From Burnout to Balance: How Working Smarter Transformed My Strength & Confidence

Breaking Free from Food Obsession: My Journey to Fitness & Mindset Transformation

Welcome to the Muscles & Mindset Revolution podcast, hosted by Anne Jones, a certified life coach and fitness professional with over 15 years of experience. This podcast is designed for busy, ambitious women looking to achieve stronger bodies, sustainable habits, and long-term fat loss.

In this episode, Anne shares her transformative journey from overtraining to achieving balanced fitness and lasting results. She discusses early misconceptions about intense workouts, the challenges she faced, and the pivotal role pregnancy played in shifting her approach to fitness. Listeners will learn actionable steps to avoid burnout, embrace recovery, and achieve sustainable progress.

Real-life client success stories highlight the importance of working smarter, not harder.

Lasting weight loss and fitness come from balance, consistency, and self-care.

00:36 My Early Fitness Journey

02:48 The Turning Point: Injury and Realization

05:08 Pregnancy and the Path to Balance

09:21 Client Success Story: Paddy's Transformation

11:51 Actionable Steps for Finding Balance

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Ready to build strength, feel confident AF, and lose fat without obsessing or stressing over it? [Apply to Join the Muscles & Mindset program here].

Connect With Me:

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• Website: [https://www.annejonescoaching.ca/]

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• [FREE YOUR BODY YOUR WAY GUIDE]

• [Join our Free Facebook Community]

• [https://musclesandmindset.ca/]

Ready to build strength, feel confident AF, and lose fat without obsessing or stressing over it? [Apply to Join the Muscles & Mindset program here].

Connect With Me:

• Instagram: [@annejonesfit]

• Website: [https://www.annejonescoaching.ca/]

• YouTube: [https://www.youtube.com/@annejones]

Love This Episode? Share & Review!

If you found this episode helpful, take a screenshot and share it on your Instagram stories, tagging [@annejonesfit] so I can say thanks! Don’t forget to leave a review on your favourite podcast platform—it helps more women discover the show and start their transformation!

