Getting healthy and in shape should be a journey, not a one-day instant result. Over the last twenty years, I made a great effort crafting a body that nearly put me in the hospital. Amassing an impressive three hundred pounds on a five-foot, ten-inch frame was easy. The simple solution for those that would like to know is to eat meals and snacks while sedentary on the sofa and watching garbage you could care less about on the television. For those that want to go pro-level, like me, get a job requiring you to travel all over the country! I achieved expert status by eating food in first class with free drinks, then checking into the hotel and loading up on soda and junk from the mini-market.

Last April 2022, my primary care doctor looked at me and said, “Congratulations! Welcome to insulin for the rest of your life. Fortunately, you won’t be on it long because if you continue this track, you likely won’t live long enough. Sugar was silently killing me. I became a professional at being obese, and life was proceeding at warp speed in a direction I resented.

Life is about choice, and goals are essential in accomplishing the desired outcome. MINDSET will get you there! I needed accountability to keep me on track to achieve my goals. After drafting my goals, I met with a trainer during Life Time Fitness’s “Two PT session trial.” I wanted to achieve the impossible, and I asked for the best trainer in the club. Matt, the club sales guru, laughed and said, “Be careful about what you are asking for.”

GOALS:

I met with Coach Drew in July, all geared up and ready to go with my goals. I was determined to lose one hundred pounds and hit 15% BMI (My BMI was in the mid-40s) in twelve weeks! Sound like anyone you know? Drew had a snicker and said, “Okay, let’s see how that works out.” We made it through the two sessions with me sweating profusely and holding my ego on a platter. After the second session, Drew asked me if I wanted a quick result or could I commit to a journey. She educated me on setting reasonable expectations.

How Life Time helped me achieve:

Drew helped me draft realistic goals that would last a lifetime. No longer was I myopic with an expectation to drop 100# and +30% fat in a week. We set out to achieve results over the next six months, one day at a time. Rather than looking at “dropping weight” as a goal, we determined to drop “30% BMI” over a more extended period. “Trust me and trust the process. When you see two-three percent fall off, you will get excited. The feeling after that loss will become contagious, and you will be on fire. This is a journey, remember?”

Goals: Drop 6-8% BMI and 16-24 pounds. Week 1: 40% BMI, 251 pounds
Accomplishment: Week 8: 29% BMI, 229 pounds
Net: 11% BMI, 22 pounds!

During the 60day Challenge, Life Time made it possible to achieve my personal goal of success through their programs.

Programs that benefitted me: Saturday Sweat Sessions, GTX, ALPHA, and the 14-Day D.TOX Program
Services that I made extensive use of: Dynamic Personal Training (Coach Team Drew), Nutrition Coaching

Facilities for success: Outdoor Turf Field (Sun, Run, and serious sweating), Functional Training Area, Free Weights, and Cardio Equipment. Let’s not forget the importance of the Dry Sauna for removing inflammation.

As I progressed through week five, I noticed a significant change in my physique. This was a catalyst in keeping my drive to complete the Challenge. As I kept going, I could see myself achieving my goals, and along came one accomplishment after another. Today, I am back in the sky flying airplanes for pleasure and enjoying life—this is something I could not physically enjoy during the last 15 years. I now have to buy new suits and clothing. I truly am a different person in a healthy body!

For the last eight weeks, I can honestly say that I no longer crave sugar. The night I wrote this essay, I opted out of the milk chocolate dessert while eating at the Melting Pot. Life is about choices. We can take the path of instant gratification and eat junk that does not benefit our body, or we can make a healthy choice and eat rewarding food that does not blow the phenomenal workout we achieved in the gym that day.

I plan to continue my insane Coach training 3x/week and on my own 2x/week. Along with the gym, I will use tools like my online food tracker to log my macro-nutrient intake to continue making adjustments.

The Secret of My Success:

1. Set a reasonable set of goals.
2. Measure each week.
3. Trust the process.
4. Use a nutrition app and share it with a friend or Coach.
5. Show up at the gym. You at least won half the battle.
6. While you are at the gym, give it at least 30 minutes. Soon it will grow without realizing it.
7. My nickname by Coach Drew and others is “Plus 1.” Always strive to mentally accomplish at least one more rep. By achieving that, you will physically hit all of your reps.