Success is a Choice

Shawn on Day 1

One of my extremely successful clients has allowed me to share our work together and the fantastic transformation he made to his body and his life.  I first met with Shawn in September of last year.  In his initial email, he said he would like to lose 35-40 pounds and just couldn’t seem to get started.  He said he was sluggish and I could tell by his posture and face that his confidence was fairly low.  I discovered that he had been on blood pressure medication for nearly a decade.  He had lost weight before through fad dieting, but had gained it all back.  He works long office hours and was not getting much exercise at the time.  He also typically eats out every day for lunch.  These were business lunches and were vital for his business relationships.   

So, to kick off his weight loss, I had four goals for him: get active – we decided he would start walking 30 minutes each morning before going to work; make smart choices when dining out – swap steamed veggies for fries, brown rice for white, grilled or baked for “crunchy” meats, and avoid bread baskets and chips & salsa; eat a healthier breakfast – I had him swap his typical L’eggo waffles and Morningstar links with whole grain waffles topped with peanut butter and a sliced banana (which he LOVED); and get plenty of water – limit coffee and sodas and drink eight glasses of water each day.  I also had him keep a food & exercise diary each day so I could give him suggestions on how to improve in each area.  Shawn lost 14.4 pounds in the first month.  We were both ecstatic and I was so proud of him.  He trusted me and did everything I recommended.  I was able to prove to him that through knowledge and encouragement, I could help him drop the weight. 

During the second month, his weekly weight loss started to slow, which is typical.  While some shows on TV show weekly weight loss of ten to even 20 pounds, this is rare and not attainable.  These people on TV are working out for four hours or more a day and are in isolated locations where they aren’t faced with daily life.  So, these shows are not “reality”.  So, it is not practical for most people to lose more than a few pounds per week.  For Shawn to increase his metabolism and to keep the pounds coming off, I recommended he start resistance training.  I advised him to lift weights – even if it was his body weight.  He was hesitant initially and didn’t get in much resistance training during the second month.  Through cardio and eating better, he still lost 7.6 pounds during the second month.  I convinced him to lift weights – once during our meeting when I pushed him to his limits and once on his own.  He discovered he was stronger than he thought and felt great accomplishment after each workout.  I was able to see his body transform before my eyes and I saw his confidence and strength increase each week.  By the third month, he had lost an additional eight pounds (that’s 30 pounds if you’ve lost count)!  Also, his blood pressure had come down from 144/90 to 134/79. 

Over the next couple of months, I continued to monitor his food & exercise diary, workout with him each week, and send him weekly goals.  I would get texts from him occasionally on how great he felt and the progress he was making.  A few that were memorable: “I plan to adopt this new lifestyle.  I am feeling so much better physically and emotionally.  Not going to get in that rut again.  I had the peanut butter and banana on waffles this morning and it was great.  Thanks for the advice and encouragement.  You are awesome!” and “Dyan, you have no idea how all of this has helped me.  I am feeling great.  No longer stressed or sluggish.  Sleeping better, more energy, etc.  I know as I continue down this path more good things will follow!  I am a fan!  Worked out twice today!”  We even made it through the holidays – he was able to enjoy the festivities, food, and family and still lose weight.  



Success!



After working together for five months, he has grown to fully trust me and I have gained utmost respect for him.  He put in the work, did what I recommended, and his success was a result of the choices he made.  As of our meeting yesterday, his total weight loss is 43 pounds (that’s 19% of his starting weight), he dropped eight inches from his waist, two inches from each thigh, and improved his heart rate and blood pressure by over 15%.  His doctor has taken him off his blood pressure meds completely!  Shawn is a new man with newfound confidence and stamina in all aspects of his life.  He has not only added to the quality of his life, he has added quantity to his life!  Congrats to Shawn!  I am so proud of him and all my successful clients! 

Now, it’s YOUR turn to choose success.  All you have to do is take the first step.  Call or email me and I will help you achieve your goals and be your own success!  You will look great and feel amazing – I promise! 

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