Congratulations to Ange Labelle, our Member of the Month for October!
Ange has been a member at Momentum for a year and a half. Her journey since joining Momentum has been a story of triumphs, major loss, and huge gains.
Ange joined Momentum with one major goal in mind – to lose weight. “My weight loss journey has been a bit of a rollercoaster ride my whole life. I lost a lot of weight about 10 years ago and didn’t maintain it. Then once I got into my 30s, I felt like I wasn’t living my best life. I needed to live a better life, and live one that made me happy.”
Ange trains with Coach Cole 3 times a week and works out 6 days a week. Throughout the summer, she joined us for outdoor TRX classes and brought tons of friends from work with her. She is a member of the office wellness committee where she works at a bank, and has become an inspiration to many people.
Her key? Consistency and accountability.
“Going to the gym is just a regular part of my life now. It’s like work; I go to work every day, I know what time I’m going, I know what I’m going to do, and I don’t question it. For me, working out is like a really fun version of work. I go to the gym almost every day, I know what time I’m going, I know what I’m going to do, and I actually do it. It’s scheduled and I make it. I tell my husband that I’m going to the gym, my friends know, my coworkers know, everyone knows. I say it out loud to people so that I feel accountable.”
Ange has a no excuse policy and gets her workout no matter what. It’s a priority in her life, and the results really show.
Weight loss
Ange has lost almost 100 pounds this year, and the woman is hella strong! You should see her lift! “When I first started working out with Cole, I wasn’t that serious about my weight loss goals. Finally, I decided to make a serious commitment in January. I was really tired of feeling lethargic and not feeling like I was living my best life.”
Ange originally described her weight loss journey as a rollercoaster ride. After months and months of hard work, consistency, and dedication, she has earned the rewards and is living a happier, healthier life. So, it was fitting that she celebrated at Wonderland where she comfortably was able to sit in all of the rides and soar through the skies in exaltation. We could only imagine the smile on her face that whole day! Her trip to Wonderland was a success in many, many ways.
Goals
Now, her goals are less about weight and are focused more on her fitness level. She wants to lift heavier things, run longer, and feel better overall. “It’s important for me to make goals that revolve around things that actually affect my life, rather than just a number on a scale. I want to be able to push myself and always be better than yesterday.”
Results
When I asked Ange about the impact that Momentum has had on her life, her eyes filled up with tears as she said, “Everything. Everything. It really did change my life. Cole changed everything.” I honestly don’t think there was a dry eye in the room as we saw her overcome with gratitude.
Ange credits Cole and Momentum for changing her life, but really, she should credit herself. It’s she who comes in the door every day. It’s her will and her self-love that got her started. She made the decision to start this journey. She told herself that she’s going to change and be healthier and happier. She’s the one putting in 100% of the effort to make the difference in her life, and impact others by sharing her journey.
Advice
Ange’s advice to other people who aren’t sure about joining a gym is to just take the first step in. “Don’t be intimidated – Momentum isn’t one of those big box places. Everyone who works here cares. They all go out of their way to know who you are, know your name, introduce you to people. It really feels like a community here.”
“Because it’s changed my life I want to be able to help other people have the same or similar experience as me. I can’t facilitate the same change that Cole did for me, but I can get them to the door, and maybe that would be enough to take the first step in their own fitness journey.”
There’s a whole crew of people at Momentum thanks to Ange and the change that she wants to see in other people’s lives. “I think that when other people see my results, it really helps to motivate them. When you see other people committed, it helps you to believe that you can do that too. When other people see me being committed, I hope that it makes them realize that they can make the same changes in their life, too.”
Thank you for sharing your story and your journey with us, Ange! And congratulations again on being our Member of the Month!
