Hello, world!

Thanks for checking out my blog. I’m Mallory Fox, and I originally started Foxy Fitness as a temporary job to pay the bills until I finished grad school. I had been a trainer at a corporate gym (that shall not be named) for 8 years, until they screwed me by dropping their end of the agreement on my dissertation research project, effectively jeopardizing my doctoral career. While I was devastated at the time, I am now grateful because I was redirected to pursue my passion. And Foxy Fitness was born.

My purpose is simple: I want to help people. I am a 29-year-old Type A overachiever who was horribly unhappy and unfulfilled for many years. On the surface, I had everything: a hot boyfriend, a fun job, a great education, the ability to buy what I wanted, lots of family and friends, a sassy personality and good looks. Underneath it all, I was unhappy. And I was depressed that I was unhappy. I felt guilty. I felt that I should constantly try harder, be smarter, look better, help others more, be the perfect daughter/girlfriend/sister/friend/trainer. I had impossible standards and beat myself up if/when I fell short. I did not know how to celebrate my successes because I always had a bigger, better, faster, stronger, “me” that I was chasing. I thought that I could control my life, and everyone else’s, until I hit a harsh reality. I wasn’t helping anyone.

My carefully planned life was a fragile facade. Year one of my doctoral program, I had a sleep incident and ended up in the hospital with six broken bones in my dominant wrist, a concussion, and the realization that I was breakable (pun intended). As I was forced to take two weeks off of work, I had time to do a lot of soul searching. As I sat on my couch and beat myself up emotionally for not being perfect, I realized that my “do what I want” lifestyle was entirely dependent on my physical abilities, energy, and emotional stability. I realized that my perfect boyfriend and I had issues we couldn’t/wouldn’t/didn’t know how to address….so we buried them. I realized that I had a rigid structured life but no direction or purpose. I had a job I loved but hated. I had friends who loved me but I was afraid they didn’t know me. I controlled others under the guise of helping them. I controlled my environment and anxiety to the point where I was afraid to go anywhere or do anything that didn’t have an agenda or plan. I realized that I had many demons I fought on a daily basis, including disordered eating, poor self esteem, destructive thinking patterns, constant negativity, and over exercising, just to name a few. I was a one-person army who didn’t want or need help from anyone else. I realized that I was shallow, empty, insecure, and ego-driven: I did things simply to check them off a list rather than to experience life. I kept myself so busy running from my pain that I unknowingly inflicted more pain on myself. I held on so tight to everything I could grasp, that many days I did not truly smile or breathe.

I’m sharing this moment because it was a big motivator for me to change my life. There have been many moments since then, as I wasn’t ready to change right away (I don’t like change, change hurts, it’s working right now so I will just let it ride…I had a lot of excuses). But that moment was a huge, personal realization that as painful as it was to go through, got me to where I am today.

A lot has changed since my “accident” years ago. I am still the same person who wanted to help people. I now help myself first, and give away whatever remains. I’ve found a community of like-minded people around the world who support and empower me. I have friends and family who I love and accept as they are, rather than who I think they should be. I’ve created a job I love and a healthy balanced environment. I keep relationships that are mutually beneficial and enriching, and I’ve learned to let go of those that are not. I trust my instincts and invest my time in people and pursuits that support my passion. The changes in my life are tremendous!

So, if you’re still with me after all of that, thank you for reading. I would love it if you choose to join me on our fitness journey and trust me with your story. I am here to help, so please reach out!