Sometimes it’s not about losing weight, but gaining it!
Barbara Taylor had been weight training twice a week with a trainer, doing her cardio, and practicing Yoga several times a week for about a year. Her weight was stable and she had lost the inches that she wanted to lose, but her body fat was stuck at 30%. She was beginning to think she was too old (57) to gain more muscle and lose body fat. After really researching diet and metabolism and discussing it with her personal trainer, she realized her protein intake, in fact, her entire caloric intake, was too low. She embarked on a diet in which her daily protein intake in grams equaled her body weight. She adjusted her caloric intake to meet her actual needs and divided this into 5 meals a day making sure she ate a protein at each meal (lean protein supplemented with whey protein as needed). She also added complex carbs.
After several weeks, her weight dropped by several pounds and her body fat dropped several points. After about a month, her body fat was down to 23.8%. Over the next 3 months she continued the new lifestyle. She didn’t weigh herself regularly, but one day she got on a scale and noticed a significant increase in weight! She rechecked her body fat and found it was down to 19.9%! She had gained 13.7 pounds of lean muscle! Her clothes weren’t any tighter, but her muscle mass had increased. Because of this, her basic metabolic rate has increased as well. She has to eat more each day to maintain those lean muscles! She still has to remind herself that muscle weighs more than fat each time she steps on the scale. A true testament to the importance of strength training along with good nutrition at any age!
You would never know it to look at her now, but Jodie Eck wasn’t always the work-out monster that we know her to be now. In her words, here’s her story:
“My name is Jodie Eck and I have been a member of Strictly Fitness since March 2002. When I joined SF, I was a 32 year old that was simply tired of being overweight and, more importantly, unhappy with the physical and emotional state of my life. My sister, Krista Kruszon, has been a long-time member of SF and she got me to join. At first everyone and everything in the gym intimidated me: The machines, the weights, the classes and, most of all, the people. I thought they would look at me as some lazy, overweight person who couldn’t or wouldn’t , make it. Needless to say, the first month of my membership I came sporadically.
Well, I knew I had to do this for me and no one else, and somehow this train of thought “clicked” with me and I haven’t looked back since. I won’t lie; it was hard, very hard at the beginning, for many reasons. First, I had to eliminate my self-defeating thoughts. I had, for sometime, simply believed I was destined to be overweight. I finally realized that the only way I could change is if I really wanted it. Secondly, I was in poor shape., and I had to fight to stick with my program. When I began, I could barely do 10 minutes on the elliptical. Now, I take the cardio spin class 6 times a week, along with a rigorous weight-training program. Another obstacle I had to overcome, which ironically proved to be one of the most difficult, was adjusting to the “new” me, along with the numerous compliments I got , and still receive. I was not used to receiving any compliments about my appearance and this took some adjustments on my part. It is difficult to explain, but I had to learn to graciously accept these, along with all the people that have told me that I am an inspiration to them. This makes me feel very good; if I can motivate one person to change their life for themselves, then I feel like I have made a difference.
An important part of my weight-loss plan is the diet. I don’t mean diet in the conventional sense, where you drastically change your eating habits, reach your goal, and revert back to your old ways and your old weight. I mean changing the way you eat, what you eat, and why you eat. I did not partake in any of the fad diets that are out there. I simply thought about why, when, and what I ate and changed, slowly, and with great results. I was an emotional eater, so I had to monitor why I ate and what I ate. My “sweet tooth” took about a year to “break”, but I did it. My motto-Eat to fuel your body, and everything in moderation. It takes time and work, but if I can do it, anyone can!
In July 2004, after 2.5 years of hard work, sweat, and dedication, I reached a goal I never in my wildest dreams ever thought would happen: I had finally lost 100 pounds! When I started I weighed over 260 pounds and was a size 22. I am now 160-165 and I wear a 10 or 12. I am proud, very proud, when people in the gym point me out to new clients as a source of motivation and inspiration. The best piece of advice I can give is to do it for the right reasons-YOU!
I love coming to Strictly Fitness. The employees and the clients are awesome! The atmosphere is one where anyone will feel welcome and comfortable. I want to thank all those that have been there to cheer me on...Your words of encouragement and compliments mean more to me than you can imagine.
