Finalists / Mike M.

Mike M.

28.78% weight loss (76.1 lbs)*

*Results not typical

MIKE M F

My name is Michael McGuire. Devoted husband and father of four beautiful children ranging in age from 3 to 17 years old. My whole life I have had issues with my weight. I have gained and lost 100s of pounds and been on every fad diet that has ever come out. My main issue is emotional eating. I have been conditioned my whole life to rely on food whenever I’m happy or sad. Ever since my father and step-mother were killed in a tragic train accident, I have really had emotional swings in my life and turned to food as an emotional crutch.

One day I woke up and said enough is enough. That same day, my family and I joined Life Time. My wife and I signed up for the 90-Day Challenge and together lost a ton of weight. We fell in love with the sport of triathlon. We did our first tri with Life Time in Oceanside, California and fell in love with the 3 sports of swimming, biking and running. I was able to do my first Ironman in October of last year with the help of Life Time coaches Brandon Goeman and Josh Wolf. Life was great. I was running, biking and swimming every day.

Then BOOM a major setback. I have struggled with some disc issues in my back off and on for years but this time it was bad. I was hospitalized for 3 days and had to take a variety of pain medications. I was derailed from the sport of triathlon that I love, but was also an emotional wreck. So I turned to my good friend, food. The weight piled back on. Within 3 months, I had gained over 40 pounds, was depressed and had fallen right back into the trap of weight gain.
With time, my back started to get better and I slowly started training again. My wife and I started to do some smaller triathlons, sprint and Olympic distance, but I was still gaining weight. I was swimming, biking and running, but my nutrition was a nightmare. I thought I needed extra food, carbs and sugar for all the endurance work I was doing.

My wake up call was when Life Time called and asked if I wanted to do the Leadville 100-mile mountain bike race. I said sure before thinking about what kind of shape I was in. Now I weighed 270 pounds and was 2.5 months out of a 100-mile mountain bike race at 10,000 feet elevation. What was I thinking? A few days later my wife got an email about the 60-Day Challenge. This was my shot to get back in shape and not let my mouth get my butt in trouble. The next day my wife and I called Brandon Goeman, our old trainer at Life Time Lenexa. Now what you have to know about Brandon is he is a no bullcrap trainer. No lies, no BS. You are all in or you are all out. I knew if I called and asked for his help, I better be ready to put my big boy pants on and get ready for a war. We sat down with Brandon and within 5 minutes I knew I was in good hands. Brandon and Life Time had the right mix of knowledge and drive to get me in the best shape of my life and ready for that 100-mile mountain bike race.

So as I write this story, we are one week out from Leadville. I lost 76 pounds during the 60-Day Challenge and I’m much more confident. One week before the end of the Challenge, Brandon and I went to Leadville, Colorado, for a training ride weekend. This helped me get my mind wrapped around the effects of elevation on my body. What other personal trainer takes the time to go the extra mile with a 10-hour road trip for a client? Truly awesome!

What I did during the 60-Day Challenge?
Strength training twice a week with personal trainer. Triathlon training (swim, bike, run) 2 hours a day.
Nutrition plan: low carb, green veggies and meat. Water, water, water!

What I learned: Use food for fuel. That’s it. No emotional ties. Strength training will add lean muscle and increase my resting metabolism so I can burn fat while I sleep. I don’t need extra carbs, or sugar for endurance training. Core strength is important. It will make me faster and save my back.
As the 60 days comes to an end, I have seen a change in my entire family. My wife lost 41 pounds with me during the Challenge. My son dropped over 20 pounds. My daughters cut out junk food. We eliminated any processed foods and sugary drinks from the house.

Life Time has made a positive impact on me and my family through their events like triathlons, mountain bike races, and weight loss challenges. We consider Life Time more than just a gym…they’re part of our family!