Inspire 4 Life Fitness Testimony

When I stepped into the Inspire 4 Life studio back in January 2012 to take my very first Zumba class, I was so unsure of how the class was going to go. I was intimidated, I was nervous, I was scared. Laurie Carroll was the instructor and she made me feel welcome and comfortable. That is hard to do for an overweight person stepping into a “gym” for the first time in a long time. But I honestly wasn't scared or nervous to go to another class after that. I was family.

Laurie, Bobby, and Carlos have inspired me, and many others, to either start a journey towards health and fitness or encouraged us in the journey we are currently on. I was honored and privileged to be chosen as the first transformation winner this past summer. I went through 6 weeks of hard-core workouts and nutritional counseling with Bobby, Carlos, and Laurie. Each of them told me they were going to step it up for me. They felt a desire and obligation to do that for me. Yes, that meant harder workouts, but it also meant that really care about my end result. It means that they are concerned about where I go from here. During those 6 weeks of the transformation, I lost a total of 13.25 inches and 39lbs! I have developed more of a drive for exercise, fitness, and healthy living through working out at Inspire 4 Life.

I am no athlete by any stretch of the imagination, but I am eating healthier and exercising more thanks to Inspire 4 Life Fitness. The instructors and trainers are so excited about fitness. They keep me accountable. They are very supportive and encouraging. They love sharing their passion and helping people reach their fitness goals. My thoughts and feelings about "working out" and "fitness" have completely changed since I started taking classes at the studio. It is amazing. When I started, there were so many things that I COULD NOT do. I couldn't even make it through an entire song at Zumba class without being winded and having to stop. Now, I can make it through the whole class, minus real water breaks! I couldn't walk a mile without stopping. Now, I have done 3 5k races and have plans to do more. The first one, I did stop a couple of times; the second one I didn't stop at all; and the third I actually ran some! I couldn't do pushups, let alone even think about doing planks, burpees, suicide drills, mountain climbers, etc. But now, I can do it all! I still have to modify, but I can do it -- all since starting at Inspire 4 Life Fitness.



Laurie Carroll


 

Laurie is so positive and enthusiastic. She has a true passion for fitness and it shows in each of her classes and personal training sessions. Every time I walk into her classes, she pushes me to do things I didn’t think I could do. I have been able to increase my weight-lifting abilities through her classes. She introduced me to Paleolithic eating which has furthered my weight-loss. Laurie has been there to answer so many of my questions and keep me focused on my journey. She accepted me in her Zumba class and has never judged me. She keeps me excited to exercise. Laurie’s dedication and commitment to health and fitness is contagious.





Bobby Campbell

 

I started working with Bobby during the transformation experience. He has a real heart for helping people lose weight and get into a fitness routine. He helped me get back into lifting weights. Every single workout I have had with Bobby has pushed me beyond my limits. Bobby takes time to make sure I am hitting my goals and keeping with my journey, even outside his classes. We did a 5k together in September and after he finished and recovered, he came back to make sure I finished ahead of a goal I had set for myself. When he could see “pain” in my face, he encouraged me to go a little bit longer. He instilled in me that “Pain is weakness leaving the body.” I will never forget that.



 



Carlos Johnson

 

Carlos has been a great coach and supporter for me. He helps with the nutritional Inspired! meeting at the studio and has been pivotal in my food journey. He keeps it real and gives me tips and tricks on changing habits and thinking. His passion is to help people get fit and stay fit. Carlos goes above and beyond to motivate and encourage me to work harder. He has helped me realize that I'll never know what I'm capable of until I push beyond my limits. His workouts are intense and I never thought I would run like he has made me do. But anytime I can’t do an exercise or move, he helps me adapt it to what I can do. There are no excuses with him.


I have been blessed with these fantastic instructors/trainers that have helped me along my way. Each of them has so much knowledge and eagerness to share and I am honored that they share it with me. Every time I start to get discouraged, one of them is there to pick me up and push me a little farther. They have most certainly been advisors and coaches, but more importantly they have become friends and confidants.

Results

Sorry that I have been kinda MIA this past week. It has been a crazy week with the end of my transformation and getting things ready for my BIG reveal party that I had today.

I just want to say a HUGE thank you to everyone that showed up to celebrate with me. Those that weren't able to come, I understand, but you missed the FUN! :) If you aren't connected to my Facebook, then here are my results for you. Over the past 6 weeks during the transformation, I have lost a total of 13.25 inches and 39lbs!! That brings my one year total to 52.75 inches! I am so thrilled with the results, but can't wait to see what the next stage in my journey will bring!

No excuses!

Hard Work and Support

Okay, so Tuesday I could hardly walk after that race! I barely walked at work and didn’t do any workouts. It was brutal, but my feet have finally healed and I’m back at my workouts full force! Wednesday I had Zumba class. I couldn’t do some of the moves because my feet were still pretty tender, but I did all I could. Thursday they felt a lot better, so I tried to work extra hard at College Street Zumba! Friday I had a workout with Carlos and he made me run again. We did 7 sets of running the length of the studio outside then came inside and ran suicides. It was HOT! But I did it and it didn’t kill me. Carlos mentioned that my stamina is building and I did well with the running. I think I did pretty darn good too considering I’m totally not a runner!