Transcript

0:01

Welcome to the muscles mindset revolution; the podcast for busy, ambitious women who are tired of chasing quick fixes and are ready to finally achieve real lasting results, stronger bodies, sustainable habits, and long-term weight loss. I am your host and Jones certified life coach and fitness professional for over 15 years, here to help you break free from inconsistency, overwhelm, and burnout, and help you to build strength, feel confident, AAF, and lose weight without obsessing or stressing over weight loss. No BS, just real simple sustainable strategies. So today I want to take you back in my fitness career about 11 years ago. Like many of us, When I first got into fitness in 2005, I thought the only way to get results was by working out harder. And if you've listened to episode one, you know how this story started at university. I was very much in the times of like more cardio, more intensity, 55 minutes on the elliptical, more and more and more and more, more. And for a while that worked, or at least that's what I thought. I ate less. I'd pushed through every workout. But instead of feeling energized, I felt drained and tired. But I did love fitness. I have always loved fitness. So the year that I graduated university, I became a certified fitness instructor and then a registered yoga teacher and then a personal trainer. And then so many other things. And by that fall of the year that I graduated university fitness was a part-time job. And within just a few months, it was my full-time job. I gave up my full-time job at the local literacy society. And I was teaching 16 plus group fitness and yoga classes each week. And I wasn't so much. Battling guilt for not doing enough fitness stuff. Cause I was doing like tons of fitness stuff, but it was more of a thought like I'm a fitness professional, like. I should be able to do all of this. I am invincible. I should be able to do, should, should, should, should, should. And this was my full-time career for five years straight, like sweating multiple times away a day. Like working til nine, 10:00 PM at night. And it was my part-time job for much, much longer, really until. C0V1D. And I thought I was invincible.'Cause I was young as a fitness professional. And I didn't know that I could say no. And I learned that and I will share about that on the podcast at a later time. But I want to talk about fitness today. So I was achy and exhausted all the time. Definitely not gaining strength. I want to be clear, like I fit. I was in good shape. Like I was functional. It was not as strong as I am now, but I was achy and exhausted all the time. Definitely not gaining strength. In fact, I did the first tough matter at Whistler. which is notorious, cause you had to. Slide into the actual frozen lake, like a hole in the frozen, lake', and so many people got hurt. It was so dangerous. They never did it like that. Again, they completely changed the course. In subsequent years. So if you've done it since. 2010 or 11, or whenever that was, it is not the same as it was then. And I really injured my shoulder. my supraspinatus and my biceps tendon. Because I didn't train for it. I couldn't even do a pull up. I don't think at the time, I don't even think I had tried to do a pull-up at this time. And if you can imagine those are very much required at something like tough Mudder, which is very functional. So could I do it? Yeah. Was it a good idea? No. And so even though it was a fitness professional, my training. Was cardio, most of the cardio yoga and group fitness classes. For most of those years, I did not have a trainer or a plan, not even a consistent progressive program. Until I got a trainer. A personal trainer in maybe 2016 or 2017. Probably 2016 and even then a trainer once a week does not an effective program make like even a personal trainer in real life. A few times a week is not. Necessarily. Effective program. We can talk more about that on another episode. Anyways. I was sweaty all the time. I was tired all the time. I remember. Driving home from my class, driving down 176th street soaked in sweat. And these clothes. And I had to use my hands to lift my right leg to brake and gas to drive. Cause my hip flexors were so sore and I literally remember like chuckling to myself. But it's not funny. Like that's bad. It was not good. And I think in that moment, I was a little bit like, Hmm. And it wasn't just physical fatigue. There was a lot of mental burnout too, and I didn't. Really know what burnout was. I was fit. That's fine, but I'm not in the shape that I am in now. And I was achy and tired and sore and very sweaty. But then a miracle happened in 2017. I got pregnant. And actually I was in very good shape. Like my cardio was so good. My mobility was so good. So I was actually in an excellent position for pregnancy and I worked out. Extremely reasonably until my due date. I remember I did a a barre class the day before my due date on my due date. I was at the CanFit pro fitness convention in downtown Vancouver. Very pregnant. anyways, I realized in that early part of pregnancy that I needed balance not extreme. So it was like a wake up call. I was like, okay. I'm going to stay fit through this, but my body needs rest, like actual rest, not just more of the same. So I began listening to my body more closely. Prioritizing recovery. Like I was a very conscious pregnant lady. I did so much yoga. I said Om so many times, which I swear is why Sophie was such a chill baby. and I incorporated way more yoga and specific strength training. I can't remember, but I think really for the first time ever, maybe I built a consistent, progressive training program that I did without fail three times a week through my whole pregnancy. And I did a lot of yoga, like multiple times a week. I would say at least three times a week, I went to a full on yoga class. in South Surrey. and spin, which I think is great for pregnant ladies. If your pelvic floor can handle it. Because it's low impact and you are in control. Of everything. So. I love that. And it was fun. Any who. Pregnancy and childbirth were the perfect transitions for me to slow down and get smart about my training. And then after having my daughter, I got back to fitness as soon as I safely could, like within that. Five six weeks or whatever. I saw my pelvic floor physiotherapist. She cleared me for exercise. not because I wanted to bounce back quickly at all or lose baby weight. I was not concerned about that. But because I wanted to be able to bounce a baby. That was growing. I wanted to be able to sit up from bed with a baby on my chest. I want it to be able to carry a car seat. I wanted to be able to squat down a deadlift, a car seat with a baby in it, and then not long after this, I was nannying a second baby. So there was often two car seats. So I literally wanted to be able to progressingly overload my training. I always used to say this when I trained. Pregnant ladies or new moms in real life, like...Let's train you as this weight grows. we can't stay down here with our five pounds because this baby never weighed five pounds, probably. So there is a built-in progressive overload that you should be training for any who... I did research. I did webinars. I took courses. I did continuing education about strength, training, not just postnatal stuff. I intelligently and progressively trained myself back to function and strength. And when I finally started prioritizing recovery at this time, my results improved, like so fast. I became stronger, not just in my body, but in my mindset. And