It works (if you work it)

This is the second time that I have participated in “I Lost It At The Club” at World Gym and after going through the process one full time and reaching the halfway point this time around I can say with certainty, it works. I lost 10 pounds the first go round and I’ve lost six already by the halfway point - including two pounds just last week. I am now at 194 pounds.

What’s the secret, the magic behind this program? Diet and exercise.

I was discouraged at the weigh in the week before but I had nobody to blame but myself. I had a few too many cheat days and meals and I wasn’t working hard enough at the gym. When the team started passing out emails with impassioned pleas for everyone to recommit to the program, I decided to renew my efforts. I ate clean all week - only one meal that kind of swerved into some poor choices - and I made it to the gym five out of the seven days between classes.

It worked.

It worked because of what I put in. I ate small meals every three hours, high in protein, good carbs and fiber, and I tried to get some exercise, 45 minutes to an hour, in each day. It’s obvious that it takes effort on both the diet and exercise fronts to lose weight but too often we fall in the trap of doing one or the other half-heartedly and then wondering why it isn’t working. I used to be that way. I used to convince myself that eating poorly didn't matter or that I would work it off the next day or later in the week. Then one day I looked up and I weighed almost 230 pounds.

Things have started clicking for me and the emails that got sent around seemed to get everyone on Sheila’s Weigh Waaay less team fired up.

When you walk into the lobby of the World Gym in Fayetteville, the weight loss percentage of the two teams are posted on a dry erase board. Our team is behind but I know that the goal for next week when we have an official weigh-in is to either take the lead or put some fear into the other team and let them know we’re coming.

That fire pushed me and another team member through an unofficial stadium workout on Monday afternoon. It was hot for April but we lunged up the steps, squatted down them, did push-ups on the field and ran the track. We did four circuits of this and would have done more if we had been asked. The competitive spirit of the team is starting to shine through and we will be making some serious pushes in the final weeks.

We’re in it to win it.