Jessika Ramie, founder of Fyte.

Photo Credit: Submitted

The personal trainer and owner of Cornwall's Fyte describes herself as a specialist in therapeutic recreation, who's honest about needs to be done to achieve specific goals. 

Fitness, she writes on her website, "is not about quick fixes, diet pills or starving yourself. There are no shortcuts. It’s not about being skinny; it’s about being strong."

A body builder who long taught friends in an unofficial capacity, she decided to start her company three years ago and has, in a short period of time, gained quite a following. She presently teaches one on one in client's homes, as well as at the Cornwall United Methodist Church. She also does remote programs and has recently turned her focus to teenagers. As the mom of a 10 and 14-year-old, she's astounded by how much tweens and teens don't know about exercise.

"They have sports at school but they don't really understand the idea of why it's important to make their bodies stronger," she said.  "They are also missing the concept of nutrition -- how good nutrition is preventative medicine."

It's something she hopes to branch out into. After all, she said, fitness is more than physical exertion; it's a mental state of mind and another muscle that needs to be flexed.

"We can always do more than we think we can," said the Cornwall resident. 

"I’m terrified of everything I’ve yet to try but if we avoid thinking we can’t do something, we end up carrying a giant rock on our shoulder."

It's why Fyte -- which stands for "Find Yourself Through Exercise" -- specializes in customized programs catered for each individual; her clients range from 16 to 65. 

Many gyms, she said, are results-focused, rather than focusing on education.

"I’m basically the kind of trainer that hates the fitness industry," she said. "I think it breaks our bodies and just wants to sell us stuff."

Big gyms, she said, tend to be intimidating. "I've had so many clients tell me how hard it was for them to walk into a weight room of a gym thinking everyone else there knew what they were doing."

She, on the other hand, is more about baby steps. Said Ramie: "It makes a huge difference between the process and outcome."

With that in mind here are five tips to help get your groove back.

  • Enlist support. Ask a friend to join you in your quest. Studies show that people have more success adhering to a fitness/ nutrition program when they have social support.
  • Set good goals. Goals can support us or set us up for failure so make it a SMART one. Specific Measurable Achievable Relevant Timebound. Goals keep you accountable. 
  • Prep your food. Pick high-quality foods; Make breakfast and lunches ahead of time and pack them in containers that are ready to go; Cut up veggies and fruit and store them in Tupperware for easy snacking and keep macronutrients on hand. We all know how important it is to stock our fridge and pantry with healthy items but making them easy and accessible will keep us on track.
  • Don’t quit. Give yourself a chance. If you fall, get back up. "Just because we mess up does not mean we have to keep messing up," she said. "We have to forgive ourselves and move on otherwise we can get lost in an avalanche of Ben and Jerry’s. According to Ramie: "Our attitudes determine our altitude."

For more fitness tips and advice, visit go to www.fyte.co/.

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