CONGRATULATIONS ANNE ST-ARNEAULT
Health and fitness goals:
I decided to invest in my health because I want to be able to enjoy life in a healthy manner for as long as I can. Having two beautiful daughters, I would like to be there for them for a long time. I also want to feel confident and celebrate the person I am.
Why did you decide to register with TinyT Fitness?
I decided to register with TinyT Fitness because a friend of mine was with TinyT at the time and still is, and I noticed that her method was working amazingly and I was noticing her transformation. My friend was very pleased by her experience and had only good things to say about TinyT, her method, and the lifestyle that she promotes.
What is it like working with Tinyt?
Working with TinyT is without a doubt a life-changing experience. She has such a way of being an incredible leader and mentor. She has lots of knowledge, and she loves sharing it. It’s so inspiring when you have a mentor who is so passionate about her work. She has a community of women that follow her, and she devotes her time and energy to providing the best experience for all women who have chosen to embarrass that lifestyle. And I have to mention that I just love when women celebrate and cheer for each other because it just elevates us and makes us more powerful and strong. Her Facebook community gives us a safe space and a platform to do just that.
How has the experience been for you?
I have been with TinyT since May 2022. During that period, I adopted lots of elements that are influencing my way of life. I changed my nutrition to incorporate a more balanced diet that is sustainable. I used to restrain myself from eating too many calories. I used to think that carbs were bad for you and that eating them would make me fat. I used to do lots of cardio, thinking that it would help me get in the best shape of my life. I used to look at all of those women on social media and dream of being just like them. Now, I can gladly say that I admire lots of women living their own lives, doing their own things, and inspiring lots of different women around them and on social media. But I also appreciate living my own journey, doing my thing, and living my best life, and mostly, I am proud of all of my little and big wins because I’m doing something that makes me happy, strong, and confident.
Please tell us about yourself
I’m Anne. I say (or write) that because for a long time, I felt lost in all of the different roles in my life. I’m a woman because I identify myself as being one, and I’m also the mother of two beautiful little women. I’m also an elementary teacher in a French public school, a lover, a daughter, a sister…
I’m an authentic person. I love spending time with the people I love, I love being in nature, and I love seeing and learning new things. I’m a very good listener. In the last few months, I also discovered that I just love going to the gym, eating a healthy diet, and seeing my body transform. And let me tell you that it’s only the beginning.
In your opinion, is weight loss more of a fitness or a health issue, and why?
In my opinion, weight loss is more of a health issue because if you have a healthy lifestyle and eat foods that are good for you, sleep well, manage your stress, and exercise with a purpose, you have a more probable chance of having a leaner and healthier body. I learned from my coach Tinyt that the right combination of all of those elements can and will be defining for your success in reaching your goals.
You can look as physically fit as it is possible to be and still have a poor image of yourself because you are not at the right place in your life.
What were the biggest challenges you have faced during your journey?
I have to say that in the beginning, I felt overwhelmed by the nutrition plan I got. I had to use a balance to weigh my food, and that, to me, was a big adjustment. Also, because of the way my brain or my thoughts worked, I thought that eating all of that food and carbs would only result in me gaining weight. I’ve had and still have issues with my body image and the way that I see myself, even if it’s way better now than it used to be. I think that I had a blockage at that point. I also thought that continuing to do lots of cardio would help me lose weight. I used to compare myself to other women and think that I would never be able to reach that type of physics or like the reflection of myself in the mirror. I weighed myself multiple times a day to see my progress and felt discouraged if the number stayed the same and felt like a failure if it went up. I can happily say that all of those fears are behind me now and that I have learned to love the process and the journey.
