Winners / Daniel S

Daniel S.

78.7% change in body fat percent*

*Results not typical

trans m daniel s front

“The sooner you start planning your life, the sooner you will live the life you dream of.” H.Glint

Over the course of my life, I have always been an advocate of trying to live a healthy lifestyle. After suffering a rather serious spinal condition (Grade 2 spondylolisthesis) at 11 years old, I wasn’t able to participate in most sports. However, I was able to go to the gym as a way to stay active and have enjoyed doing so ever since. Like most others, I tried to eat somewhat healthy, and I attended the gym regularly. However, like so many others, I started to fall into the “rut of life, which consisted of going to work, eating a poor diet and displaying an overall complacency with my health. Surrounded by people with the same habits, I never really gave much thought to it. I gave in to excuses with more rationalizations than I have time to list. Eventually, my mindset of complacency formed habituation. I became frustrated with the way I looked and also with the direction that my life was going. Going to the gym resulted in languid workouts and a complete disregard for any form of cardiovascular exercise. As embarrassing as it was to admit to myself, my last cardio session was before I got married 8+ years ago.

It really was not until about three months ago when my wife came home from her Life Time group training session that I learned about the 60-Day Challenge. Of course I heard of it before, but I never really knew anything else about it. With my 40th birthday only months away, I knew it was time for me to take advantage of this opportunity. I had the privilege of speaking with a trainer at the Lifetime Fitness Cary location and he gave me a very informative rundown of what the Challenge entailed. Needless to say, I was not only impressed by the amount of information and support I was going to be given, but also the structure and consistent reinforcement of Life Time and the entire staff.

My goals for the contest were more than just improving my own physical health. I really desired to work along with my wife in developing a lifelong blueprint of a healthy lifestyle for our family for years to come. I believe Helen Keller said it best when she stated, “Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much.” The progress that I was able to make is completely a result of the support that Life Time offered me. Day one of the Challenge set the tone for me and my weigh in and consultation with personal trainer Josh Maras was exceptional. We discussed all of the aspects of “My Plan” and his insight, knowledge and review of how to achieve my goals were very beneficial. Being able to take advantage of the Try-Tt Tuesdays, utilizing the weekly recipes, and receiving the consistent emails I knew I was all set and ready to achieve my goals. Over the course of the next 60 days, I was able to talk to several of the personal trainers, receiving the reinforcement that was needed when sticking to a regimen that was so drastically different from my norm. I would frequent the LifeCafe, which helped me stick to my diet plan and ensure I was getting the right macros for my body. As others in this challenge can attest, it is the entire complement of options that Lifetime offers that really makes the difference.

The most powerful influence you can have is example. I know that the 60-Day Challenge is designed to help change an individual’s lifestyle. However, I cannot tell my story, goals and plans without describing what this has done outside of my own personal life. Throughout this Challenge, my friends and family have noticed the changes that both I and my wife were making, and thus they wanted to find out more. Over the past 2 months my best friend and his wife (mother of two toddlers with resultant “baby weight”) expressed the same discontent but no knowledge or outlet of how to improve their own health. I am proud to say that because of this Challenge they have mimicked our nutrition and exercise plans, both reaching their own personal goals. Although the trickle-down effect from this Challenge may go unrecognized, it is a very real phenomenon.

Life Time afforded me the opportunity of not only changing my life but fortunately also the lives of those whom I know and love. The entire 60-Day experience was amazing and the effects of this Challenge on myself, my family and friends is invaluable. Never in my wildest dreams did I think that I would be able to achieve these types of results naturally, and this challenge has proven to me that with the right support from Lifetime I can achieve those goals. Life Time’s mission statement is to provide, “..uncompromising quality that meets the health and fitness needs of the entire family.” However, in the case of my family and friends it has done so much more than that. I am infinitely grateful for everything Life Time and the 60-Day Challenge have done for me and I look forward to an improved healthy lifestyle for years to come.