Barbara's Story

Barbara had never been inside a gym before, but she's been going strong for over a year now, losing over 20 pounds.

I had two surgeries over the last five years. At my age, that seemed like a slow slide to a blanket on my lap in the old folks home. I liked to think of myself as robust and full of energy. Well, it seems most of my energy was being spent reading and cooking. The reading turns out to be sedentary, and my cooking, not to mention baking, was putting more calories on my plate that I needed to maintain my youthful figure. So, I was slowly turning into a round, though still wonderful version of myself. My cholesterol, blood pressure, and resting heart rate were on the rise.

I wanted to make a commitment to a positive change in myself, but had no clue how to go about successfully using a gym, and changing my eating habits. It all seemed overwhelming. I had the feeling that anybody who was successful at diet and exercise had started decades ago. I read about the Total Body Turnaround on the gym web site. I liked the idea of meeting a group of people who were setting out on similar fitness goals. I liked the idea of being part a group that encourages each person to meet their own goals for fitness and diet.

I started to keep my exercise journal. I enjoyed the way the TBT created simple workout routines that gave me real purpose when I was in the gym. I didn’t try to do too much. I didn’t get stiff and sore with every workout. I did discover the satisfaction of focusing on an exercise and working to improve my ability to complete repetitions and increase the resistance I used. Some exercises came easier than others. Some made me sweat a lot more than others.

The results of showing up six day a week started showing the first week. The changes were small, but they kept coming. There were little successes every day. Making the gym part of six days of the week was one of my big successes. I keep a gym bag in the car, and made the gym part of my trip home.

I now know how to adjust exercise equipment for my size, and understand how to select exercises that efficiently work my heart, upper and lower body. I dare to run during my aerobic workouts. I started with one minute during my interval workout. That slowly built up to the full twenty minutes, and running Greenlake.

I also discovered that the tensions of the workday just fade at the gym. I focus on my balance, breathing, and the improvements I’m seeing in myself. I also followed up with the doctor. My cholesterol, blood pressure, and resting heart rate are greatly improved.

I’m glad I found the TBT program. I know that each day I’m in the gym is a day I am taking the time to take care of myself.

- Barbara

Colleen's Story

OK. How do I start to tell you about what the 12 Week Total Body Turnaround Program with Adam did for me? I'll start with just a little background on myself and that should help you to understand.

I am 45 years old and have 4 small children 11, 9, 7, and 4. My husband and my children mean everything to me. About 11 years ago I quit my job to be a full time mom and eventually began helping my husband start his own business. All has been great, but I did forget to care for myself physically along the way. I had only carved out a small portion of time over those past 11 years to workout and eat right. So when I joined SMB and joined up with Adam and the 12 week program, I really was excited but not sure how successful I would be. Committing to workout consistently every week can be a bit of a managing nightmare for me with kids in 2 schools and one child only in class three mornings a week.

When I first started out with Adam and the program, I was considerably weaker than I am today. My energy level was so low that I would end up sitting on the ground at times to even play ball with my sons.

As I started to meet up with my workout group or with Adam weekly, I noticed within three weeks that I could possibly make this happen. I could do this for myself. Each time I worked out with Adam I learned more and more about myself and what I could achieve. I tried to find some type of weekly workout whether it be meeting with Adam, running football drills with my kids if I couldn't get into the gym, or working out on my own in the kitchen of my own home. I would love to say that I would have been this motivated without being part of a program, but I don't know for sure. Adam’s program helped me to set a fitness goal, and make a plan to try to achieve it. With his support and the support of others it really helped me to stay on task. I tried to not be too hard on myself if I had a bad week and to ALWAYS show up for my next session and workout. After my first 3 weeks, I felt so comfortable coming to the gym and my mind set had really changed. I actually MISSED working out if my schedule conflicted, and was actually becoming more and more aware of what I was putting into my body.

