PLT Client Catch Up ~ Feb 7, '20

A 3 minute read

What’s your name and where do you come from?
Brittany Zinn from Massillon, Ohio 

Do you have a family and what’s your profession?
My hubby Tony and I celebrated our 8th year of marriage on NYE and we have two kiddos. Our daughter Bria is 6, and our son Mason is 3! I am a registered nurse and worked for about 8 years in a pediatric emergency department, but I actually left my job about a year ago to be a worship pastor. I sing and play the guitar 🎸 

How did you get introduced to PLT?
Courtney Ruggaber (we go waaaaaay back. We played ball together when we were just learning to tie our shoes) 

Who is your coach?
Paul Leonard

Name 3 things that sum up your thoughts on your coach
1. Straight to the point 
2. Incredibly passionate and dedicated 
3. Extremely caring (I think there’s a softy behind those biceps)

Are you engaged in regular exercise/a sport?
I do my best to get in a workout at least 5 days a week. 

How did you find your PLT onboarding experience & community experience?
Everything was so smooth and simple when I joined. Paul gave me all the info I needed to start strong...PLUS all the extra tips and tricks he had up his sleeve. I really had zero excuses to fail. The only way I could fail is if I allowed myself to fail, and with this active community and dedicated coaches it’s pretty hard to fail! The community here is so encouraging and so helpful. Everyone is genuine and authentic. I don’t post a lot, but I read everything and I’ve been able to take away really awesome tips from this community.

What dieting programs had you tried previously and what makes PLT stand out from previous programs?
I’ve participated in other random popular dieting programs in the past that were really restrictive, and felt like punishment. At the end of whatever restrictive period I was in I was so relieved it was over that eventually little by little any progress I made disappeared. It’s was super unhealthy not just for my body, but my mind. The reason was I didn’t learn how to live successfully. I learned how to restrict, but not now to balance. Much of that I needed to heal in my mind. PLT is different because they teach you how to eat and plan meals so that it’s not restrictive. I feel the vision PLT has in leading their clients is a healthy approach to getting fit and trimming down. Dieting can really screw up the mind, and often times there are unhealthy mindsets already in place that need corrected and healed. The coaches at PLT work closely with their clients. It’s an all encompassing approach that doesn’t just focus on the physical body, but also touches on habits and mindsets that need to be in alignment for success in the present and the future. I think a lot of clients, like me, also experience a whirlwind of emotional healing! 

What was your driving reason for joining PLT?
I joined PLT because I wanted to shed a few extra (and stubborn) pounds. I also wanted to learn how to be successful and stay successful. I saw Courtney had continued success, and I knew PLT was more than a weight loss program. I knew it would get me results and heal mindsets that were the culprit of me feeling “stuck”. It also helped to find out the coaches are top notch and know a heck of a lot more than they probably give themselves credit for!

How much weight have you lost with PLT?
I lost 10 pounds and shed 14 inches in my time working with Paul! Most importantly I am so comfortable in my skin! After having two kids I’ve gained back more confidence than I had before getting pregnant! 

What non-scale successes have you found since joining PLT?
I would say I had a lot of non-scale successes. I would say my mindset has completely shifted. I think many people struggle with deep emotions that are tied to food/body image/weight. I’ve come to find happiness in who I am and what I look like! When I’ve done my best and know I’ve succeeded in my goals I call that a win. I often would see other people and desire their results and get all bummed out that my body didn’t look like theirs after doing what they did. I realized those thoughts were actually deeply rooted in my own insecurities and my own junk I needed to deal with. What I’ve learned about myself through my time working with Paul and PLT I’m now able to apply as I help others heal in their own lives. I do a lot of inner healing work with people as well as offer pastoral counseling to some, and as I return the favor I see them healing in really deep ways. It is a process that requires a lot of vulnerability and humility. It’s a gift that keeps giving in my opinion! 

How have you increased your nutritional education since PLT?
Oh, my nutritional knowledge has greatly improved! I was NOT eating enough when I joined PLT. (Probably those restrictive diets that screwed up my outlook on food). Along with I had NO CLUE how to balance out my macros and the importance of macros in general. I’ve learned what foods my body likes, and what foods it doesn’t respond well to when I eat it. I’ve learned the importance of WATER! Yes, a nurse who studied the body for 4 years and had a lot of certificates in health wasn’t caring for her body well....but that has changed!!

What 1 piece of advice would you give to people considering joining PLT or new members?
I think I’ve hit this topic hard, but I would share with new members joining that this isn’t just a one time commitment. This is a lifestyle change. For the better. So, be ready to have some bad habits and mindsets uprooted. The great thing is the PLT coaches and community help plant new seeds, and as you water the new seeds it grows to be something great! So, hang on tight and enjoy the ride. And you may cry a couple times. But that’s good 😂


Your turn now; what 1 thing would you like to ask me?
In your own quest what has been your biggest non scale challenge that is now a victory? How did you overcome it, and what do you do daily to keep yourself in a place of victory in that specific area?

​Hi Brittany, thanks for the question!
My journey has been one of continual evolvement for sure, a lot of changes aesthetically but so much more emotionally.
In 2014 I got 3 strikes with my Doctor.  I had very high triglycerides (300+, which should be under 150) and he wanted to put me on medication. Instead I chose exercise and diet; I lost 57lb in 20 weeks in early 2015 & my triglyceride readings at the next blood test was 69! That was a major NSV (non scale victory) for me as it was a major health marker.
Afterwards, my goal was to maintain that weight loss, which I did for over 18 months. This is why I’m so passionate about maintenance at PLT. I then went onto making more weight and aesthetic changes.
In 2017 I finally quit drinking alcohol, my greatest NSV for sure. If I said I ‘just stopped’ it would sound easy, I guess in some ways it was…easier than I or others expected, but a significant mental and emotional shift was needed.
It needed to happen for my family and I eventually found the reason to stop. I don’t have any challenges maintaining that; when I stopped, I changed, or was it when I changed, I stopped? (Chicken or egg) it is not even a consideration for me and wasn’t from the moment I committed to it.
 
That’s me all over, when I make a decision to do something, I do it 100% 
Tks Brittany
​Paul