Hi I’m Emily. This is the 5th consecutive 60-Day Challenge I have completed. Overall I have lost 133 lbs and have gone from a size 26 pants to a 6. You see, 2 years ago I was really sick. I had Lupus and autoimmune diseases, my thyroid didn’t work and my weight was going up and up. I was in pain all the time and was miserable. I wasn’t seeing any improvement through doctors or meds so in a final act of desperation I decided to bet on myself one last time and change EVERYTHNG to find my health again. At over 300 lbs, in horrible health and after lifelong failed attempts, it seemed daunting to say the least, but thank God I tried one more time. It turns out that was the best decision I’ve ever made. After a year of intensive effort changing everything from diet, what and how I ate, eating organic and many other things, I slowly started to feel better and my tests were improving too. Then, I stepped into my Life Time club and made the second-best decision I’ve made.

I joined Life Time in August 2016 and started right away with my first-ever 60-Day Challenge. It can be intimidating going to a gym when you’re that overweight but I was determined to keep going no matter what people thought. However, over time, I realized the “no matter what people thought” I was bracing for didn’t exist. I have found nothing but encouragement and support from every facet of Life Time from day one, I genuinely feel like I’ve had an entire team cheering me on from the beginning.

I’ve spent the last year at Life Time utilizing ALL the tools they offer to help me reach my goals. Lifetime really believes in and supports the Know it, Move it, Nourish it, way of life and through my journey to health I’ve really come to live that passionately myself. So for each 60-Day Challenge I tried to incorporate all three when I set new goals for both weight loss and health. For example, one “Know it” goal was to attend every single Try-It Tuesday educational class they offered. I also learned about the importance of the core 3 supplements of Protein, Fish Oil and a great Multi-vitamin, which now I never miss. In another 60-Day I challenged myself to “Move it” and take EVERY SINGLE group fitness class that was offered in the 60 days and at the time that was 34 different classes! I’m proud to say I have met all of my goals! I definitely haven’t been perfect but I’ve come to learn the trick to this whole thing is progress NOT perfection.

In this last Challenge, I’ve needed to change some things up and test not guess as I’m getting closer to my goal weight. First, I had a DEXA scan done through Life Time MediSpa to get a highly accurate measure of my body composition and with the help of a registered dietician who read my results I set new goals for health and made changes to my nutrition to get my food plan really dialed in. Also, I got to do the ActiveMetabolicAssessment with my trainer Ramon to help me get more effective training and better results from my cardio. I totally geek out on the science of exercise and health stuff. With the AMA, it’s like the perfect combination of when the science of the test, the technology of my HR monitor, and the LT App which is programmed for MY specific zones come together…well, let’s just say, it’s a beautiful thing! Between the testing and guidance from my trainer the results of this Challenge were better then I ever expected! I also have to give a shout-out to the Kids Academy who take such good care of my little monkey. She has so much fun and learns so much that I don’t even feel twinges of Mama guilt when I’m taking care of myself and the work I need to do. And that, as every parent knows, is worth MY weight in gold!

So, as I’m ending this Challenge and looking through all my before and after photos side by side I’m amazed and so very thankful! I’m amazed at how much weight I’ve lost, I’m amazed at my newfound health, I’m amazed at the strength of my body to heal and change, but mostly, I’m amazed at myself and who I’ve become through this journey. I am filled with abundant gratitude for Life Time and all the MANY people who have supported me in my journey especially my amazing husband. What I know now is that weight loss and health isn’t a game of highest score, fastest, or most perfect. Instead it is simply a game of endurance and that is a lifelong asset that I now possess. For today, I can say with confidence, I am not giving up and I am not going to spend one more day sitting out on this beautiful life I get to live. I know it may sound cliché but if you’ve ever walked in my shoes at 300+ lbs, you will know how true it is. In all honesty this whole journey hasn’t been about the way I look. Yes, of course I love that, but it’s not even about the weight I’ve lost. The thing that gives this all meaning, the thing that motivates me each day, is the life I’ve gained in the process, a life that I never want to squander again, so I’m going to just keep coming back, because, it works…if you work it!