Lauren DiSessa - Fitness, Nutrition, & Wellness

Don’t take the joy out of time spent with family, friends, and seeing beautiful places by coming home and immediately feeling guilty about the workouts you missed or the food you ate.

I know you have goals, and you can absolutely achieve them. It takes discipline, the right resources, knowledge, and, most importantly, a flexible mindset.

When you can reflect instead of judge yourself, you’ll get back to your habits faster… with far less stress, guilt, and overwhelm.

Vacation isn’t what derails your progress. The belief that you’ve “ruined everything” is.

Save this for the next time you come home from a trip and need the reminder.

Failure to launch.

Why do some people get off the ground while others don’t?

Intention or want is not enough. We can want something with everything we have, but wanting alone has never been enough to create change.

It starts with understanding your why. Not the version that sounds good, but the one that actually means something to you. If your why stays surface level, your motivation usually does too. Intrinsic motivation is what you come back to when the excitement wears off and doubt starts creeping in.

Then you create a plan.

But even with a meaningful why and a solid plan, people still fail to launch. Why?

I think people fail to launch because of beliefs they have about themselves or the world… that aren’t true.

I’ve talked with so many people who feel broken, defeated, hopeless, and are simply over being sick and tired. They commit to therapy or training, and then something shifts in the 24 hours after. They aren’t sure anymore. I get ghosted. Odd cancellation reasons start popping up.

It’s not because they don’t want it. Fear takes over.

Our brains are wired to prefer what is familiar over the unknown. Even when staying the same is more painful, it feels safer because it’s predictable. Then the thoughts start showing up: What if I fail? What if this doesn’t work? What if I can’t actually change?

Have you ever stopped to question those thoughts?

Getting off the ground isn’t about becoming fearless.

It’s about becoming willing.

Willing to question your thoughts.

Willing to trust your values more than your fear.

Willing to show up for the future version of yourself before you’ve met them.

Do it anyway.

I took 6 days off after HYROX NYC and, as expected, my body didn’t change.

What I find more interesting is why rest feels so uncomfortable for so many people in the first place.

What are the thoughts swirling around that make rest feel difficult? What are you afraid might happen if you stop?

Because it’s rarely about the rest itself. More often, it’s about the meaning we’ve assigned to it. The belief that slowing down means falling behind, that productivity determines our worth, or a terrifying feeling of the body you’ve worked for disappearing and going back to who you were…

And if that belief shows up in your training, there’s a good chance it’s showing up in other areas of your life too.

The healthiest and happiest humans are the ones able to understand these patterns and see when they’re going down those paths before they start to deteriorate your mental and physical health. It isn’t easy work but I promise, it’s worth it.

We don’t always get it right. We’re human, and to be human is to make mistakes.

I underperformed in this last race compared to what I know my fitness is capable of. It was disappointing in the moment, but I’m not taking the L and walking away from HYROX or quitting my workouts.

It got me thinking… L = learning, not losing. Cheesy, yes. But the reframe I needed.

Every setback is an opportunity to grow, adjust, and try again. And if you choose not to continue, be honest with yourself about why. Make sure that decision comes from clarity and conviction, not fear or shame.

Imagine if we never started again because we took a misstep, made a wrong turn, or ended up somewhere we never intended. Failure isn’t a dead end. It’s a chance to redirect.

Every stumble, every wrong turn, every unintended destination has something to teach us if we’re willing to pay attention.

We’re blessed that our failures don’t have the final say. God often does some of His best work in the moments we didn’t plan, using setbacks, detours, and disappointments to shape us into who we’re meant to become. The path may not look the way we expected, but that doesn’t mean we’re lost.

Don’t let fear rob you of the opportunity to live fully, make important mistakes, and grow in the process.

Whether you’re training, healing, or pursuing something meaningful, growth comes from the willingness to keep showing up, not from getting it right every time.

The In Between

Last week, I saw everyone’s posts recapping the jam-packed weekend we had at the Two-Brain Business Summit in Chicago. The place you wanted to be if you are a gym owner.

There was so much value in the speakers, and I took plenty of notes on things I want to remember and revisit. But I’m not the world’s best lecture listener, and as I sat here this morning reflecting on the weekend, I realized the magic wasn’t in the presentations.

It was in the in-between.

I remember seeing my CT TBB friends, Jenser Gomes & Jake Parton, before I even got on the plane and immediately diving into conversations about business plans, challenges, and what’s next.

I remember sitting in the back of the room talking with Michigan Personal Trainer about her studio buildouts and upcoming life adventures.

I remember talking with John Franklin and hearing a perspective on gym size that I deeply needed at that moment.

I remember thanking Matt from Gym Lawyers PLLC for advice that helped me through what felt like a crisis in real time.

The truth is, it often isn’t the big moments that give life meaning.

It’s the little moments in between.

The conversations.
The encouragement.
The unexpected wisdom.
The feeling of being understood.

If you’re waiting for the next big thing, don’t forget to pay attention to what’s happening in the in-between. Those small conversations and interactions may end up being the moments you remember most.

Take the time to notice them.

The pictures make it look like I had it way more together than I did 🫠 This one hurt.

It’s disappointing when you feel like your training doesn’t show on race day, but I’ve realized the real win of HYROX NYC had nothing to do with my finish time.

The real win was seeing the incredible growth of our HYROX community at .

So many new faces. More people to cheer for. More athletes discovering what they’re capable of and sharing in the joy that comes from challenging themselves.

That’s the part I’ll remember most.

I’m incredibly grateful to be surrounded by people who continue to show up, support one another, and remind me that fitness is about so much more than a race result.

I am blessed. Can’t wait for you all to see what’s coming next for HYROX X SA 😉

HYROX MIAMI ✅
4th PRO RACE ✅
PR? ❌

Not every race story is going to end with a PR, but there will always be lessons and things to be proud of.

Lost some weeks to injuries during ski season but still felt the strongest and fastest of any race this far.

On the floor, things felt smooth and executed well, but the number did not reflect. We left too much in the tank of the first half of the race despite having our best run total of any race so far and kicking off around 7pm 😳

We ran over the finish line and we knew this finish felt very different. In previous races, around the same result, we were wasted after- felt like every ounce of fitness and heat was used. In Miami, we walked away smiling, cooled down, and went about our night.

Although disappointed in the result, it felt good to know the fitness is there… now we just need to GO for it, trust our bodies, and the training.

Feeling amped to start the next training block for HYROX NYC, solo Pro. Once again, switching the approach… hope you’ll following along to see how this affects the result!

The Season of Stretch…

On the outside you see a group of smart, fit, ambitious individuals but on the inside so many challenges, insecurities, pains, joys, sorrows, and yearnings for growth, excellence, and purpose.

Stretching is uncomfortable but required for real growth.

I am so blessed that I get to go through this season of stretch with others that have a fever for entrepreneurship, helping others, and seeking excellence.

Each meet up with the Tinker group
leaves me feeling inspired, supported, and focused.

If you’re in a season of stretch, I encourage you to lean in and see what God has in store for you. He will equip you with the purpose, the people, and the plan.

Until next time friends 👋🏽 and we’ll pick up like we never left 🫶🏼