the best part is I was able to keep my progress sustainable, which I had done previously, you know, since I started eating intelligently until getting pregnant and then postnatally till now. I stopped the cycle of burnout. By 2020. I was in the best shape of my life, but my body was still a little achy, which is when I started working out with my current trainer, Jen. who I've now been working with for almost five years. It could be she's so freaking smart and learning how to train specifically for my goals over time. Repeating my workout phases for eight to 12 weeks. Yes. Eight to 12 weeks. Strength training phases. Even some cardio phases are intended to be repeated. Research shows best for six to 12 weeks. I do mine for eight to 12. Game changer. But I have fun of my workouts. I can do fun things now, like cartwheels and handstands and straight leg raises and pistol squats, and I'm stronger than ever. And my back and hip pain is down if not gone altogether, most of the time. So, if you are listening right now and you've been pushing hard with no results, take it from me. There is another way I know this, not just for myself, but my clients as well. all ages 30 to 65. When you start focusing on balance. Not extremes. You'll notice results in both your body and your mindset. And let me tell you that is exactly what happened to my client Paddy, I've worked with Paddy for years. And. When she came to me inside muscles and mindset, she was overwhelmed. She was stressed out. She was very much stuck in a cycle of doing too much overdoing, which she absolutely didn't think was too much, which is totally the way that I was previously as well. Right. We just seems very reasonable. We should be able to do everything all the time. So she was pushing herself through daily intense workouts. Wasn't seeing any results was going to these crazy, like long, intense walks, more and more and more and more and more and more and more. She was exhausted. She was frustrated. She was anxious. She was feeling like nothing was working and it wasn't working. But here's the thing that happened first. We did a lot. Of mindset work together. We had to learn to let go. I taught her all about her nervous system first, and then she felt safe to begin focusing on balance instead of intensity. Also, she trusted me, which helped. You got to trust the process or it's not going to work. but everything changed. She began trusting in the process of working smarter, not harder, doing less. Not lifting as heavy, not going as crazy, not needing to do so many things, feeling safe in recovery and saying no on rest days. And her results started to show a big time. Within a few months, Paddy lost 24 pounds, nearly 30 inches. wore a two-piece bathing suit for the first time in her life. And she says she's feeling. Stronger more mobile and more confident than ever. And here's the best part; she is now able to handle stress in a way she never could before. And that is a game changer because she's not just transforming physically, but mentally too. She now has the tools to manage daily stressors and even old past triggers. And she is thriving in ways that she didn't even know were possible. I'm very proud of her. And I can think of a dozen other clients with the same experience. Came to me, overdoing overworking. I'm stuck. I'm stuck. I'm stuck. And seeing no results. And once we introduced balance and recovery. If, and when they trusted me and trusted in the process like Paddy did. They saw the results. They desired pretty quickly. But Paddy's journey is just a reminder that progress does not come from punishing ourselves or over-training, it comes from balance. And when we prioritize recovery. Consistency. And most of all, listening to our bodies, we can achieve lasting sustainable results and it doesn't have to feel like torture it. Shouldn't in fact, So I want to leave you with a few actionable steps to avoid overtraining and find balance in your own fitness routine. number one is prioritize rest and recovery. So yes, this means sleep. But I also mean recovery. And I'll tell, tell you what I mean, don't underestimate the power of recovery and rest days you should be having at least one full rest day a week. Rest is not hiking up a mountain. Or jogging with your dog recovery is gentle swimming. Light cycling, restorative yoga. Walking at a comfortable pace, your body needs time to recover. Especially after intense workouts, especially if you're trying to build strength, especially if you want to lose. weight. Lose weight. More is not always better. Your body needs recovery time. Okay. Number two. Mix it up include a variety of modalities. I'm always gonna say you need training. I'm always gonna say yoga is a good idea. and we all need to do low intensity cardio for heart health. So do what I do. Mix that up. Find what you like. Don't do some random strength, training, nonsense, have a progressive consistent program. But if there's like a conditioning class that you like to go to on Monday mornings, work it into the program, it doesn't mean don't do it. It just means. Don't do just that. Number three. Listen to your body for the love of God. If you were fatigued or sore or always tired, this is not normal. Take a step back. It is a sign. I've never seen a client push through burnout to a positive result. It's okay. To scale back. It's okay. Lastly focus on progress, not perfection. We talked about this in last week's episode. On all or nothing thinking instead of pushing yourself to the limit every single day, focus on gradual improvements and consistency over time. Take the pressure off the timeline. Most of my clients lose 10 to 20 pounds in less than five, six months. I would rather do it once forever, then do it. Quickly a bunch of times and destroy my metabolism. And my self-confidence so as much as possible. Just to remove the timeline. Do you want to do it fast or do you want to do it permanently? And then lastly, finding balance doesn't mean necessarily. Doing less or a lot less or more. It means doing what works for your body and your lifestyle. When you let go of the no pain, no gain mentality, you will feel stronger, more energized and more confident on your fitness journey. And I just want to take this opportunity to say too that I actually don't really believe in balance. I just say it because. People think they feel balanced. I don't think balance is real. I think balance is like a weigh scales. something gets a little bit more and that's a sign that we need to do a little bit more over here. We need to do a little bit less over here. I think balance is constantly in flux. Like that's life. There's not some person out there who has a perfectly leveled, like all the things are perfect all the time. So if you're ready to stop over-training. If you're ready to find. Balance in your routine. I really encourage you to take the next step, whatever that is for you. And you can totally DM Me on Instagram and we can chat about what that might be. I love having a goals conversation. Because trust me, the results are worth it. And you are worth it. Like you are worth going all in on. And it doesn't have to be a push push, push torture session. Don't wait for the perfect time. Take action now, whatever that is. Thank you very much for listening to this episode of the muscles and mindset revolution podcast. If you found value in today's episode, I'd love for you to leave a five-star review and please share what steps you're going to take on your fitness journey or your biggest takeaway from today's episode. Here for you.