Here are some of the results my clients have gotten after working with me. You can find them in two separate categories:
1) Reducing Neuroplastic Pain/TMS and Strength Training and
2) Body Composition Change Through Nutrition and Strength Training
1. Reducing Neuroplastic Pain/TMS and Strength Training
Neuroplastic pain/TMS pain is a type of pain that is learned by the nervous system even though there is no physical problem in the body. It does not mean that “it's in your head”; you didn't make this up! But what it does mean is that the sensations that you are feeling are there because of mental and emotional stress and nervous system dysregulation, and your brain has learned to create pain as a result of these stressors.
Thanks to your brain's ability to change, you can also unlearn this pain. My clients have done it by teaching their nervous systems safety through various methods, and also through physical exercise. That's because letting go of the fear of moving your body is a powerful signal of safety to your body!
Laura Ricci Went From Chronic Hip Pain and Multiple Surgeries to Lifting Over 200 lbs Weights at the Gym
Laura had many years of hip pain. She even had several surgeries but they didn't help — she still had pain, poor mobility and significant discomfort in her hips. In addition, over the years she had received several other diagnosis such as chronic fatigue and Lyme disease.
After learning that her symptoms and sensations are caused by nervous system dysregulation, she stopped being afraid of them.
Through nervous system regulation, stress reduction, emotional awareness and strength training, her sensations are down significantly. Her hip mobility is better than ever and she can lift over 200 lbs at the gym!
Amanda Boyd Overcame 13 Years of Chronic Fatigue and other Symptoms with Nervous System Work and Strength Training
Amanda had over 13 years of chronic sensations in her body. The most concerning one of them was chronic fatigue which literally kept her in bed for a while.
The only exercise she could do when she was sick, was some modified yoga. But walking was difficult and even the simplest chores around the house would get her exhausted.
When she learned about neuroplastic pain/TMS and realized that all her symptoms were caused by that, everything changed. She lost the fear of making her symptoms worse and picked up strength training, starting with just small dumbbells.
Today, she is working out at the gym and using barbells, and her neuroplastic/TMS sensations are few and far between!
Annie Chin Started Exercising at the Age of 61, After 18 Years Of Chronic Mindbody Symptoms and Significantly Reduced Her Pain
Annie had 18 years of chronic neuroplastic symptoms. At one point, she was bedbound and so weak that she couldn't even lift the lightest cell phone which she really needed, as this was the only way to stay in touch with the world outside.
After years of struggle, she found mindbody healing and saw the light at the end of the tunnel. She committed to her practices every single day, by regulating her nervous system and continuing to send her brain messages of safety. She started to get better and then decided to try out strength training, even though she had never done this before, even before getting sick. So she started at the age of 61, and hasn't looked back!
Below are more experiences from clients who have worked with Kersten.
2. Body Composition Change Through Nutrition and Strength Training
The most important, but often overlooked thing to do when the goal is to lose body fat and gain muscle, is to first build up your metabolism.
A faster, more flexible metabolism allows you to build a lean, strong and fit physique without deprivation, constant hunger and extra cardio. When you have a healthy, fast and flexible metabolism the occasional treats or a glass of wine will not cause you weight gain.
To put it short: With a faster metabolism, you will be able to eat more food and maintain your physique, and it becomes easy.
You never have to use cardio for calorie burning, and you never have to calculate how much energy you have to "burn" to "earn" food. Faster metabolism gives you so much flexibility. If you've ever said that you can't even look at bread, ice cream or any other food without gaining weight -- you likely have slow metabolism and you need to speed it up. That's what I help you do.
Here's how some of my clients have done it.
Stopped Intense Cardio and Food Restriction, Lost Fat, and Restored Her Hormonal Health
Jerrica restricted her food for years. There were times when she ate just vegetables and other times when she ate just one meal a day. She was also doing a lot of cardio until she completely burned herself out -- her body started resisting everything that she tried to do. She started gaining weight instead of losing it. Her hormonal health was awful and she didn't know what to do.
When we started working together, we increased her food intake, began to eat regularly, increased protein intake, cut cardio to a minimum and replaced it a progressive weight lifting plan with enough rest days. She was finally able to see the change she had always wanted. She is finally strong, healthy and lean by doing less, not more.
Lost Weight And Body Fat By Eating More, Not Less
Before we started our work together, this client wasn't working out and she also ate very little, including very little protein. After increasing her protein intake and overall calories, plus starting strength training 3 days per week, her physique changed completely. She is eating more than she did before and is much stronger and leaner.
Increasing Calories Helped Her Through a Plateau
This client was eating about 1300 calories when she took the photo on the left. Her metabolism was very slow and resistant to weight gain and she didn't know why -- she thought she was doing everything right by keeping her calories very low, around 1300.
We changed it. When we started working together, we increased her food intake and also changed her workout plan. On the picture on the right, she is doing strength training 3 days per week and eating close to 2000 calories. Her metabolic rate is now much higher and she looks and feels a lot healthier.
Already Strength Training But Needed a Customized Macro Nutrition Plan to Lose Fat
This client was already working out regularly and was very strong, but she had never tracked her macros.
We started working on her nutrition and she started tracking her macros. This was exactly the missing piece that she needed to get right in order to see the change in her physique. The muscle that she had built all these years is more visible now.
More Success Stories
Below you can see more examples of how my clients have lost body fat and built muscle sustainably, without any diets and in most cases, by actually increasing their calorie intake, not reducing it. This is possible once you dial in your nutrition and start a structured workout plan that is customized to you.
From 3-Day Fasts and Mental And Phsyical Exhaustion to Eating Regularly and Losing Body Fat
Previously, she had tried so many different diets to lose weight, and she even tried 3-day water fast! She was completely depleted, tired physically and mentally, and gaining weight.
The secret to her success was to start eating regularly, eat more food, more protein, and let go of intense cardio based training for a little while until her body healed. She continued weight lifting and also returned to boxing later when her metabolism was much healthier, and she was able to do it without any problems -- because this time, she was fueling it properly.
Eating Healthy But Not Seeing Change Until Starting Macro Tracking
This mom of 5 had always enjoyed weight lifting and healthy eating. However, she couldn't see a change in her body. When she started following a customized macro nutrition plan and increased her daily steps, she finally started getting fitter and leaner.
Changing Her Body Composition With Couple Of Simple Changes
This client didn't need to lose weight. But she wanted to change her body composition, look leaner and fitter. She was already eating healthy, but had not yet focused on macronutrients. When we started doing that, and changed her workout plan to incorporate heavier weights and lifting 3 days per week, that was all she needed to build a fitter, more athletic look.
More Testimonials
