Wow, I feel good!

My name is Mike and I am the husband of a wonderful pediatric emergency room nurse practitioner and the father of three lovely little girls, Caroline(8), Delaney(5), and Kennedy(1). For years I tried every trendy diet out there with minimal results. I felt like it was impossible to get back in shape again. I finally broke free from trying all of these fly-by-night diets and found something that works, it was going to Life Time! The training staff, the classes, and the facilities are all top-notch. I started this challenge with the goal of returning to my wedding weight of 225 pounds. This would require me to drop a cool 30 pounds. I knew this was an ambitious goal, but I am competitive and wanted to set the bar high for myself. I started this challenge weighing over 255 pounds 24% body fat. I am happy to say that today I beat my goal of thirty pounds and weighed in at 224 pounds and 16% body fat! By the end of the 60day Challenge I was not only at the gym every day, but I was looking forward to it!

This 60day journey was by no means easy. My nutritionist, trainer, and coach Anna A. had my back from day 1. Anna and I met in her office on the first day of the challenge and drew up a meal plan. We talked about what types of foods I should be eating, portions, and how often I should be eating throughout the day. She also got me on Life Time supplements and had me try the Whey Isolate Protein Powder which I use all the time now. I truly would not have had the success I had with my weight and body fat loss without Anna. Anna and I met three times a week throughout the challenge and she trained me HARD. I did not have much knowledge of how to lift weights or what exercises did what, so her guidance was key. When we were not meeting I would do a GTX class which was a combination of cardio and strength which was perfect for me. After the 60day Challenge Anna and I plan on still meeting and I will still be going to GTX classes so I make sure I keep this momentum going…I may even try pickleball!

When I began my nutritional transition I did my best with meal prep, but planning has never been my strong suit. What I ended up doing for many of the days was eating at the Life Cafe. They had a lot of great options for breakfast and lunch and this helped me avoid the temptation of fast food. If I was on the run I could order ahead on the Life Time Training App or just grab a protein shake that would fill me up. It was such a great option to have around!

Like many people that fall into a health rut, I had an obstacle in my life that almost broke me. For years I had a heavy dependency on alcohol. It felt like a full-time job trying to hide the disease, but eventually, it came to light and my family sent me away to a rehabilitation center to try to change things for the better. At this point in my life, I was recently married and just had my first daughter, Caroline. She was not even 1 year old yet so you can imagine how down I felt. During my recovery, I definitely replaced alcohol with food, especially sugary snacks and heavy-in-fat meals to help curve the desire to drink. Unhealthy food became pretty much a “substitute” for drinking. This had been a good way to help stop drinking, but not the right way to live. So when I came to Life Time and met with Anna and we went over these meal plans I decided it was time to change my diet for good. Not just for myself, but for my wife and kids. I want to be around the girls when they are older.

I can honestly share with you today that I now feel even better and more satisfied when I complete a workout or get on the scale and see positive results than any satisfaction a sugary snack or drink can give me. I am happy to say this month, I will be 8 years sober and not only the same weight as my wedding day but even a little bit lighter!

Thank you for taking the time to read my essay.

Sincerely,

Mike Shea