When we left you at the end of October, I was excited that Mary had momentum and that Karen was about to come back to regular workouts. November looked positive, even with the holiday period just around the corner.
Mary Burridge, Project Manager at Smart Start, had big success in October by adding workouts in spin classes and group classes. She had done a juice cleanse and was down 48.5 pounds, just short of her 50 pounds goal. Karen Leonard, Activities Director at Oak Park Retirement, was clearing the last hurdles of testing following a heart scare. She was itching to go and only needed the written release from her heart doctors.
November has drawn to a close with Mary trying to balance childcare and her commitment to exercise. She said, “November has been a really tough month. A temporary change in childcare cut out the majority of my early morning workouts that I have become accustomed to. I would work out in the evenings and a few times at different gyms, but it just wasn’t the same.”
Karen made multiple trips to doctors in Fort Mill and Salisbury before finally getting her release to return to regular training.
Thanksgiving is usually a tough time for anyone to keep up a weight loss program. We had several talks about staying on top of calories in and both ladies assured me they controlled the issue. Mary said, “Thanksgiving wasn’t too bad. I learned real fast that many of the indulgent foods that I once loved no longer appeal to me. As an example, i used to love green bean casserole but when I ate it this year, all I could taste was salt. It just wasn’t pleasing to the taste buds anymore. Fighting food temptation becomes easier when things like this happen.”
Karen was the one doing the cooking in her family. She said, “As far as holiday eating goes, I do a lot of cooking for my family. The foods are very traditional recipes, and some are fairly healthy. I bake my family’s favorite cakes and pies but limit my intake. I also give all the prepared food and desserts to others to take home, so I don’t have any left to tempt me.”
Throughout the year, we have had great stretches and then lesser ones. Both women have proven they can do the work but all year have struggled with consistency and intensity. Mary said, “Life in general is full of ups and downs and it’s no different in my personal “battle of the bulge”. I will most likely always have ups and downs in the area of weight and fitness. I must remain cognizant of my weaknesses so that I can stay on the right path.”
As a trainer and coach, my goal is to push both ladies toward completion of their own goals. Mary said, “Things will go back to normal in December. Moving forward, I am ready to get back to my regular workout schedule in the mornings plus 2-3 evening classes a week.”
Karen added, “With just one month to go, it looks like I can still meet my goal of losing 20 pounds this year. I am excited about meeting this goal but even more excited that I have gotten back to a healthy lifestyle by eating an improved diet and working out regularly. As far as my workouts go, I plan to start back running again now that I have been cleared by the doctor to do so. This was working well for me.”
Mary gained a tad over four pounds for the month of October and now needs at least to drop over five pounds to reach her goal. Karen dropped almost two pounds and also needs to drop at least five pounds to reach her minimum goal.
Mary plans to resume the same successful regular morning workouts and evening classes that were successful in October. Karen wants to do a final push with regular morning running and cleaning up the fringes of her diet. Inspired by Deborah Norville’s recent weight loss, Karen plans to severely limit sugar for December.
Both ladies need to concentrate on good hydration, adding the fruits and vegetables that are low in caloric content and be consistent. A month to go with roughly the same result needed for both while battling more holiday issues. Meet us back her at the end of the year to find out the results!