Fitness Update: Press Your Luck

A huge struggle in the fitness industry is that people want quick results. They expect for their body to start changing within one week of beginning a new exercise program. When they do not magically lose ten pounds in one week (because that would be magic) they are mad. Comments like “It’s not working,” “I will always be overweight,” and my favorite line, “I will always be fat because it is genetic.” All of these comments are lies. They are defeating; depressing even.

I am constantly explaining that these things take time. You have to think about how long it took for you to put the weight on. Losing one pound a week is normal and healthy. We preach five small meals a day and 5 workouts a week. No cheating. No slacking.

You will start to see small results after a month. After 12 weeks others will start to notice. Sound simple? It’s not. 12 weeks is three months. A lot of temptations and excuses will arise in three months. Temptations make you gain weight. Excuses don’t burn calories.

After helping people for five years now, I’ve come to a conclusion: Being consistent is everything. The definition of consistent as always acting or behaving in the same way. The most important part of that definition is the word always. Living a healthy lifestyle means it is something you are always doing.

Have you ever done the same fitness routine for three months, or even a year? I’m not talking about walking around the block or going to Zumba once a week. I mean getting uncomfortable five times week. It can be strength training, getting your heart rate elevated, doing yoga, being sore.

That’s my goal—to always push myself. I have no desire to maintain. I want to be the best version of me tomorrow. So today I must make good choices, exercise hard, and eat healthy.

Someone who has taken this concept to heart is a precious girl that I have gotten to know over the past year. Read Destin’s story in her own words.

Destin’s Story

My weight has been up and down my entire life. After a breakup I reached an all time high of 289. All of that weight on my 5’2″ frame made every day tasks difficult.

In June 2014 I decided I had to do something. I tried to go for a run and realized I struggled even walking. That was a wake up call. I realized that my lifestyle must change. Excessive eating habits and zero exercise had taken its toll on my body.

The next day I downloaded the My Fitness Pal app and went to my first class at McClure Fitness. My Mom and I went to yoga together. The environment was great. I felt zero judgment and received kind words from everyone.

I started taking barre and yoga. I wanted to go as often as possible and I did since they have classes seven days a week. After three months I finally mustered up enough courage to take a bootcamp class. I stuck with it and kept going. The weight was flying off!

In January 2015 I signed up for McClure’s 12 Week Challenge because I knew that Marietta would keep me accountable. Marietta and her team tracked my weight, measurements, workouts, and most importantly, my food intake. My goal was to lose 30 pounds in three months. By the end of the challenge I beat my goal, I lost 33 pounds!

One non-scale victory is that I started running also. Remember how I could barely walk? I have now ran three 5K’s and beat my time each race.

To date, I’ve lost 110 pounds! I am still going strong. Marietta says to “get uncomfortable and stay uncomfortable to see change.” So that’s what I’ve been doing. In June I will hit my one-year fitness anniversary. It has been an awesome ride. The future is bright!