Finding Your Fit: A Compassionate Trainer’s Guide to Making Fitness a Lifelong Habit

by Kathleen Trotter

Ten simple, practical ways to get moving, get healthy, and feel great.


Wanting to get on track and actually getting (and then staying) on track are two totally different things. The million-dollar question is: how do we find the inner motivation to go from thinking about a healthier lifestyle to actually adopting one? How do we get off the sofa and out the front door? Finding Your Fit: A Compassionate Trainer’s Guide to Making Fitness a Lifelong Habit provides readers with practical tools that will allow them to connect the dots between wanting to make a health and fitness change, and actually making it.

Genres: Health, Nonfiction

192 pages, ebook

Published October 1, 2016

About the author

Kathleen Trotter, author of Finding Your Fit: A Compassionate Trainer’s Guide to Making Fitness a Lifelong Habit, is a personal trainer, nutritionist, life coach, and fitness writer. She has made regular contributions to Huffington Post and the Globe and Mail, blogs for Flaman Fitness, and makes regular TV appearances including monthly segments on Breakfast Television Montreal and Daytime Ottawa. Kathleen holds an M.Sc. from the University of Toronto, a nutrition diploma from the Canadian School of Natural Nutrition and owns a personal training studio in Toronto.

Reviews

[Gill · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm always a bit sceptical about books about fitness, health, lifestyle changes etc. In this case I was even more dubious, when I saw that 3 of the book's 5 star reviews on Goodreads were from the book's publishers.

However, I found the book interesting and I liked its approach. It also had several references that looked interesting, that I am following up. Will it help me develop a lifetime habit? I hope so.

[Teena in Toronto · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kathleen Trotter is a personal trainer based in Toronto, Globe and Mail columnist, pilates equipment specialist, Huffington Post blogger and fitness writer. Her services include personal training, personalized programs, group seminars and fitness writing. She came to my attention because I saw she is conducting the Finding Your Fit Library Series at the Toronto Public Libraries from July to November.

I've been on track since last July to lose weight, get more active and get healthier so I like reading books about getting and keeping fit.

The chapters were:

* How to set yourself up for health success
* Make daily movement non-negotiable
* Some movement is always better than no movement
* Make fitness goals, not fitness wishes
* Adopting a healthier lifestyle is a marathon, not a sprint
* Find the WWHH [what, why, how much and how] of your eating habits and adopt the Captain Obvious approach to health
* Establish a health entourage
* Stop fixating on the scale and aim to get out of body debt
* Ways you might be unknowingly sabotaging your progress
* Variety is the spice of life
* The "Choose you own Adventure" exercise program

This is a good book for beginners who are thinking about making fitness a lifelong habit (hence the title) or a good reminder for those of us who have been struggling all our lives. It promotes the principle of not striving for perfection and suggests the 80/20 rule ... tell yourself that as long as you are good 80% of the time, you can still enjoy less-healthy options 20% of the time. For me, I find this hard ... it's all or nothing for me. I'm either right on or waaaaaaaaaaaay off.

I liked the writing style ... it was conversational and as if the author was talking with me. I liked that the author suggested turning negative thoughts like "I don't want to train" into "I am so lucky that I get to train" and "Exercise is not something you have to do; it is something you GET to do! Moving is a privilege." She shared her personal experiences which made her easy to relate to.

There are suggested exercises throughout the book, some with colour pictures. The author encourages you to find exercises you like (she loves running) so you can be assured of sticking to a routine. She gives recommended workouts depending on what kind of an exerciser you are (I like classes but am okay doing stuff on my own). While it talks about eating healthy, you would have to look elsewhere to get more detailed information.

Blog review post: http://www.teenaintoronto.com/2017/07...

[Tamara Sheriff · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Kathleen Trotter's 'Finding Your Fit' is more than just a book loaded with an amazing bespoke plan to lead each individual into their comfort zone of health and wellness, each page offers gentle guidance and support through positive suggestions and instructions that turn negative habits into positive pathways to crack the code on what might be holding you back from finding a fitter you! Kathleen is humble and sincere in sharing her own personal journey through 'awkwardness to awareness' and has developed unique strategies for everyone to attain their health and lifelong well being!"

[Lynne Meilleur · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love practical ideas that I can actually use, and the concept of starting habits that stick. Kathleen is indeed compassionate, and I love her Captain Obvious approach!

[Alexia · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bit repetitive at times because each chapter is meant to be easily read individually, but overall a really refreshing and motivating book. I would suggest your read this not for particular workout recommendations but for the clever ways to motivate yourself to eat healthier and move more.