Meet Sharan Tash of TASH Wellness for Women in Skokie

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sharan Tash.

Sharan, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I was born a fat child and looked like the Michelin Man. My weight struggles continued from being a chubby child to an obese adult. Although I was very active throughout my life, my weight has been an issue in my family and in my personal relationships.

At the age of 37, I was a single mom of 4 and hitting the scales at 357 pounds. I coached my children in softball, football, swimming and diving. I worked out daily, but it hit me that if I didn’t do something about my weight, I would die. Being the typical yo-yo dieter, I had tried every diet and exercise program out there: Phen-Fen, Optifast (twice), Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, Nutrisystem, Cabbage Soup, The Bead Diet, Low Fat/High Carb etc…. The list could go on and on. It was fairly easy to lose some weight, but when the deprivation and sore knees started to kick in, I went off the diet and all the weight came back on – plus a few extra as an added bonus.

In 1991, I started my journey to health. I took off 135 pounds (not in a healthy way), and have maintained most of that weight reduction until 2016.

In October of 2016, I had a huge “ah-ha” moment while attending a continuing education class for my personal training certification. Pretty much everything I had been taught over the years in fitness and nutrition was false.

In the fall of 2016, I changed my nutrition, changed my mindset, changed my limiting beliefs and changed my workouts.

Now at 65 years young, I am in the best shape of my life. I have decreased my weight for a total weight reduction of 177 pounds, I am on NO medications, I can run again and I am sharing my system with my members at TASH Wellness for Women.

I want women to be healthy no matter their size or their age, and just think of health as a way of life – NOT a number on a scale or medical test.

No two diets, no two exercise programs, no two women have been on the same path, so how can one diet program or exercise program work for everyone.

We are unique individuals, and therefore each woman’s path to health has to be a unique journey to them. THAT is why I built TASH Wellness for Women.

Great, 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?
Smooth? Of course not!!

1. The fitness industry is tough. The media is tougher. When women watch “The Biggest Loser”, they want to see weekly weight loss in the double digits. Do you know why they do not have reunion shows for that program? 99% have gained back all the weight PLUS some.

I am not the typical trainer. I am 65. I am a size 10 (now). I started my training business as a size 16, but even at a size 10, some fitness “professionals” dismiss me as not being a good role model for fitness and health.

I even had an email argument with a well-known fitness person about some comments he made about larger trainers, and he was so dismissive of my thoughts and knowledge. The fitness industry is tough.

2. The media is really hard on women that don’t fit into a mold. Thin is in. It is finally starting to change. Look at “Project Runway” this season finally having curvy women as models. YES!!!! But women still compare themselves to the thin models walking down the runways. Or want to try every new diet fix that a celebrity has tried and has lost 25 pounds in a week. There is no magic pill. There is no magic formula. It is VERY hard to fight Shape Magazine, or Self Magazine, or Women’s Health Magazine articles that talk about these weight loss ideas.

3. The food industry, the government and big pharma – wow – I could go on forever on this one. When I grew up in the 50’s as a chubby child, my parents and grandparents would say, “Don’t eat a snack. You don’t need it.” or “do you really need another piece of bread or more potatoes?” Although these were not good statements to use, they had the right idea. We use to eat 3 meals a day and no snacks. We ate eggs and bacon and meat. Our food was not processed. We did not eat out a lot.

Today, our food is poison. Sugar has become the new heroine.

I tell my members that the nutrition part is easy to figure out: No processed foods, no added sugar, and drink a lot of water. That sounds easy, but the vice holds that these processed foods and added sugars have on us in VERY difficult to break.

4. Time – everyone wants the easy fix, and they want it NOW! It doesn’t work that way. Just like I am still learning about my body and how it reacts to different foods, it takes time to figure out the path that is unique to each person. So many people do not want to take the time or do the hard work that is involved in solving this lifelong struggle with our weight. Add to that the mindset changes, behavior changes and sleep component, and women can get very frustrated. It is my job as their coach and accountability partner to be sure they stay on track.

Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about TASH Wellness for Women – what should we know?
TASH Fitness was created in 2013 as a boutique size, women-only fitness facility in the northern suburb of Chicago – Skokie. Tash is my last name, but TASH is an acronym for Timeless Ageless Sizeless Health. I wanted to create a facility where women would feel comfortable. My target markets are women 50 and older that have 50-100+ pounds to take off. Some of my members have 200+ pounds to reduce, and others just like the women-only community. And it is truly a community.

I changed my working name to TASH Wellness for Women in 2016 because we are SO much more than fitness. Many of the women come in saying that their goal is to lose 50 pounds. I immediately tell them, “Great. That won’t happen in these walls. 80-90% of your success to taking off the weight is what is done outside these walls. Your mindset, behavior change, sleep, nutrition and accountability. I will work your bones, joints, muscles, heart and lungs so you have a better quality of movement, but your success will happen outside these walls.” If a woman is NOT willing to work on those aspects outside of the facility, I will not take them on as a member. I know they are succeeding because of the accountability and coaching that occurs with me and each member. They are responsible for scheduling time to meet with me, and then we talk about their goals, how they are doing and have them step on the body fat scale. I can see how much body fat they have lost, and see their hydration levels. This is powerful.

The fact that I have been there. The fact that I have done it – sets me apart from the majority of trainers out there. My members like the fact that I am real. That I struggle at times, but I share it with them. I am not perfect, and never want to be.

I am most proud of the results my members are getting once they stop fighting their heads and follow the program. They are healthier and happier than they have ever been, and THAT makes me happy.

Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
My vulnerability, strength of character, desire to see my members succeed. I am a GREAT trainer that brings my passion into the studio every workout, every day. They are never bored with the workouts and they understand why they are doing each exercise. What is the functionality of the exercise?

I want smart members. I want them to know why they are doing things so when they are feeling stronger and better in balance, they know why.

Contact Info:

• Address: 8816 Bronx Ave.
  Skokie, IL 60077
• Website: http://www.TASHFitness.com
• Phone: 847-379-5777
• Email: Sharan@TASHFitness.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tashfitness4women/
• Facebook: http://www.Facebook.com/TASHFitnessForWomen
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/TASHFitness
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/tash-fitness-skokie
• Other: https://www.pinterest.com/tashwellnessforwomen/

Image Credit:
TASH Wellness for Women

Getting in touch: VoyageChicago is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.