The people around you shape more than you think

This past weekend we had a lacrosse tournament down in Sisters for our oldest.

I’m the head coach, so I spent most of the weekend with the team. My wife Katie was doing what she always does so well — taking care of our 4-year-old, helping everything run smoothly, and cheering us on through the whole thing.

It was a blast of a weekend.

But it also reminded me how easy it is, especially this time of year, to drift into choices that feel fun in the moment but do not really help you feel your best long term.

Nice weather. Different town. Easy food options. Long days. A beer or two sounding pretty great.

There is nothing wrong with enjoying some of that.

But what stood out to me again was how much having the right people around you matters.

Katie is not just my wife. She is also the owner and founder of Formidable and a huge reason this gym is what it is. She believes deeply in helping people live healthier, stronger lives, and she lives that out in how she supports our family too.

She helps keep me aligned with the version of me I actually want to be, especially in those moments where it would be easy to drift a little.

That matters more than most people realize.

Most people do not need more guilt

Most people do not struggle with healthy habits because they do not care.

They struggle because life is busy, stress is real, and the world around them often makes the easier short-term choice look a whole lot more appealing than the healthier long-term one.

It is easy to eat what is convenient.

It is easy to have another drink.

It is easy to skip the workout.

It is easy to tell yourself you will get back on track tomorrow.

And if the people, routines, and environment around you are always pulling in that direction too, it gets even harder.

That is why support matters so much.

The right people in your life do not just cheer you on when things are going well. They help keep you steady when you are tempted to drift. They make it easier to stay true to what you actually want for yourself.

That could be a spouse.

A friend.

A coach.

A workout group.

A standing appointment you do not want to miss.

Whatever form it takes, most people do a whole lot better when they are not trying to do it alone.

Virginia’s story is a great example of that

Virginia recently shared something that really says a lot.

She said she had struggled with her weight and had a major dependency on food to try to manage her anxiety. She started CrossFit in 2020 and had been through a couple gyms, but the one that clicked, the one that made her feel at home and made her want to be there through every season and every injury, was Formidable.

That is a powerful statement.

Because yes, results matter.

But so does finding a place where you actually want to be. A place where you feel supported, known, and like people are in your corner when life is hard, when motivation is low, and when you are not feeling your best.

Virginia said her journey to finding herself has taken her entire adult life. She has gained and lost and gained weight. She worked through her food issues. And now she says her anxiety is at an all-time low. She also said she has never felt more fit, confident, and herself than she does now.

That alone is a huge win.

And yes, she has also lost 102 pounds.

Thirty of those came before rejoining the gym after a year away when they moved and after her hysterectomy. But 72 pounds came with the help of the people, coaches, and environment at Formidable.

“Sure, I did all the work but the environment and the people made it fun again.”

That is exactly it.

She did the work. She deserves to be incredibly proud of that.

But the right environment matters. The right coaches matter. The right community matters. They help make hard things feel doable, and they make it a whole lot easier to keep going.

The right support helps you become more like yourself again

Virginia’s story is about a lot more than weight loss.

It is about feeling more like herself again.

More confident.

More healthy.

More steady.

More at home in her own life.

And that is what the right support can do.

It can help you stop fighting the whole thing by yourself.

It can help you build habits that feel more sustainable.

It can help you keep showing up even through hard seasons.

It can help you become more like the person you have been wanting to be.

That is why community matters.

That is why coaching matters.

That is why accountability matters.

The real prescription

If there is one takeaway from this whole conversation, it is this:

Stop trying to build better health by yourself.

That does not mean you are weak.

It means you are human.

Because most people do not need more shame. They do not need a more extreme plan. They do not need to white-knuckle their way through another short burst of motivation.

What actually helps is:

• a place you want to be
• people who help you stay the course
• coaches who know what they are doing
• accountability built into your week
• a routine that feels realistic enough to keep

That is when things start changing.

You show up more consistently.

You make better food choices more often.

You stop having to think about it all by yourself.

And over time, you become more like the version of yourself you have been wanting to be.

If you have been feeling stuck, ask a better question

A lot of people ask:

What plan should I follow?

That is not a bad question.

But there is a better one:

Who is in my corner?

Who helps keep me grounded?

Where do I actually feel supported?

What do I have in my week that makes healthy habits easier to keep?

Those questions usually get people a lot closer to real change.

You do not have to do this alone

If your health keeps getting pushed down the list, or you know you would do better with the right people in your corner, that is exactly why coaching and community matter.

You do not need to figure it all out first.

You just need a good place to start.

For many people, Small Group Private Training is a strong fit because it gives you more coaching, more support, and a lower-pressure environment to build consistency.

For others, Group Training may be a great fit if community and momentum are what help most. And if pain, limitations, or schedule flexibility are a bigger factor, starting more carefully may make the most sense.

If you want help figuring out what kind of support would actually fit your life, book a No Sweat Intro here.

Looking for a gym to fall in love with? We’d love to meet you.