The first two months are in the books and I am impressed by the effort of both Teri Shaw, Parks and Recreation Coordinator, and Philip Martin, pastor at Gold Hill Wesleyan and GM at Chick-fil-A in Salisbury.

Recapping those two months, Teri said, “The time has flown by and it’s been great! What is working best for me is to focus on one day at a time and not getting discouraged. If the day is not my best, I get up the next day and ‘put in the work.’  I have been keeping a fitness journal to track my workouts, calories and water intake. This has been helpful to look back each week and see my progress. Getting my workout in first thing in the morning has been good for me, allowing peace of mind the rest of the day. On the days when I get an extra workout, that’s a bonus in my book!”

Philip commented, “Two months in, I feel like the best thing working for me is consistent exercise and portion control. When my back went out this month and I couldn’t get out of bed for a week, it was portion control that kept me from gaining back the weight lost the first month. Also, the new exercise program gives me more energy. I’m already down a belt loop!”

We met with Michelle Henrickson, registered dietician at Novant Health. Both Teri and Philip absorbed her words and put them to work. Teri said, “The meeting was a great reminder of some of the healthy information we tend to forget about. Instead of focusing so much on calories, I’m looking at foods that will provide better nutrition for fueling my workouts.  One thing I want to add is eating more fish, mixing up my proteins. This will be new for me because I’m still looking into some fish recipes to try.  I pay more attention to the nutrition labels, aware the calories should be low but serving size, protein and sugar intake should be proper as well. I’m looking at more than just calories.”

Echoing similar thoughts, Philip said, “The thing I took away was not just portion control but how each meal should be broken down. It’s still a struggle working so much to do it right all the time, but I do find myself ordering only what I should eat and not as much as I can eat.”
While both are making progress, it’s time for me to advocate diversity in their workouts. I asked what other exercises they want to try. Teri is on the same page, “I am open to try new things, mixing it up will allow me to see the increase or lack of in my fitness level. I would like to add in some weightlifting. I feel this will benefit my entire body and make my cardio workouts even better. Philip agreed, “I want to do more core strengthening and weight lifting. The core strengthening will help my body become more stable and I shouldn’t suffer the same setback with back issues.”

In my opinion, most Americans are dehydrated, and their cores are weak. Usually, I encourage clients to concentrate on improving both. Philip is a busy guy but finding time to work on his core will improve his quality of life.

Goals are exciting and easier to set when progress is good. Teri has been especially successful with cardiovascular improvements, already noticeable in her reduced heart rate. She said, “March will bring warm weather hopefully and the opportunity to test my legs on the road to see how well they do. The road is not flat like the treadmill, and my goal is to run two road miles non-stop.  Another goal, just like the last the two months, is to lose five more pounds.” She’s done more than that, having lost 16   pounds so far in two months.

Philip said, “My goals for March are to lose six pounds and find more quality time to spend with my family. It is hard to find time for sleeping much less individual time for family. Therefore, family wellness is another goal.” Philip is just behind Teri with a loss so far of 15 pounds.

The boost in cardio and metabolism has fueled the excellent results so far, plus both participants are competitive in a good way. We will add some weight training but remain mindful to continue what has been working. See you back here at the end of March!