Lory Gonzalez is 49 years old. She is a nurse practitioner, diabetes nurse educator. And she works in a pediatric endocrinology office at Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital.
2 years ago, Lyonel popped up in her Facebook feed. A lot of the things Lyonel said resonated with her. She never really felt a connection at the other gyms she had been going to. She was just another body there going in and doing her thing but wasn’t motivated to go. When she stopped going, she said she was pissed that they kept charging her even though she wasn’t even going. Looking back she can laugh about it now. But she admits that it wasn’t the smartest decision.
She then decided to check LyonStrong out. She texted Lyonel and made an appt. That whole positive energy that she got from the Facebook feed and everything she read was triply intensified with the energy that she felt the first day she walked into LyonStrong. She felt really comfortable telling him her story – she even remembers crying. 😪
She is in a caring profession where she cares for everybody but is the last one to feed her soul. So when she joined LyonStrong, her purpose was to be loyal to herself. That’s what brought her to LyonStrong. Her parents helped her pay for the membership because she was just fired from her job. They told her to do whatever she needed to do because they needed her here and to be healthy for a long time. So she decided to make it work. LyonStrong really helped her during a very difficult time in her life.
Lory says, “Everyone is at LyonStrong for the same purpose, but everyone has their own journey and reasons why they are going there to do what they need to do. It’s just positive from the moment you walk in, to the moment you leave, even if Lyonel busts our asses really hard. You just feel good, and it’s important because how can I give to others and do everything that I do, while being a Type A, so everything has to be perfect, which is even more pressure. So how can I refill my cup if I don’t nourish my soul?”
After joining LyonStrong, Lory lost the weight, she was super psyched, and she got a job in Hollywood, FL! 3 days a week she’s in Hollywood and 2 days a week she’s in Miramar at a satellite location. But then her parents got sick at the same time, and then her son got sick, then her daughter had surgery, so she kept finding excuses not to go back to the gym, although she was truly exhausted.
On the day that her daughter was scheduled to have her 2nd surgery, Lory had an appt with her doctor to which she hadn’t been to in a long time. That’s when she found out her thyroid levels were completely off and that’s why she was feeling so extra exhausted all of the time. They switched up her medication and she started feeling better, but then she started re-prioritizing and going back to why she joined LyonStrong to begin with – which was, to be loyal to herself.
She honestly didn’t care that she was spending the money every month for her membership and wasn’t even going to the gym. She thought to herself, if she put a hold on her membership, she knew she wasn’t going to go back. If she says she’ll start paying again when she comes back, that wasn’t going to work. It was something that she had to do for herself and it was her decision. So when she re-prioritized everything, she knew that going back to LyonStrong is what she needed to do for her health. She thought how could she give hope to kids with Type 1 Diabetes and families if she’s not taking care of her health and not practicing what she preaches. It’s embarrassing for her. So she’s back to square 1.
During the time that she wasn’t going to the gym, she still kept up with LyonStrong through Facebook and Instagram and she was reminded of the reason why she joined LyonStrong, and it was because she would see how people felt when they go to the gym. They felt good and energetic. Lory says that Lyonel has people from every fitness level, and what makes it special is that you’re not intimidated. It may look intimidating, but she says Lyonel and all his staff members know their stuff, and they know just how far to push because you’re not going to hurt yourself because everyone really cares.
Lory says that Eileen was like an angel for the year she was absent from the gym. She kept her posted on social events, but she just wasn’t really up to it. Eileen would always say whenever you’re ready to come back, we’re here for you. So she felt like there was always a connection because that’s the reason she started at LyonStrong. It was the energy she felt. She believes that energy nourishes your soul and it gets you ready for the day because you never know what is going to be thrown at you. If you do something to give back to yourself, then nothing else really matters. She might not have been physically at LyonStrong for that year, but she felt like LyonStrong was spiritually with her the whole time.
