Roya’s story perfectly illustrates what can be achieved through sheer grit, will power and determination. Her strength of mind truly lives up to the saying: ‘Mind over Matter’.

Diagnosed with Scoliosis at the young age of 12, Roya was no stranger to pain. To correct her spine curvature, she had to undergo multiple surgeries on her back as well as on her shoulders.

These numerous surgeries left her feeling tired, depressed and so weak in her upper body. When she started RNT, she could barely lift a 1lbs weight.

Powering through the pain for so many years convinced her that there was no way back to feeling strong. Tired of fighting, she had resigned herself to just about coping for the rest of her days.

But then, she came across RNT and she suddenly saw that maybe there was hope.

RNT’s Transformation Programme stood out from the rest of the fitness plans she had tried (and she had tried quite a few). The different stories she read on the website made her think that maybe, finally, she had found something that could work for her.

The case studies proved to her that RNT could be customised to work around every situation. She read how the various elements of the programme had been set up differently for different individuals to work around all limitations - especially injuries.

Deciding she had nothing left to lose, Roya took the plunge. And she was absolutely amazed by the rapid progress she made!

For starters, how’s this beach shot for confidence!

In this candid testimonial written by Roya, she tells us what it took for her to place her trust in RNT. And how she never, in her wildest dreams, thought she would ever realise her dreams of having a body like JLo!

Let’s dive in!

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Hey Akash:

As of this letter, I am 6 weeks away from my 50th birthday. These types of landmark birthdays certainly lead to some self-reflection upon one’s life.

First of all, I want to thank you and the team for your incredible, unwavering support during the last 8 months. I really could not have reached this physical goal without the three of you gentlemen! Honestly, before this program, I had resigned to the idea of sliding into middle-age as pudgy and lethargic. The dream of being fit, strong and in control of my body (as much as humanly possible) seemed elusive.

In August 2021, I underwent a repair of two of my rotator cuff tendons and subacromial decompression (shave down bone spurs in layman’s terms). I wish this was a result of some fun weekend activity, but it all stemmed from another medical condition which began when I was 12.

So, let me go back to the beginning. At the age of 12, I was diagnosed with scoliosis. At that time, I was heavily into jazz dancing, tennis, skiing, ice skating, swimming, piano, and musical theatre. In order to stop the curvature from worsening and prevent my spine from crushing my heart and lungs, the doctors recommended I wear a back brace for 2 years. This did stop the three separate curves from worsening.

However, at the age of 15, the largest curve (mid-thoracic to the right) measured at over 45 degrees and generally, surgery is recommended at 40 degrees or more.

This is why I now have train-track hardware i.e. stainless steel rods up and down my back with a nice long scar. I had to learn how to walk again in the hospital and wear another back brace for six months post surgery.

To make sure that the rods grafted properly, I was not allowed to play any sports.

Once I went to college, I started the process of trying to get physically stronger. I wasn’t overweight, but wasn’t exactly in great bikini shape.

When I watched Terminator 2 in 1991 and saw Linda Hamilton’s sculpted arms, I knew what I wanted.

That summer, I joined a gym, purchased personal training sessions and started the process. Since then, I’ve been trying, unsuccessfully, to achieve those results.

Fast forward almost 30 years, I’ve had two kids (gained and lost 45 lbs each time!) and been trying to “stay in shape” with a combination of starving myself and exercise. I’ve consistently had back pain everyday since my surgery, but could never take anything stronger than Tylenol (acetaminophen).

For exercise, I’ve worked out with personal trainers, with friends, joined gyms, or used DVDs (am I really that old?).

I’ve tried other online personal trainers and food programs, which included macro tracking. Each time, I could lose maybe 5-8 lbs, but immediately rebounded to my “set point” weight. It seemed like I was following the middle-age plan of gaining 1-2lbs per year.

Which brings us back to August 2021. After 40 years of degenerative disease in my spine combined with altered body mechanics my rotator cuff tendons needed repair. I’d probably been walking around with bone spurs and torn tendons for years. The pain had been getting worse every year, but I ignored it. (Us moms know how to do this well.)

With my right arm immobilised in a sling for 8 weeks after surgery, the couch, TV and phone became my best friends.

I was depressed because I had finally gotten back into a workout routine prior to my shoulder surgery. I had lost my COVID weight and was trying to get “back into shape” when I was derailed with the shoulder surgery.

Now, I’m on the couch, in pain, gaining weight because I was barely moving around.

Somehow, I stumbled across RNT in an instagram post. “Just another training program”, I thought.

I browsed through the RNT website and took the quiz. That’s when I was intrigued. The way the ‘result’ was categorised was different then anything I read before.

You pegged me! I was a buster. I program hopped. I yo-yoed.

I thought, what do I have to lose? Some money and some pounds.

It’s probably just like every other program I’ve tried before. Don’t eat. Exercise more. Don’t drink alcohol. Eat more fruits and veggies. Yeah, I’ve heard that before. I didn’t know anyone personally who’d been through your program. But, I decided to take the leap.

I put down a deposit in September, about a month after my surgery. I figured, by January 2022, I would have the green light from my surgeon to start lifting weights and exercising again. At that time, I couldn’t even lift a knife to meal prep.

Biggest problems before starting RNT?

Number one, accountability. And number two, adherence to the right nutrition plan.

In January 2022, I couldn’t lift anything more than 1lb. Every training exercise was body weight only. Twice a week, I attended physical therapy trying to just stretch out the muscles and dealing with severe pain. We were working on strengthening my rotator cuff muscles.

During the first few months of RNT, I thought I could lose the weight and still eat my Doritos! But, on one of the transformation calls, you mentioned how we would go into “unchartered territory” if we followed the plan. That was an AHA moment for me. At that point, I made the decision to put my full trust into RNT and sail into that territory.

I started to weigh my food and weighed myself daily. I uploaded videos of my exercises and weekly pictures. I also checked into the cohort.

The truth is my form doing the exercises improved more with a coach who was millions of miles away than the trainer who was standing right next to me!

The biggest challenge for me was adherence to nutrition. The twice weekly coaching calls were so helpful to see that other people were dealing with the same issues and how they dealt with it.

The best part of RNT is having a direct line of communication with a coach who didn’t just dismiss you.

If I admitted to going off plan, he didn’t just say, well tomorrow is another day. He would ask me questions that really made me analyse why I was snacking and how food wasn’t going to solve the problem or relieve the pain.

The level of in-depth research-backed content on the website is far superior than any other company. You earned my respect, which then turned into my trust.

How has the physical been the vehicle?

When my physical body feels strong, my mind, as a result, expands with mental clarity. With that clarity, I am expanding my current medical business. Plus, my mental health has immensely improved. Less anxiety, less depression which leads to feeling more positive about the day. This trickle effect leads to more smiling and enjoying the entire day, at work and at home.

Roya is a fighter and is not about to rest on her laurels. Her goal is to manage one pull up, build more lean muscle, stay strong and see her dream of having a body like JLo.

Kudos to you Roya! You have truly proven what can be achieved through grit and determination!

Stats:

Before - 56.7kgs

After - 48kgs