My "success story" with pics

jacklis · September 2013

I promised my FL that when I got my stuff together and submitted an entry for the “success stories” challenge at my gym I would post the details here also. Here is an abridged version of what I sent in. Still waiting to hear. My trainer is all faith and tells me they just have not made their decision yet- because once they have it will be me.
After having my children I looked to all the wrong things to help me regain my shape. I tried different fads, different diets, but never committed to a focused nutrition or exercise plan. My metabolism slowed (due to inactivity and seesaw diets) I watched my sister- reshape her body and refocus her life through consistent, hard work at the gym- she told me I could do it too. I was really down -did not have the energy to do the things I love. I started experiencing health issues that were minor, but repetitive and annoying. I worried about the example I was setting for my boys who were now teenagers and making some unhealthy choices about how to spend their time and what to eat.

Two years ago my husband and signed up for a fitness assessment at the gym. My goal was to be strong and athletic but I found the equipment at the gym a little intimidating- and I knew I was not going to get where I needed to be just be running on the treadmill. I signed up for personal training- three days a week, and was immediately excited. I felt like I was finally doing something to take control of my life. My trainer and I hit it off right away.

After 10 months I faced two obstacles- first, my trainer told me she was moving away and could not work with me anymore. Second- one of my ‘minor’ health issues took center stage and required surgery. My trainer promised me that she would hook me up with someone new who would take over right where we left off. I did not want a new trainer- we had developed a relationship and she knew my issues, knew my strengths, knew my weaknesses. I was nervous about my surgery and how this would affect my progress- I did not want to have to start over. I had worked so hard to get where I was and major surgery meant a minimum of six weeks recovery before I could start my workouts again. Training was the constant and kept me focused on my goals throughout everything.

I met my new trainer a week before the surgery date with some trepidation. He was half my age, was very serious, and was built like Arnold Schwarzenegger! Would he be able to coach a woman twice his age with completely different challenges and expectations?
My surgery went better than expected, and when I was up and walking around the hospital the next morning I received commendations from the doctor and nurses about my ability to rebound and recover so quickly I told them “I guess I’ve been training for this”.

Six weeks after surgery I got the all clear from my doctor and jumped right back in to training. Armed with the knowledge that training had helped make the surgery and recovery a non-event I was determined to face any challenge. Over the next four months I did squats and deadlifts like they were my two best friends and slowly but surely the weight started to come off. Whatever he suggested, I tried. Around Christmas 2012 I had hit a pretty stubborn plateau and he started questioning what I was eating. He suggested - that if I tracked what I ate I might see more drastic results. I had lost 20 pounds since we had started, but I had 30 more to go to hit my goal. I was not so sure I liked someone else scrutinizing everything I put in my mouth, and was really happy with the way I looked- but my trainer’s support had been stellar and motivating and I had promised myself to fully commit. Using MFP I started tracking my calories as of February 2013, and printing off my food diary for my trainer. On July 17th 2013 I hit my first weight loss goal.

Before

And after

got the image thingy finally!