Bonnie's Journey to Fitness
It might be hard, but I'm proving it can be done at any age.
I really should have started this years ago, so this first entry will be to let you know how it all started.
My journey began in May, 2007. I found my weight had ballooned. I had been in complete denial about how big I had gotten. I found myself disgusted and disappointed in myself. And for once was ready to do something about it.
And then I found TrainWithRon. Just googled for a personal trainer, and there was something that drew me to it. It is not your typical gym. You don’t pay a membership or gym fee. It’s strictly personal training, and not the typical training you would see in a large gym. My first visit was the “get to know you” phase. Ron Potocnik, the owner, sat down with me and discussed my eating habits (which was bad), my workout habits (or lack thereof) and what my long-term goals were. And then it was the dreaded weigh-in. My weight - 261. And there it is. My BMI was a whopping 41.6%. He then took me through the warm-up routine you do before every hour training session. At first I was like “Holy Crap”! That was just the warm up!!??!! But I could tell that Ron was there to support me and motivate me. He would not let me give up on myself.
I must admit after my first official workout - I thought I was going to die … literally. Every muscle in my body hurt. But I didn’t give up. Ron brought on 2 other trainers, Dale “DB” Barr and Matt Ulrich. Now I had the support of 3 top trainers, each with their own style of training. And I had the support of the other clients that would train at the same time I did. This community that TWR has built …. there’s nothing like it.
The first time I tried to do a step up onto this cube … I had to hold on to one of the trainers or to a wall. When I first tried to do a squat … had to squat onto a bench. My lunge …. well, we won’t even discuss that. The funniest was the jump rope. First time, I did the double jump, and about every 5 to 10 jumps I would trip over the rope or stop completely. But I never gave up. Nor did the trainers.
By the Spring of 2009 I was down to 189 lbs. That’s a 72 lb weight loss.
Ron then challenged me. He said I needed to have a life adventure. He had just competed in the Masters, winning a gold in the 400M relay and a silver medal in the individual 200M. He asked if I wanted to try to compete. So we discussed the different events and for some reason the Shot Put seemed like it would be fun. So I went out and bought a shot put. Matt became my coach and taught me how to throw it without injuring myself. And on December 19th I competed in my first track meet at The University of Chicago. Granted I did not throw it far, but I did not foul! I even had 2 of the judges congratulate me for doing so well for my first time. Once the weather gets a little warmer, training will start again in earnest. I want to compete in as many outdoor track meets as I can this Spring and Summer.
But I admit I’ve had to struggle lately. I found myself working too much, stressed, and then I got sick. By January of this year, my weight was back up to 219 lbs. I am now keeping a food journal and a workout log, which I give to DB to review each week. He’s been instrumental in helping me not only keep my calories in check, but that I get the right % of protein, carbs, fat & fiber in every day. And then Ron, DB & Matt all give me ideas for great workouts I can do at home and when I travel so there’s no excuse on not burning those 3000-3500 calories a week.
TWR started their own Biggest Loser Challenge, which will run for 8 weeks. I love a good competition - and I’m competing against 56 like-minded people! This is week 5 and have lost 10.5 lbs.
So now you’re all caught up. My next entry I’ll share some ideas on eating. Although I may workout just as hard as a 30 year old, I find I can’t eat the same way. If you’re over 50, then you’ll understand. Hopefully by sharing what has worked for me may give you some ideas.
The journey continues.
