My trainer, Eddie T., encouraged me to join the 60day Challenge and I almost didn’t participate when I saw one of the requirements was submitting “before” and “after” photos. I’ve been struggling with my weight for the past five years so the idea of taking a photo with no shirt on was terrifying. In the past, when I would try to reach my goals, I would take a “before” photo but I never had an “after” photo because I wasn’t able to lose the weight. That made the 60day Challenge very emotional for me because I was scared I wouldn’t progress but it also ignited a fire within me to challenge myself. What can I accomplish in 60 days? What is MY best? Being a disabled veteran, I struggle with my mental health and several physical limitations. Having a trainer has been so crucial to my transformation because he was able to modify exercises to accommodate my injuries in ways I didn’t think was possible. There were so many days when I felt discouraged because my shoulder or ankles were swollen and I could only do certain exercises but I just kept going.

My goals during this challenge were to test my discipline and work as hard as I was physically and mentally capable. I would tell myself, “All I’m asking, is for all you got” and push myself a little bit harder. I did things that I thought would be impossible. I was on the Stairmaster for 30 minutes straight! I used to struggle to do 5-10 minutes! So when I was able to do 30 minutes, I felt so accomplished and I wanted to jump up and down but I couldn’t because I was exhausted. But it felt good to be exhausted because that meant I challenged myself. I left my comfort zone and was able to surpass my own expectations. I was also able to push and pull the sled while it was loaded with plates and my trainer sitting on it, totaling over 500 pounds! It made me feel like Wonder Woman. These are things I didn’t think I could do because of my past injuries and I don’t know if I would have even attempted to do them if I didn’t have my trainer pushing me. I feel so much stronger now and I feel healthier.

I finally have the energy to keep up with my two girls who are five and one. I love that I’m able to set an example of a healthy lifestyle and ingrain these habits for them. Thank goodness Life Time has a childcare center. Not only did it make sticking to a workout regimen easier because I could bring my kids to the gym, but it has also normalized going to the gym for my family, which in turn normalized a healthy lifestyle. I want to set an example for my kids so as they grow, they’ll make healthy choices too. Even though the 60day Challenge is over, I’ll still continue to go to Lifetime 4 or 5 days a week because it’s become a part of our family routine. Wellness doesn’t stop just because the competition is over. I’m grateful to have used this challenge as a stepping stone to better my overall health.

Improving my physical health has also helped my mental health and that is invaluable. In the end, I lost 13 pounds and 4% body fat but I’m most excited about lowering the amount of visceral fat in my body. I didn’t even know what visceral fat was before I joined Life Time. I no longer stress about reaching a “goal weight”. I’m aiming to lower my body fat percentage and lower my visceral fat to a healthy range. Using the InBody scan at Life Time helps me keep track of that. My journey to overall health and wellness continues!