At our Inspired! meeting Thursday, we talked about why people workout and what keeps them coming or motivated. Besides my health scare, what got me started and has kept me going is having a support system; someone that has been by my side to encourage me and literally walk with me. I think that’s crucial for anyone wanting to get healthy and workout. If you don’t have someone there to stand by you, you can make all the excuses you want and you’ll eventually give in. Having someone there to remind you of your goals is so helpful. It keeps me motivated knowing someone out there cares about my end result as much as I do. I encourage you to find that person that will help motivate you. It could be someone that is working toward the same goals or someone that you know will just be there for you. If you can’t find that person, I’d be glad to help with your accountability! Just comment or send me an e-mail and I will do all I can to help you achieve your goals.

Speaking of goals, Laurie gave me one to achieve yesterday. She told me to do 20 minutes of walk/run intervals, 50 crunches, 50 push-ups, and 100 squats! When she told me that I couldn’t believe it, my jaw dropped. HOLY COW! How in the world was I going to do it? Well, I did! I actually did about 25 minutes of walking and running. I downloaded an interval app for my iPod touch and did 7 sets of 3 min walking 30 sec running. It definitely got harder toward the end, but I finished with a strong run. Next time I’ll try 2 min walking and 30 sec running. Then I’ll increase my running interval. I never thought I’d be running on my own! You do what your trainer tells you when you’re working out with them, but to go out and run by myself….NEVER thought it would happen. I could have very easily walked the whole time, but I was given a goal to strive for and I accomplished it. It felt really good!

Today starts the last week of my transformation. I am really sad to see this process end, but am completely excited to see my results! I really wish I could keep up with the training sessions with Laurie, Bobby, and Carlos but it just isn’t in the budget. I am definitely going to keep up with my Zumba though! Plus, each of them has given my great tips and exercises that I can continue at home. I have been blessed with their expertise, encouragement, and commitment. It has been an absolute joy to endure the pain they put me through. Pain is weakness leaving the body and they’ve helped me get rid of A LOT of weakness! LOL! I do my final measurement and weigh-in on Friday then Sunday we’re having a BIG REVEAL PARTY at the studio (Inspire 4 Life Fitness)! It is gonna be hard keeping my results a secret for 2 days! I cannot wait though! If you have been following my blog and are in the area, you are MORE than welcome to come to the party and help me celebrate! (if you need directions, just let me know!) I know the trainers are probably going to “torture” me this week, but I’m ready. Let’s finish strong!

Good News

I haven't had much time to post this past week. I've been busy getting adapted to my new job (that I LOVE!). And this week we're in revival at church, so I'm trying to balance church and getting my exercise in, with the new job and errands and appointments and.....well, you get the picture! :) Anyway, I just wanted to give an "official" update that I have lost another 3.5 inches!! That brings my total to 31.25 inches over a period of six months. This all came together with an appt today with my cardiologist. I get there and they have me "hop up" on the bed -- THEN go to take my blood pressure. Aye! The nurse tries one arm...BP won't take. Moves to the other arm....still won't take. I'm thinking to myself - "Great, it's gonna be sky HIGH by the time she gets a reading." So she changes cuffs (to the regular sized) and gets it...130/82!!! Praise the Lord! I was so excited. I'm sure that might still sound "high" to some of you, but it WAS running 190/100! This is a major feat! They do my EKG and then say "the dr will be with you in a minute" -- you know how that goes. Well, he finally comes in and is continues with my exam. He asks how I am doing and I explain to him the past 6 months of change that I have been going through. Needless to say, he is very happy with my blood pressure, EKG, my weight loss, and my activity level! So much so that he doesn't want to see me back for 6 months - as opposed to the every 2 months it has been!! He even mentioned taking me off some of my medication for next time based on my progress! I'm telling you...I was so excited just to go to my appt and tell him what has been happening, much less hear those words actually come out of his mouth! :) That is one of my goals in the weight-loss journey of mine. Another one is to actually be able to be weighed when I go in for a dr's appointment. That didn't happen today, but IT WILL!! A very dear friend of mine posted this on my FB wall when I mentioned the success at my dr's appt today --

Hard work...Determination...Victory!!

Extra Push

It is no secret that the past few weeks have not been great for me. They have been a huge roller coaster ride, but I wouldn't trade it for anything. My life is a journey and my journey to weight-loss and health is a daily struggle. I've been this way all my life, it's hard to change habits. It's hard to change the way you think about food, how you eat, and your level of activity after doing it the same way for almost 29 years. It is tough and that's why I have brought you along on this journey. I want to share my ups and downs with you. This is hard to say/do, and not meaning this in a self-centered way - but I want everyone to see my struggles and the fight it takes to get it right. There is someone out there that needs to know that someone else is on the same journey or has been exactly where they are -- whether they read this today or 5 years down the road. Someone out there needs to know that it's okay to fail but you are not a failure unless you give up!