“LyonStrong is a special place. When you are committed to yourself, it’s fun – it’s never boring. It’s not like your run of the mill gym with a million workout machines and a million people coming in and out. You feel like you’re part of the family. You feel like you’re all working toward the same goal, which is to better your health, and be stronger. And you’re using your mind! With a lot of those exercises, you really have to concentrate and think about what you’re doing, but it’s really good because it’s kind of like a meditation. You block everything else out. If you don’t think about what you’re doing, you’ll mess up, and then you’ll just have to do it again.😂😂😂 And you don’t want to have to do it again! 😂😂😂 It’s a whole body, mind, and soul experience. The minute you walk in, you might have brought in all your baggage, but you leave it at the door because you’re focused on you, the energy, the music, everyone else that’s at the gym, and all that energy kind of bounces off everybody and it’s just positive… especially Lyonel’s energy. It’s important and it feels genuine. Lyonel wants to be there. He’s told me many times that no matter what time I’ll go, he’ll be there. I mean, who does that? Usually, it’s like, OK, the shop is closed! So that’s special. Not many people would do that. So I appreciate that. It means a lot.” – Lory Gonzalez
She never for one minute thought that she wasn’t going to go back. She knew that when she was determined and ready to put herself first, she needed to come back because she likes the way she feels when she’s at LyonStrong and when she likes the way she feels when she leaves. It’s like a domino effect that just keeps on going into every aspect of her life, so it just makes her feel better. She said she would have been really sad if she didn’t come back. She doesn’t just want to come back for a little while, she feels like exercise is part of life. Exercise and mobility are important. As we age, our muscles atrophy. If you don’t use it, you lose it. Lory says she just needs to feel healthy. That’s her goal before she turns 50 – it’s to keep refilling her cup with everything that she enjoys. And she says LyonStrong is one of them. There is nothing negative she can say about LyonStrong because it nourishes her mind, body, and soul.
LORY’S FUN FACTS:
Favorite Quote: “Live Love Laugh” She has lived by that her whole life – If you’re not present in the moment, then you can’t live. Love is what nourishes your soul. And Laughing is the best medicine.
Favorite Book: Self-improvement and Leadership type books
Favorite Movie: Sleepless in Seattle
Favorite Workout Music: All the music Lyonel plays is awesome. It makes her feel good and motivates her. Her son listens to Trippie Red and one day when she was working out at the gym, Lyonel played Trippie Red, and laughing to herself she thought, you know, there’s a whole connection here and Lyonel’s just so fucking cool! 😎😂 She thought, this is really cool.. this is my place.
Lory says, “LyonStrong is my Happy Place!!!” You have to recharge and reenergize any way you can. Health is super important. You just never know when something unexpected can happen and without your health, you can’t feel good and be there for your family. Exercise is a positive endorphin. She does suffer from depression and anxiety and she’s on medication, but she feels like this is something she can do for herself that is not medication-based, and it does make her feel better. Again, she says, Mind, Body, and Soul.. mentally physically, emotionally, to relieve stress. She just thinks you have to be committed to yourself, not to anyone else. You have to really want it deep down in your soul to feel good. She says Terry and her mom Margaret are an inspiration. So there are no excuses. Another thing she finds motivational is that you get to see everyone’s progressions. So she thinks it’s important to stay connected through social media in case you do miss a week. You get to see what’s going on and get reminded of why you need to go back. Lory says, “LyonStrong just makes everything better.”
Having Lory as part of the LyonStrong family has been so incredible for all of us here!
Her infectious smile, her positive energy, her willingness to fight for her, no matter what, no matter how long has truly been an inspiration.
We are so grateful to be a part of her journey.
Lyonel Lumarque
www.GetLyonStrong.com
P.S. IT IS ABSOLUTELY POSSIBLE! You can do this, just like Lory did. Let us be part of YOUR transformation story … LET’S SET UP A DISCOVERY SESSION TO HELP BREAK DOWN YOUR GOALS AND FIND OUT HOW OUR REMOTE 21 DAY TRANSFORMATION PROGRAM WITH GUARANTEED RESULTS CAN CHANGE YOUR LIFE. CLICK HERE AND TAKE THE FIRST STEP TO SUCCESS TODAY!