Read what our clients have to say about R.E.D.!
Q & A with RED's Biggest Winners!
So you want to change your body? Do you know what it really takes to transform yourself from being overweight, tired and unmotivated into a confident, energetic and sculpted individual? Let us introduce you to Lourdes, a 38 year old mother of 3. Lourdes was a former aerobics instructor as a young woman but marraige, a successful career and now motherhood decreased her energy levels and motivation to lose weight.
After her last pregancy she gained over 70 pounds and kept the weight on for 18 months. In May of 2008 she cautiosuly walked into RED and weighed in at 209 pounds and wore a size 16.
One year later she transformed herself into a fit 135 pounds and sports a sexy size 2. I asked Lourdes to give us some insight into her amazing transformation and these are her answers.
1. What was the main reason that made you decide to seek personal training at RED?
"I have always been an active person from dancing as a child and as an adolescent to "aerobics" during 80's and early 90's to some personal training as a young adult. Nonetheless, I found myself 70 pounds overweight and rapidly approaching 40 years of age. I was still exercising to some degree but attaining no real goals. This was making me feel frustrated and eating some more, caught in the cycle of going nowhere. But the main reason to seek personal training at RED was my husband. He started attending RED a few months before me and I saw the real difference personal training at RED can do. I saw the effort he was putting into his exercise program and the results he was achieving and I wanted to do the same."
2. Why did you want to make this change?
"This may sound somewhat crude but when I heard my 5 year old daughter (she was 4 at the time) looking at overweight people and then telling me "Mommy she is really fat". I knew I had to do something. Not only to look better but to live longer and healthier for my 3 children and husband."
3. What is the most difficult lifestyle change that you have had to do to change your body?
"I love food! I love to go to specialty stores and look for the freshest and richest ingredients. I love to cook it! I love to eat it with a nice bottle of wine! And I also love the Haggen Dazs chocolate ice cream!"
"Eating right has been very difficult. I must say learning or re-learning to eat right is difficult. It is truly a lifestyle change. I needed to learn what foods gave me energy and which ones just tasted good or just made me feel full. But once I saw what eating right did for my body it became the strongest reward to keep eating the right foods. Although I still have my Haggen Dazs occasionally. (Don't tell my trainer) "
4. How has your life changed since you’ve attained this new body?
"I feel stronger and more capable while doing day to day tasks like carrying my 2 year old boy on one arm while unloading the groceries out of the back of my car and at the same time chasing my other 2 year old girl who is fighting with the 5 year old. Yes, this is an everyday task!
"I have always been an active person from dancing as a child and as an adolescent to "aerobics" during 80's and early 90's to some personal training as a young adult. Nonetheless, I found myself 70 pounds overweight and rapidly approaching 40 years of age. I was still exercising to some degree but attaining no real goals. This was making me feel frustrated and eating some more, caught in the cycle of going nowhere. But the main reason to seek personal training at RED was my husband. He started attending RED a few months before me and I saw the real difference personal training at RED can do. I saw the effort he was putting into his exercise program and the results he was achieving and I wanted to do the same."
2. Why did you want to make this change?
"This may sound somewhat crude but when I heard my 5 year old daughter (she was 4 at the time) looking at overweight people and then telling me "Mommy she is really fat". I knew I had to do something. Not only to look better but to live longer and healthier for my 3 children and husband."
3. What is the most difficult lifestyle change that you have had to do to change your body?
"I love food! I love to go to specialty stores and look for the freshest and richest ingredients. I love to cook it! I love to eat it with a nice bottle of wine! And I also love the Haggen Dazs chocolate ice cream!"
"Eating right has been very difficult. I must say learning or re-learning to eat right is difficult. It is truly a lifestyle change. I needed to learn what foods gave me energy and which ones just tasted good or just made me feel full. But once I saw what eating right did for my body it became the strongest reward to keep eating the right foods. Although I still have my Haggen Dazs occasionally. (Don't tell my trainer) "
4. How has your life changed since you’ve attained this new body?
"I feel stronger and more capable while doing day to day tasks like carrying my 2 year old boy on one arm while unloading the groceries out of the back of my car and at the same time chasing my other 2 year old girl who is fighting with the 5 year old. Yes, this is an everyday task!
But having attained my fitness goal gives me a lot of freedom. I feel more comfortable and confident with myself, I feel more comfortable and confident with others. And appealing to vanity, who doesn't like to go shopping for new cloths that fit just right. "
5. What are two pieces of advice you can give to someone who is undecided about training?
"I understand that starting an exercise program with a personal trainer can be intimidating for a lot of people. Some people may think that they are going to be judged because they are overweight, or because the are 'Not coordinated", or because they have never exercised before.
5. What are two pieces of advice you can give to someone who is undecided about training?
"I understand that starting an exercise program with a personal trainer can be intimidating for a lot of people. Some people may think that they are going to be judged because they are overweight, or because the are 'Not coordinated", or because they have never exercised before.
Others may think "I don't need a trainer to count how many repetitions I am doing" The truth is, the personal trainers at RED are not there to judge you or to just count the repetitions. The personal trainers at RED are there to help you and guide you through the training process. It is not just lifting weights and running on the treadmill, it's finding what exercises are best suited for each individual.
It's finding what motivates you and most important keeping you engaged. Achieving your fitness goal is a process that involves exercise, nutrition and most importantly, motivation. "
So, my two pieces of advice:
1. Trust the process.
2. Don't go at it alone.
Lourdes is right, changing the way you look at food and the way you look at yourself are extremely challenging. But not impossible. The secret of her success is very simple.
2. Don't go at it alone.
Lourdes is right, changing the way you look at food and the way you look at yourself are extremely challenging. But not impossible. The secret of her success is very simple.
1. She understood why she wanted to change herself; to live longer and better for her children.
2. She trusted the process of transforming her body; completed every training session without excuses and gave her best effort.
3. She looked at the process as a lifestyle not a short term goal.
Here are some of the highlights of her training program.
* Lost over 70 pounds
* Lost over 13% body fat
* Completed 72 pushups in one minute.
* Complete 45 situps in a one minute.
* Complete 45 situps in a one minute.
* Runs 9.9 mph on the treadmill.
Lourdes is only one example of the many success stories at RED. She did it and so can you! If you would like to become RED's next Biggest Winner or to ask Lourdes a question, please contact patrick@redelitept.com.
- Lourdes, I., age 39, mother of three
1. What was the main reason that made you decide to seek personal training at RED?
"I realized that the only way for me to accomplish my goals was to seek professional help. I could not do it by myself"
2. Why did you want to make this change?
" I needed to now! Everything was harder to do and I had to do this now rather than later in my life because it would be harder to do."
3. What is the most difficult lifestyle change that you have had to do to change your body?
"Stop drinking and giving up on foods I love like wings. Food in general was not that hard becasue I eat meat and protein was not an issue. Exercise was hard at first but it became contagious"
4. How has your life changed since you’ve attained this new body?
"I could do much more than before. I have been getting second looks from females. Physically feel much better.
5. What are two pieces of advice you can give to someone who is undecided about training?
"You have to make a serious lifestyle change. Stop bad habits is 95%. Exercise is difficult but gets easier as you get in better shape. Think of the rewards and stay the path."
Some highlights from Carlos' training and personal accomplishments;
* Lost over 125 pounds in 6 months.
* Competes in 5k runs monthly.
* Currently training for first triathlon.
- Carlos V, age 39
-Michael D age 44
