East Bay Fitness Boot Camp & Personal Training |
At onset of program Body Fat: 37% Weight: 187 Workout Plan: sporadic |
Q - What was your biggest challenge in losing weight? A - I had always been fit growing up by participating on several athletic teams. I loved the camaraderie of being part of the team and viewed the exercise as an added benefit to hanging out with my friends & teammates. As I moved into the work world, my free time was greatly diminished. My food choices became less nutritious and exercise took a back seat. I had always been able to maintain my weight despite bad eating habits because of my workout routines, but I was no longer working out & the pounds piled on. Q – What made you to decide to get fit? What was your turning point? A - The scale crept up 40lbs before I knew it and my self esteem was at an all time low. It was difficult for me to do normal day to day activities without feeling tired and winded. I felt over worked, over stressed and unmotivated. My mom and I went on a cruise to Mexico and I enjoyed it, but realized there were many activities I couldn't participate in because of my weight. I felt restricted and older than my years. My mom and I took several pictures on the cruise and when I saw those photos, I realized I needed to refocus my energy on losing the extra weight. The pictures told the story of how my lack of exercise and poor eating had finally caught up to me. A few months prior, I went to a friend's party and my main focus was on the food that would be served. My friend's mother introduced me to Alondra and explained how Alondra had done wonders to jump start her exercise routine. My mind wasn't ready for the challenge and I didn't want to get healthy, but those cruise pictures and a high blood pressure scare from my doctor were all it took for me to pick up the phone six months later. I was pretty much in tears when I called her. I knew I needed help, but didn't know where or how to begin. The only thing I could do was dial the number and ask for help and hope Alondra could do the rest. Q – What was your plan for weight loss and diet? A - I had seen success with Weight Watchers in the past and decided to join again and this time I would also incorporate exercise. My first sessions with Alondra were so motivating. I really felt like I walked through those doors and in the next few months she did the rest. She took my measurements, assessed my fitness level, provided me with numerous tips on diet and became my friend and coach. She challenged me when I didn't challenge myself. I enjoyed going to the fitness studio and seeing the other trainers and clients working out. It felt like a family and I slowly began to regain that sense of fun and participation that playing team sports had brought me in my youth. Alondra is an inspiration. I saw how she kept fit through a wedding, two pregnancies, a health scare and a career change without missing a beat. If she could pile all that on her plate and keep fit, I knew I had no excuses. I've been able to lower my blood pressure, lose 20+ Ibs., reduce my body fat, tone up and maintain my motivation because Alondra always keeps the workouts fresh & new. I now look forward to seeing my new friends in her Body Sculpting, Cardio Step & Kickboxing classes. Q - How are you able to maintain your new lifestyle? A - I firmly believe that taking care of your mind, body & spirit can prepare you for life's obstacles. I was plugging along with my new routine and thrilled with my progress. I even bought a new heart rate monitor to make sure I was working out in my target zone. One Saturday morning my heart started to race during our workouts. I felt palpitations and light-headed. Alondra immediately went into action by checking my monitor and attempting to lower my heart rate. I could feel my heart racing and saw the number hit 233, but since I was still able to have a conversation with her, I wasn’t too worried. This had happened numerous times over my life and I had always chalked it up to over exerting myself. Alondra concluded our session and immediately told me to see my doctor. I have always been very diligent about my health and figured if something was wrong, the doctors would have caught it way before now. I was only concerned because she was so concerned. I made an appointment with my doctor right away, mainly so I wouldn't have to miss too many workouts. I told him what happened and he immediately performed an EKG. The EKG detected I had Wolf Parkinson White Syndrome. In a normal heart, electrical signals use only one path when they move through the heart. If there's an extra conduction pathway, the electrical signal may arrive at the ventricles too soon causing episodes of rapid heart rhythm, dizziness, chest palpitations, fainting or, rarely, cardiac arrest. I was born with this and only detected it as an adult after I learned to put my health first. I had a successful surgery was back at the gym less than a month later. You always read those success stories where the individual shows a drastic weight loss in a short amount of time. I would read these and they would make me feel inadequate about my own progress. Alondra taught me that there is about so much more than a number on the scale, a new dress size or thin thighs. Getting healthy is a lifestyle change. I know in my “brand new” heart, the changes I've made are long term. I was able to get back to that kid who played on those sports teams and found friendship, motivation and strength of purpose along the way. Q - Do you have any motivating secrets for success? A - Alondra! Checks & balances are always important. Alondra keeps me in check even when I convince myself I’m better off staying at work an hour longer. I always have that voice (which sounds an awful lot like Alondra) in my head asking me if I’m truly doing right by myself by not making my health & fitness a priority. My Checklist:
Q – What is your current workout schedule? A - Boot Camp 2-3 times per week for conditioning and strength training. Aerobics Classes 2 times per week for cardio training. |
Contact Us Now (510) 638-3103 info@inner-athlete.com |