Please describe the importance of mental health
Mental health to me is so important. You can look as physically fit as it is possible to be and still have a poor image of yourself because you are not at the right place in your life. Health is holistic and should be viewed as such. The integrality of our bodies, inside and out, should be balanced for us to feel good and be in the right state of mind. If we suffer from a certain type of mental wellness, it has an effect on the rest of our bodies and, therefore, on our well-being in general. I think that we live in a society that is more prone to mental health issues. Our way of life, the stress that we have to endure every day, the food that we put in our bodies, the environment that we live in, and the toxins that surround us are all elements that impact us. We all have bad days or days that we don’t feel our best, and that is normal. It’s when it’s frequent or daily that people need to seek help. It’s so important to have a circle of people that we can rely on. We should be there for each other. And we should not be ashamed or afraid to bother people with what we are doing. We also have to remind ourselves to be kind to each other. We never know what someone else is going through, and therefore, we should be respectful and considerate.
Training Plan:
At first, I used to go to a Crossfit gym about 5–6 times a week. Crossfit is amazing, and we have such a beautiful community. I learned a lot from my cross-fit coaches.
When I spoke with coach TinyT the first time, I told her that I wanted to be more toned. I wanted to have a definition but didn’t want to look masculine. She told me that to achieve my goal, I had to eat more and do mostly strength training. I was kind of surprised. This being said, after a few months, I started going to a regular gym 4 times a week to do strength training as prescribed by Tinyt and have been seeing results since!
Nutrition Plan:
I have to admit that I had some concerns at first with all the food I was supposed to eat in only one day. It had been years since I had eaten so many carbs, yes, carbs. I, like so many other women, was afraid to incorporate them into my diet because I thought that they would make me gain weight and make me look fat. I didn’t know that you have to eat them in combination with other foods. I now eat more than 2300 calories per day on training days, and I feel great! I learned that she was the expert, and I now trust the process.
What does it mean to you to be published in Status Fitness Magazine and share your story?
I can’t believe it! I am super excited and grateful. Never in my life would I have thought that I would one day be published in a magazine, much less a fitness magazine! I feel honoured and humbled by it.
If you could inspire one person, who would that be?
Oh, I have to cheat for this one. It has to be for two. I would love to inspire my two beautiful daughters, and I say that with humility. They are two beautiful people, and I feel like I would love for them to be proud of their mother as much as I am proud of them. They bring so much love into my life. I love them deeply. I want their happiness, and I wish that they feel loved enough to feel confident and go after their own dreams in life.
Who inspires you? And why?
My daughters, because I feel like I want to leave them a certain heritage of knowing that they can achieve their goals if they put their minds to it and work to attain them. My mother inspires me because she has raised, with my father, of course, five beautiful individuals, each with their own personality, their own challenges, and their own dreams. She is a strong and loving mother to me and to my brothers and sisters. She still has her own business, even though she is 71 years old. My family’s presence in my life inspires me to be a better person. My partner inspires me by challenging some of my insecurities and making me think about patterns that I have been doing in my life, sometimes to cope with different situations, and to palliate the fact that I have attachment issues, low confidence, and anxious behaviours. He does that in a very loving way. And last but not least, my beautiful coach TinyT, for her guidance and her mentorship. She is such an amazing person. She loves what she does, and we certainly benefited from it daily. She is authentic and passionate. She has turned her life around when so many people would have given up on their dreams. She’s a true inspiration.
What is your number one tip for people on their fitness journey?
I think that you have to do it for yourself. You have to know that you have the power to achieve so much when you put your mind to it. You have to set goals for yourself and celebrate all of your wins, big and small. You have to surround yourself with people who will cheer you on and support you. You have to do what makes you feel good. Don’t wait for tomorrow, because you will be a day further from what you wish and want for yourself. And find a coach who has the same vision as you. Find someone who inspires you. And when you have a good one, or a great one, AKA Tinyt, listen to her because she is the expert, and trusts the process.
What does success mean to you?
To me, success means being proud of who I am and who I am becoming. I don’t think that it’s about money or your social status. It’s possible for everyone. Be the best version of yourself and be proud!
What is your favourite quote to live by?
I have a few favourite quotes.
“I have the power to create the life I want” is a quote that I like because we are all writers of our own stories. I truly believe that we have the ability to change our lives if we take action. And we have to believe in ourselves through the process.
Connect with Anne: IG
Photos By: Michaël Van Houcke
