Today we’d like to introduce you to Allison Shiver.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I have floated through most of my life with no real purpose or goal. It was always ‘keep your head down, go to work, pay bills, and sleep’. Set on repeat. It worked “well” for a long time. Depression was a close friend, alcohol was its drunk cousin, and pills were my roommate. Then suddenly, my system no longer worked for me. By suddenly, I mean my dad committed suicide. Losing someone so close shakes your whole world and suddenly, you stop, wondering who you are.
That’s when health came into the picture. I wanted to cut out all of the bad, cleanse deep, and come out to the other side of who I am supposed to be. I started on myself first. I lost over 60 pounds, cut out liquor, stopped the pills, and pushed past the depression. It’s amazing how typing that one sentence makes it seem easy but it took years, plenty of failures, and heartbreak. I did it though. From there I organically segued into wanting to help other women. I poured myself into knowledge, certifications, and good ol’ trial and error. Fast forward to today. I am the healthiest I have ever been and my job is to help other women do the same.
I teach them how to know themselves, how to listen to their bodies, how to show themselves grace, and, most importantly, I show them how to love themselves. I do this through a tried and true system that I customize to each amazing and special client. I no longer float through life. I blaze through life catching and carrying any and all that I can and pushing us forward into the future we were meant for.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Deciding to completely change your life is not easy. In fact, that’s why most people give up on their health. We are bombarded with easier paths that drown out the better ones. I was drinking heavily every night to numb myself to actually caring or trying. That is not something you can break in a day, a week, or a month.
It takes years of work. To this day, I have to stop myself from going back down that road. Pain killers were my favorite. You could burn my world down and I was too numb to care. That was the problem. All of my vices kept me numb. I mistook that numbness for happiness. Coming out of all of that and being forced to actually process emotions and feelings was overwhelming and difficult. There were days when I just wanted to shut everything up again.
I pushed forward, fell down, got back up. Food was always a tool of abuse. There were years, I was overweight using food as a comfort. There were years when I was skin and bones, using lack of food as a sort of control over myself. None of it was balanced or healthy. Just one of those obstacles is enough to keep some down but I had to fight 3 demons.
We’ve been impressed with Anytime Fitness, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I’m the general manager of Anytime Fitness in Phoenix City, AL. I was recruited by the owners, Stephanie and Daniel Blevins. In the years, I have been here, I have been able to work with many clients in one on one training, classes, boot camps, health coaching, and stress management.
I have had the privilege of being a part of changing lives. It is more than just a gym facility but rather a second home to many. I have the most amazing staff that work hard, by my side, in helping me realize my dreams.
If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
I wanted to be Jim Carrey when I was growing up. I wanted everyone to think I was just as funny as him. I would dance, sing, tell jokes and generally be loud and obnoxious. My friend’s parents and teachers found me “challenging” to have around because of my energy.
When I wasn’t running around like a mad hatter, I was reading. I rode my bike to the library every day, during the summer, and checked out books. I have always been a fast reader. I found life in books much more entertaining than in the small town I loved in Doerun, GA.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: anytimefitness.com
- Instagram: @alli_loves_lifting86