Today, my energy has increased so much that even my kids make mention of it. The other night I was wrestling around with my boys and my oldest son said, "Mom, it's not fair anymore because you have been working out and you are stronger!"...as I had him pinned on his bed. He laughed and I felt very proud. OK and lastly, since my husband said I was writing too much, I have to say one final corny thing. On the final day that we all met with Adam to weigh-in and to take the fitness test, I was walking out of my home and my husband stopped me, gave me great big hug and kiss and told me how proud he was of me, which might not seem a big deal to most of you, but if you knew my husband you would know that he's a great man, but not one of many words, especially not with compliments attached. It meant the world to me, and I truly am proud of myself and of everyone that made it through the program. Whether we met our goals or not, we learned a lot about ourselves and we all have a better understanding of what we need to do to stay healthy. I don't know if I will win this competition, but in my own mind, I had already personally won many weeks ago, when I mentally made the transition for talking about getting healthy to GETTING healthy. Thanks Adam and SMB for all the support and encouragement. I feel better than I have in 11 years and I am happier with my family and friends because of it. I am wearing smaller clothes and feel great. Thank you!

Colleen

Tim's Story

The Total Body Turnaround is the only workout program in which I have participated where I have actually succeeded in achieving my initial goal. At the beginning of the program, Adam had us write down one goal, and suggested that “losing weight” was not necessarily the best goal given the nature of the program. Although I did want to lose weight and inches, I decided that my main goal would be just to get used to exercising on a regular basis and to make exercise an integral part of my life. Adam’s program called for working out six days per week, and I decided that I would consider myself successful if I worked out at least five days per week. As it turned out, there were only a few weeks where I exercised only five days per week, and on several others I was enjoying exercising so much that I actually worked out every day, so I feel that I achieved my goal of exercising consistently.

As for my background, I am 45 years old and, over the years, what I considered to be an acceptable weight had climbed slowly but steadily higher. One or two pounds per year, over the course of 20 years, added up to my being at least 30 pounds over what would be a more healthy and “ideal” weight. My waist size had crept up from 36 to 38 to (gulp!) one with a “4” in front of it this year, and my suit size increased correspondingly. During my adult life I have belonged almost continuously to one gym or another, but have been very inconsistent about actually using them. I have worked with a few trainers in the past, and did have some improvements in strength and general health, but overall my workout schedule was sporadic at best and I never stuck with a regular exercise program for very long.

My job for the past seven or so years was extremely hectic and stressful, and led to many bad habits. In scurrying about downtown Seattle I would often be so busy during the day that I wouldn’t be able to eat any form of lunch until mid-afternoon, and this was after a breakfast probably 7 or more hours earlier. At that point I was usually so hungry that anything looked good, and it was all too easy to stop by the nearest Starbucks and grab a cookie, brownie, scone or whatever else was there. Even when I did eat lunch at a more normal time, I would almost always have at least one, and sometimes more than one, fatty, sugary dessert during the day. These bad eating habits were coupled with a lack of dedication to any form of regular exercise. I counted it a good week if I made it to the gym 2 out of 7 days.

I left that job at the end of August, and started a new (and less stressful) job in Fremont. I am only a 5 minute walk from Sound Mind and Body, and stopped by in early September to check it out. I liked what I saw, and coincidentally I saw the advertisement for the TBT program, which was starting in less than two weeks. Adam happened to be at the gym the day that I visited, so I met with him briefly and then we exchanged e-mails about the program. I decided to join the gym, and also decided that TBT was the kick in the pants that I needed to jump-start my return to regular exercise and to get me back on the road to a healthy lifestyle, so I signed up.

It was quite an adjustment going from 1-2 days (at best) of exercise per week to six. The program was challenging physically, and after the first few weeks of excitement I found myself being very fatigued during the day. I talked with Adam about this, and he provided good suggestions, including backing off a bit and taking an extra rest day if necessary. During the three months of the program I found that I had good weeks and weeks where I wasn’t quite as motivated, but Adam told me this was normal.

In addition to the exercise component, the program incorporated a much healthier six-meals-per-day way of eating. That too was an adjustment for me, and was perhaps an even bigger challenge than the exercising. I was so used to eating sugary treats during the day that for a while I had to fight off cravings for cookies or other goodies. But I was committed to sticking with the program, and Adam incorporated one “guilt free day” into the program every week, so I knew that I could have a treat if I waited until the weekend. Fortunately, my wife was very supportive and decided to adopt the new eating program along with me. Eventually, I found that I stopped craving those desserts, although if I go out for dinner and a dessert looks particularly good, I now will share it with my wife and still enjoy it.

