Coach Fowler

Social media gets a bad rap. And so does vulnerability & sharing your story.

Can it be a time suck? Sure.

Can it be misleading? You bet.

Can sharing your story make you a target for others to throw stones your direction? Unfortunately.

But social media has been a learning avenue for me. It’s connected me to some of my favorite people. It allowed me to open a business. It allows me to journal my successes and failures and traumas and then share those teaching moments to those that want them.

There are nuggets every day where I find myself saying “oh, I love this!” or “oh, this is so good”.

AND. AND. AND.

There also lies a responsibility in me to hit unfollow when things no longer serve me. That’s a healthy move.

Let social media help you, and if you find that it’s doing the opposite, well, then do your part and take the action that you need to take.

We overcomplicate things. Our brains, er, our egos, have a way of doing that. In what ways do you find this platform beneficial?

📸 Alexandrea Delgado Photography

I gained 13 pounds after having Covid. I’m not sure if telling you this makes me a good coach, a bad coach, a safe coach, a vulnerable coach, or just a “listen to this wild ass story” coach. But whatever, there’s a lesson in it for me.

I was working hard toward something this past fall and had ALL OF THE MOMENTUM going for me, then I got Covid at the very beginning of November and it changed absolutely everything. Not only was I simultaneously without electricity for 13 days, but it harshly impacted my business and my mental stability. After picking up a lot of broken pieces in mid November, I went into a depression that I’ve never experienced. I’ve honestly only ever experienced anxiety, and this wasn’t that. Needless to say, my therapist has been pivotal for me over the last 12 weeks.

I’m not repulsed by a 13 pound weight gain. I am not defined by it either. I also know that trading wine for water and cake pops for veggies probably has me down a few of those pounds. I haven’t checked or weighed recently. Right now it’s just where I’m at, until I’m not.

I’m a gym owner that experienced emotional trauma at 18 years older and 260 pounds, 30 years old and 159 pounds, and at 37 years old and 185 pounds. Fitness and health are much more than discipline and motivation. It’s more than “if I can do it so can you.” It’s sitting with our s**t, recognizing our coping mechanisms, and then navigating our way back to what feels good for us. Lifting weights feels good. Healthy nutrition feels good, too. And here I am.

I have started to see my clients in this light, too. They may not be body aware because of trauma. They may be nutritionally triggered because of trauma, too. This awareness has allowed me to be more than a “just show up” or a “just lift this” kind of coach. I see them. They know it, too.

EMOM workouts. Sometimes you just crawl into a tire and hang out for recovery.

My advice? Eat the damn pie (if that’s what you wanna do). I am not a fan of the “food is fuel” slogan. I DO believe that the better our nutrition is overall, the better our bodies perform for us.

But food is also an experience. I felt that in Italy. I felt that when I lost sense of taste with Covid. And I feel it every time I gather with my large family around a meal made with love and intention.

Things are different this year, but there will still be pie and imma eat it guilt free.
Pumpkin > Pecan. Don’t @ me.

While I’m at it, I’m still gonna move my body that morning, too. Not to play defense for a holiday meal, but to work on getting stronger because 🍑

Happy Thanksgiving ✌🏼🦃🍁