Ryan L.
Schaumburg, IL
Entering the New Year, I knew the impact I wanted to make and was not going to create it with the path I was on. I saw the deployment of the Spring 60 Day marketing launch of “What’s your After?”. I pondered about these three words for a weekend and was hesitant of what change I could create on my path to a healthier way of life.
I knew if I wanted to coach healthier and active communities, I would have to get back to servicing my own health first.
Each day, we fight battles and encounter resistance. Battles to find the motivation to workout and not press the snooze alarm, battles when we open up the refrigerator or battles to overcome daily obstacles. I was no different. Waking up at 4:00 am to hit the treadmill or saying “no” to foods at social gatherings were a few of the daily struggle I had to overcome. I entered this world with a rare congenital heart condition. I was fighting each day to make it to the next as my first authentic smile was at a year and half old. This experience taught me to continue to be physically strong and mentally awake as I lived my life. But somewhere along my life map in my twenties, I stopped focusing on myself first and that smile started to fade. I felt low on energy, sluggish and lost sight of being real and authentic with myself.
One thing was clear, I wanted to find that smile again of living life empowered as I grow moving forward.
Every coach needs a coach. Even with the knowledge and experience, sometimes we need the tough love, structure and accountability that it provides that we are unable to provide ourselves. I connected with Sarah, our Registered Dietitian to formulate a wellness regimen that would hold me accountable to my daily promises.
In order to create change to the lifestyle I wanted, I needed to change my relationship with food. Changing my nutrition behaviors would help improve my body composition to below 10% body fat. In doing so, develop lean body mass and cardiovascular endurance.
I started the challenge with no real expectation of myself and what I was capable of outside of wanting to feel healthier come December 2019. But my coach knew my potential and would jump start me there for the 60 Day experience.
Once Sarah discovered where I was and where I wanted to go, she assessed my metabolism. As a coach, it was important for her to understand me metabolically so she could provide guidance towards the results I wanted to experience. During the first week of the program, I completed the Resting Metabolic Assessment and Active Metabolic Assessment. With the data, she created a nutrition prescription for me inside our nutrition coaching sessions and designed a supplement regimen to compliment my goals. My first task was to create awareness around what I was consuming so I could create change. I logged the nutrients I was having daily and she educated me on the “why”, as education drives compliance. After that, I created a metabolic conditioning regimen from the Active Metabolic Assessment to follow so I could be efficient in developing my lung capacity and heart strength during my cardiovascular workouts to burn fat efficiently. With the metabolism and nutrition dialed in, I kept my strength training the same and devoted additional time to active recovery techniques such as mobility exercises, sauna and utilizing Life Spa massages.
A few weeks went by, and I felt less bloated, more energized, lighter and that smile started to shine. I became more aware of my relationship with food as I became healthier. The key was going back to the basics of consuming whole foods, increasing my protein and fiber needs, lowering my sodium consumption and staying well hydrated daily. These results had pushed past of what I thought I could accomplish and had me creating new goals of where I wanted to be come April.
Achievement week was about recognizing my efforts and providing clarity of what each choice I made leading up to the final day – smiling toward my healthier way of life! I want to continue on this path I created in feeling empowered, increasing lean body mass and developing my fitness.
I want people to understand that life is created by the choices we do or do not make. We don’t “have” to get up and workout, we choose to develop our health. We don’t “have” to eat the chicken and vegetables, we “get” to offer ourselves nourishment. We don’t “have” to go to work, but we “get” to make an impact in our communities.
It is the choices we make that create the “After” that we are proud of.