After 12 weeks, I had lost just under 8 pounds, just under 2% body fat (I started out at over 29%, which kind of shocked me), 2 inches off my waist and 2 ¾ inches off my stomach. I increased my flexibility and my strength (I started out not being able to do a single unassisted pull-up to doing 1 ½, and doubled the number of pull-ups I could do at half my body weight). I want to lose more weight, but I know that it will come off eventually. Over the course of the program the number on the scale steadily, although slowly, went down. The extra pounds I was (and still am) carrying were added over a lot of years, and I knew they wouldn’t come off in 3 months. I realize it may take another year or more (and hundreds of hours of exercise, along with proper eating) to lose the remaining extra pounds and inches.

Although I am not where I ultimately want to be, I am very happy with the start I have made, and am committed to continuing the healthy habits I have developed. The results may not seem dramatic on the outside, but the change in my attitude and commitment is huge. A married couple with whom I am friends (one of whom is my boss) were so impressed with my new-found dedication to working out that they have hired Adam to work with them at their home. I have talked with Adam about continuing on with a similar workout plan in the new year, and am excited about the results I expect to see next year at this time. I realize that this isn’t a 12-week, or 12-month commitment – it is a lifetime commitment, which is particularly important as I approach my half-century mark. Thanks to Adam and the people at SMB Gym for starting me on the path to a longer and healthier life.

Tim

Adam's Story

I was your classic “Weekend Warrior”. I would go into the gym every few days and do a little cardio, lift a few weights, or maybe take a yoga class. I played basketball in a recreational league and on the weekends when I could. I felt like I ate pretty well. I stayed away from red meat and didn’t eat sweets all that much. I had been a member of a gym for about three years, and had never gone more than a month without working out.

As a kid, I had always been thin and weak, and over the years I had developed a belief that my body was just not genetically built to be muscular, but at least I was thin! However, as most people in their thirties find out, I was losing ground in that area as well. I had developed a nice paunch around my waist and my cheeks were starting to fill out. I felt tired quite a bit, and even when I was well rested, it was hard for me to get going in the morning and all I wanted to do at night was lay on the couch and watch television.

Although I was in ok basketball shape, I had developed pain in my lower back that wasn’t going away, and my knees and ankles couldn’t take more than 2 days a week of playing before they felt sore enough to make me start to think my basketball days were coming to an end.

In the summer of my 33rd year, I was 215 pounds and about 25% body fat. For the first time, I started getting real with myself and thinking that it was probably time to change my exercise habits and lose some weight. I read in a book that the best way to burn fat was to do cardio for an hour each day. I was on vacation and had plenty of time, so I stopped lifting weights and just did cardio every day. In about a month, I had lost about ten pounds and I was pretty happy! It was the first time I saw the effectiveness of consistent exercise.

Even though I lost the weight, I still was feeling hobbled on the basketball court and felt unable to lift weights because of back and knee pains. At best, I would try to do one set of 30 repetitions on various machines. My girlfriend teased me because I always said I was going to “take it easy on the weights today.”

One day while surfing the internet, I came across a website called Body for Life.com. It was an exercise and nutrition plan that required six days a week of working out, and had a nutrition plan that seemed sensible to me.

When I started the program, I was mostly interested in going to the gym six days a week, because I wanted to get in better shape for basketball. I used the program as way to be accountable to myself, and also to have an excuse to give my girlfriend for why I was at the gym every day. I wanted to try out the exercise program, and even though I didn’t think the nutrition aspect of it was all that important, I decided I would try that too. The first two weeks, I over trained and underrate, and ended up catching a cold so I had to restart a few weeks later. My girlfriend had also decided she was interested in trying the program, but she only made it a week before she had a family emergency at the same time I got sick.

