Anyone trying to lose weight will run up against it. By “it” I mean challenges that take many forms; lack of motivation, disappointment, impatience, unwillingness to modify old habits, etc.. How you stand up against those challenges will determine your degree of success. Wilt in the face of these pressures and you will fail in your weight loss quest time and time again. Stand firm and you will succeed. Having succeeded, you will have learned the formula for weight loss that you will be able to apply for a lifetime.
Carrie McMahon epitomizes standing firm in the presence of challenges that seek to derail weight loss. Having become an Arena Fitness client in early December, she hit the road running and, due to the proper application of determination and a formulaic approach, began making improvements and experiencing weight loss immediately. Inspired, she joined our February Shred Weight Loss Contest. Then she ran up against “it.”
After the Shred began, she got injured. Then she got sick. Then she got injured again. Her spirit was dampened and it was a tough series of events to manage, but she prevailed. When she couldn’t exercise due to injury, she tightened her belt (literally) and stayed firm on her clean eating habits.
She took 2nd Place in the Shred and was sick the day of the awards presentation and was unable to accept her award in person. What an amazing accomplishment! She wasn’t able to exercise through HALF of the contest and still placed 2nd! That is discipline and determination, people.
When not faced with illness and injury, Carrie takes Spartan Training classes several times a week and even joined us for the Live Ultimate 5k/10k in February. We were really sorry that she wasn’t able to be present to accept her award, but she has amazed and impressed us so much that we asked her to share her advice with you, so here it is:
Carrie and Adventure Race Coordinator Will Garcia at the finish line of the Live Ultimate 5k/10k in Santa Monica!
To me the shred is the epitome of accountability. My tips would be to use all the tools available.
1. The workouts! Strictly attending the classes as much as possible. I tried to make sure to go to at least one of each of the classes per week and throw in an extra Core or Sport workout for extra measure. The classes are challenging and so rewarding and I always feel like I really got an effective workout. I also snuck in some extra time with some 5 pound weights on my arms anytime I was in front of the TV. Trying to work out on my own would never have gotten me the same results. Having somebody there to encourage and push makes you give your all, without you realizing it until the workout is over!
2. Using My Fitness Pal. Use it use it use it. Logging my meals and snacks gave me a feeling of success and accomplishment everyday. Especially when I was logging healthy foods or new found favorites. It makes it much easier to know where you are at any given point in the day. Being off the sugar and processed foods got rid of my cravings. I actually found myself craving Kale! I really enjoyed and was inspired by other members diets and discovered some new foods and combinations. It also helped me see if I was completely off the mark in comparison to how others manage their diets during the day.
3. Encouragement and Teamwork! The comments and feedback from my trainers and especially other members was incredibly motivating. Trying to stay motivated on my own doesn’t really work. Seeing a comment or compliment doubled my determination as effectively as at the competitive component. It was also motivating to see all the work other members were putting in. It kept me on my toes and from slacking off! (Thanks James for the encouragement!)
I am so happy to have found Arena Fitness. We all have different fitness levels and needs, I finally feel like I found my fitness soulmate. Of course due to injury I couldn’t attend as often as I would have liked during the shred and that knocked down my motivation a peg or two. But everybody was so encouraging and supportive there was no way I wasn’t going to kick some butt. I am super happy with my results! I lost more weight in a short 6 weeks than I did attending several months of Weight Watchers in the past. I can’t wait for the next shred. I felt good, and was happy knowing that I was moving forward and improving. The goal of trying to win the shred along with my own goals made it possible to attain results I know I wouldn’t have gotten on my own….because I never got them in the past. I still have a long way to go but now I know what is possible for me to achieve thanks to you guys!
Arena Fitness is a personal training, semi private training and group training facility with gyms in Northridge and Encino.