Along with the struggles, I want to share my victories! As I have blogged before, I completed a 5k on January 21st. I mentioned that day that I had lost a total of 24 inches since 9/11/12. Well, as of last night, that number is up to 28.75! In the midst of a challenging month, I have lost another 4.75 inches! This is the exact reason that it is essential to keep pushing. And when you don't think you have anything left in you, KEEP PUSHING! Trust me -- you'll be surprised -- the strength will come! One little victory will give you the reinforcement that you need to keep going. There's a country song by Rodney Atkins: If you're going through hell, keep on moving. Face that fire. Walk right through it. You might get out before the devil even knows you're there. It might seem like hell in the battles and struggles that you face, but before you know it you'll be on the other side wondering how in the world you made it through! Take one step at a time. It's a process -- physically and mentally -- but eventually we'll make it!

FOCUS

I've been sitting here with my blog up ready to post, but am just not sure how to put into words what I'm feeling/thinking. I haven't felt that great today. I haven't logged my calories for a couple of days, so I feel guilty about that. I didn't go walk today or do any other workout, so I'm bummed about that. The more I think about it, the more I realize that the days I don't workout are the days I feel the worst!

"Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy."

*Legally Blonde*

I've come to the realization that working out keeps my mind on track. I feel like I'm actually doing something to change my life -- more accomplished. I've got to quit making excuses and letting things stop me from getting out there and doing what I'm supposed to do! I've got to do what makes me happy....and that's not food anymore! If I slack off on exercising, that's exactly where my mind goes. I'm starting to lose control and I cannot let that happen! So what I'm asking of you is this -- ASK me if I've worked out today. KEEP me accountable. Yes, I'm doing this for myself, but sometimes I just need that extra PUSH!

I did a devotion at a women's retreat a couple of years ago and my title was this: FOCUS. Faith Overcomes Circumstances and Undermines Satan! I have to stay focused. I cannot go back to my old way of living, eating, doing things. I have to keep moving forward no matter what tries to get in my way. I have to turn stumbling blocks into stepping stones. I have to keep going. I cannot let the best be behind me -- MY BEST is yet to come!

Past Inspiration

I was looking through some of my older posts tonight and found some quotes from a Mary Kay retreat I attended over 2 years ago that can completely go along with my weight-loss journey.

*Your mind knows no differently that what you feed it.*

*Once you have a decided heart, you can achieve anything!*

*Indecision limits the Almighty.*

*God has given you a 2nd chance, are you going to take it??*

It's hard sometimes to keep my mind focused on what I need to be eating versus what I want to be eating. If I continue to feed my mind and body what I want, I'll stay the way I am. I just have to remember my ultimate goal and keep going full force....because the 2nd quote is completely true! You can achieve anything if you make up your mind to do it. Yeah, I'll make mistakes and fall down, but will I stay down? NO! That means I'm indecisive and not really committed. How can we expect God to work in our lives if we can't make up our minds on what we want, or what we're willing to do?!? Sometimes we have to work for our blessings and God can't bless us if we're not working toward our goals. With that being said, are YOU going to take your 2nd chance and RUN with it?! No one will fight for your dreams/goals like you will!

*Hard work! Dedication! No excuses!*

10 Days

I have a new found love in my exercise routine....ZUMBA! I've seen the infomercials on TV and all these people talk about it, but never thought I'd really be able to do it. Well, last week, my walking buddy - Leah - bought Zumba for the Wii. OMG -- it is so much fun!!! Monday last week, we played Just Dance 3 because it was too cold outside. Tuesday is when she got the Zumba game and we did 20 minutes that night. Let me just tell you - it's not a difficult as I thought it would be and it is so much fun! I burned as many calories in that 20 minutes of dancing as I do in 45 minutes of walking! Thursday we did walk 2 miles but Friday we picked Zumba right back up!

Sunday, I met my accountability partner, Jessica, in Greenville to do a trial "run" through of the 5k I'm doing on the 21st....YES, you read that right -- I am walking a 5k (3.1 miles)! I took a map so I could see exactly where the course was and what it was going to be like. We ended up turning the wrong way and almost ended up in the ghetto of downtown Greenville! :-o ...anyway, It's going to be tough, but I know I can do it. I am determined to do it! Leah and Jessica are both going to do it with me. Leah is going to run/walk it though. I am so excited about it -- I can't wait! :) My sister is even going to make up shirts for us (she works at a trophy shop where they do some t-shirt work). It'll look something like this...

(the small part up top will be on the front, the other will be on the back)

Now back to my workouts...I was pretty sore on Monday. I expected it though. HOWEVER, I still ended up going to an actual Zumba class with Leah that was 45 MINUTES long! Oh yeah, my feet hurt pretty bad and I sweat up a storm -- but it was so much fun! I took last night off but met back up with Leah tonight to do another Zumba workout on the Wii. This time we did the mid-length class that was [again] 45 minutes long. Between both of those classes, I have burned over 2500 calories already this week...not including my 3 mile walk on Sunday...how crazy is that!?! It is so much fun that you don't really realize you're working out!

Well, it is my bedtime....can't wait to share more of my journey with you later! :) g'nite folks!!!