So here we were, we had started a new program and made it a whole week before we hit a roadblock! My body just shut down, and life got in the way for my girlfriend, and we were right back where we started!

However, even though we were discouraged, we decided to try again. After all, we had already taken the before pictures, and I had the earlier memory of my positive results from the previous summer when I followed a plan and saw improvement.

After that, my girlfriend and I followed the program very closely for the next twelve weeks. We started seeing changes in the mirror after about 4 weeks, mostly in the muscles of our upper bodies. In six weeks, we noticed our clothes were definitely looser.

However, these changes were nothing compared to the improvements in self confidence and energy level we had all day long. We were really doing it, and we started to notice that it had become easy and fun! It was actually hard to deviate from the program, because we would feel lousy physically - tired and depressed.

I lost about 10 pounds and got a lot stronger - not anywhere near the changes you see in the pictures they use to promote the program, but now I know I am in control of my diet and I love working out!

I think about where I will be in five years and get excited, not worried, and I notice that my body is still improving. On top of that, my back and legs feel much better and I am playing the best basketball of my life!

Starting and keeping with an effective exercise and nutrition plan has truly changed the course of my health and my life.

I don’t consider myself more dedicated or focused than anybody else. I just found some really good reasons to change some of my habits, and a plan that worked for me. I had the support and encouragement of my girlfriend who went through the program also, learned the techniques of effective cardio and strength training, and educated myself on sensible and realistic nutrition.

Our success wasn’t about will power as much as it was finding the motivation that worked for us. After about 8 weeks, it became a pleasurable lifestyle, which is the best motivation of all!

You can do this too!

Danielle's Story

“When Adam approached me about starting a 12 week program where I’d be required to account for my diet and go to the gym six days a week, I was a bit apprehensive. Actually, I was pretty sure I wouldn’t be able to do it. I had only been working out for about a year, and I was pretty inconsistent about it. I thought I was a healthy eater, but I was really fooling myself. I work in an office and have access to chocolate every day; and believe me I would have chocolate almost every single day. It was time for a change. I was at a weight above where I wanted to be. I had been at a heavier weight ever since I gained my “freshman 15.” I realized that I would be turning 30 soon, which meant that I had been unhappy with my weight for about ten years. Ten years!! It was time to do something about it – FINALLY!

I told Adam I would do it. We started full force at the end of this past February. A week into it, I had a family emergency and had to go out of town for a week. I totally fell off the wagon. When I got back into town, I recommitted myself and started right back up. I didn’t beat myself up about taking that week off, because I started back up as soon as I returned, and I have been going strong ever since. And when I say strong, I mean it! I have never felt so strong, inside and out. This program has given me confidence about my body and also about my ability to commit to doing what I know is right for me. I have transferred this knowledge into other aspects of my life and have been able to stand up for myself in situations where before I might have felt overpowered.

This program has taught me so much. It has transformed my body. I have taken inches off my waist, thighs, and hips. This is every woman’s dream result! I have gotten muscles in my arms and legs, chest and back – everywhere! And I plan to keep this program going for the rest of my life. I feel like I have the tools now to keep going strong for a really long time.

It wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be, either, which totally surprised me. I thought I would be hungry and deprived, tired and sore, etc. But I haven’t felt that way at all. Instead I feel empowered, proud, and confident! I still get to eat all my favorite junk food on my Guilt Free Day. I look forward to having a special dessert that day, and will save up my cravings until that day. I have finally been able to have control over my cravings for the first time in my life.

Adam really helped me to stick to the program. We helped each other. It was important for us to have each other’s support at the beginning. We felt responsible to each other, and we motivated each other. Then at some point we realized that we were able to be responsible for ourselves. That’s the ultimate goal. After awhile, we wanted to keep going because we really enjoyed exercising, and we loved our diet. We felt good after eating a meal, not sluggish with tummy aches. We found that we talked about exercising and nutrition all the time. We read articles on the internet about it. It really became an important part of our lives.

This program is great! I’ve been doing it since early 2005, and I’m still excited about it. You will never believe how strong you can become, both inside and out. Have fun with it; get a friend involved. And good luck!”
- Danielle