Focus Personal Fitness Member Challenge: Week 12
The Numbers and How I’m Feeling
- Beginning Weight: 227 lbs
- Current Weight: 219 lbs
- Target Weight: 200 lbs
I’m not fixated on my weight—which is going down, but slowly. Having said that, managing my way through the holidays while trying to keep up some semblance of balance between exercise and excess was difficult. In hindsight, it’s likely that the last few years of holiday seasons have been a big contributor to my gradual weight gain. As an avid snowboarder, I did find that all of my efforts toward getting fit this year were a huge help. I had much more stamina, control and strength than I have had in five years. I stayed on the slopes one day with my kids for 6 straight hours, so I got my money’s worth!
More so than the weight has been my ability to wear clothes I have kept in the wardrobe for a few years, but now actually fit like they are supposed to – showing that there has been some sort of a redistribution of weight in my body.
I took some time to reflect on my fitness journey over the holidays, and I realized just how much I like being coached, and enjoy my time at Focus Personal Fitness. As a business owner I manage employees every day, but it’s tremendous having someone tell me what to do, measure my progress and keep me on track. There is no way I could have done this alone. Thanks to Coach Randy and the team at Focus.
The Regime:
I’ve continued to cycle twice per week at the indoor spinning class, and my personal training sessions with Megan two times per week. I’ve increased my running sessions from four to five running sessions weekly. These sessions range from 35 to 50 minutes, and depending on my heart rate zones I am now at a pace of about 7.5 to 9 kph. I feel great! Cycling and running are not only getting easier but also more enjoyable.
If anyone is considering a commitment to fitness in 2015, drop me a line. This is one of the best things I’ve ever done for myself.
Coach Randy’s Perspective
The weight loss Norm has achieved is only the start—the goal here is for long-term weight loss.
Anyone can lose weight in the short term by just managing calories, but it’s not the only piece to the puzzle. What will make this change significant and lasting is the development of healthy lifestyle habits. What Norm has accomplished is the consistency in training by finding an intrinsic love for his activities and the rewards they are giving him physically, mentally and emotionally. The nine pounds he has lost is strictly due to lifestyle activity and not from watching calories yet. Interestingly, as Norm is enjoying the rewards of his consistent training he is becoming more sensitive to the foods he is eating and how they make him feel. This will motivate him to start improving his food choices to find those that give him more energy and maintain the feeling he gets after training.
It’s important to tackle one area of your lifestyle and make that a positive habit. Once you have that mastered you start working on another lifestyle habit that can be improved. The challenge for all of us is that this never really ends – we are always going to be striving to improve areas of our lifestyle for better performance and health.
It is very common for weight loss to come after weight distribution. Norm’s body is changing in that he is teaching his body to burn more fat during non-exercise and exercise through his controlled heart rate intensity training sessions. He is also gaining lean muscle mass, which may show on the scale. It is very important to see body disposition change before significant weight loss. Everyone is slightly different in their response to training. What is most important is how you feel mentally and emotionally from the training. For Norm this has obviously been a huge positive as he has more energy, feels better and is enjoying a better quality of life!
Awesome job Norm! Consistency is everything!