Mike Ausherman
His diabetes was out of control. He suffered from sleep apnea. His cholesterol and blood pressure were too high. His self confidence was low, and his weight was too high. These are some o f the reasons that made Mike make drastic life changes that resulted in a huge weight loss and greater health. Mike comes from a family where weight is an issue. His family is heavy and gradually he put on pound after pound. It got to the point where his life and his livelihood were being affected. He decided he had to do something about it. He hired a personal trainer and although he saw some results he wasn’t losing enough weight. He explored gastric by-pass and after counseling and testing had the life saving surgery in February of 2004. Before the surgery he worked out to prepare. He did a lot of abs work and it paid off. He was able to resume his work-outs only 3 months after surgery. Since his surgery he’s lost 140 pounds!
He hit a plateau and is working hard to stay there. He’s traded his addiction to food for an addiction to working out. He’s currently working with Nancy Hart and can see his body firming up. It’s not just outward physical changes that resulted from the weight loss but his confidence and self-image have improved tremendously. He believes this has impacted all areas of his life from his business relationships to personal relationships. His diabetes is under control as is his cholesterol and blood pressure. Mike really enjoys working out at Strictly Fitness especially the friendly family atmosphere he sees at the club. He really enjoys the members and the staff. And we really enjoy Mike and his energy!
JASON GOSNELL
It was seeing photos of himself at 260 lbs that was Jason Gosnell’s wake up call. Jason had been steadily gaining weight since he’d graduated from high school when he realized he had to make a life change to protect his health and to get what he wanted out of life.
How’d he do it? He gave up soda and sugar—Cold Turkey! He had to make conscience decisions about what he ate. He had to learn about and make healthier choices, including drinking lots of water and watching his bread and pasta intake. He did allow himself 2 “cheat meals” a week. If he went over his 2 cheats on a week-end, then he would do an extra cardio work-out during the week to make up for it. He was making conscience decisions with set consequences.
Since joining Strictly Fitness in April of 2005, Jason’s added weight training to his fitness routine. He’s seen major changes in his body fat, adding muscle which filled in some previously “flabby” areas that were a result of his major weight loss. He also began taking Jill’s Abs class and is seeing some major improvement in his midsection. Jason’s great combination of healthy eating and exercise is really paying off as you can see by his “after” photo where he’s been caught in action on one of his favorite pieces of equipment!
Sometimes it’s not about losing weight, but gaining it!
“My name is Jodie Eck and I have been a member of Strictly Fitness since March 2002. When I joined SF, I was a 32 year old that was simply tired of being overweight and, more importantly, unhappy with the physical and emotional state of my life. My sister, Krista Kruszon, has been a long-time member of SF and she got me to join. At first everyone and everything in the gym intimidated me: The machines, the weights, the classes and, most of all, the people. I thought they would look at me as some lazy, overweight person who couldn’t or wouldn’t , make it. Needless to say, the first month of my membership I came sporadically.
An important part of my weight-loss plan is the diet. I don’t mean diet in the conventional sense, where you drastically change your eating habits, reach your goal, and revert back to your old ways and your old weight. I mean changing the way you eat, what you eat, and why you eat. I did not partake in any of the fad diets that are out there. I simply thought about why, when, and what I ate and changed, slowly, and with great results. I was an emotional eater, so I had to monitor why I ate and what I ate. My “sweet tooth” took about a year to “break”, but I did it. My motto-Eat to fuel your body, and everything in moderation. It takes time and work, but if I can do it, anyone can!
Mike Ausherman
His diabetes was out of control. He suffered from sleep apnea. His cholesterol and blood pressure were too high. His self confidence was low, and his weight was too high. These are some o f the reasons that made Mike make drastic life changes that resulted in a huge weight loss and greater health. Mike comes from a family where weight is an issue. His family is heavy and gradually he put on pound after pound. It got to the point where his life and his livelihood were being affected. He decided he had to do something about it. He hired a personal trainer and although he saw some results he wasn’t losing enough weight. He explored gastric by-pass and after counseling and testing had the life saving surgery in February of 2004. Before the surgery he worked out to prepare. He did a lot of abs work and it paid off. He was able to resume his work-outs only 3 months after surgery. Since his surgery he’s lost 140 pounds!
JASON GOSNELL
It was seeing photos of himself at 260 lbs that was Jason Gosnell’s wake up call. Jason had been steadily gaining weight since he’d graduated from high school when he realized he had to make a life change to protect his health and to get what he wanted out of life.