Finalists / Christopher C.
Christopher C.
Maple Grove, MN
It has been over four years since I first and last participated in a Life Time challenge. At that time they were 90Day challenges. I had fantastic results from that challenge and really learned a lot about my body, my motivation, and of course my temptations and weaknesses. Fast forward to this year and I’d slowly gained back the weight I had lost and wasn’t able to maintain the commitment to a healthier lifestyle. It wasn’t a single factor that caused this – a couple of nagging injuries, job changes in my professional life, and of course the everyday challenges of finding time with an active family that all contributed. I knew that another Life Time challenge was exactly what I needed to gain back my focus and commitment to health. So, I eagerly signed up for the 60Day.
The Life Time challenge program has really improved over the last few years. It is obvious that they listen to feedback from members and fine tune things every iteration. I travel quite a bit for work, so I am not able to participate in all of the in-club offerings each week, but the enhanced online coaching from Coach Anika, weekly exercise plans, and healthy recipes were great additions that I could benefit from regardless of where I was in the world. Sometimes, something simple like an email in your inbox from Coach Anika, or just looking at the 60Day bracelet on my wrist, was all I need to keep my focus and fight through the everyday temptations. Of course, the words of encouragement I’d get from the Life Time trainers at the club were also big motivators.
I learned a lot from my last challenge about how my body responds to exercise and diet and applied most of the same principles this time. Cardio workouts (mostly treadmill running) combined with basic strength exercises on the major muscle groups at least 3-4 times per week were my workouts, customized to align with the weekly plans I got via email. I combined those workouts with a healthy diet that was high in protein and low in fats, sugars and processed carbohydrates, always trying to stay under 2,000 calories per day. I supplemented with Life Time fish oil capsules, multivitamins and used a whey protein supplement on days when I did strength training to help with the recovery. When I’d start the stagnate, it was usually just an easy adjustment to add some variety to the workout or diet that put things back on track. The results were exactly what I needed – losing over 25 pounds and dropping my body fat percentage from 33% to 23% over the 60Day period! I also went up 15-20 pounds on most strength exercises in this time. Most importantly, I feel great and my clothes also fit much better as a result.
I would strongly encourage anyone looking to “jump start” their fitness program to consider the Life Time 60Day. If you are serious about making a change, they provide all of the tools and assistance necessary to help you achieve your goals. I’m looking forward to continuing beyond the 60Day to fully achieve the goals that I had set out for myself. Thanks Life Time for a great challenge!