A nutrition coach I follow often says, “Put your money where your struggle is.” My struggle sixty days ago was getting motivated to get back in the gym and to make healthier diet choices. That is why the 60day Challenge was a game changer for me – the meal plan, accountability and sweat sessions would indeed prove to help my “struggle” and to get me on the right track. I checked off weight loss, body fat loss and performance for my goals during the 60day Challenge intake form. At the end of the challenge, I envisioned myself having lost at least 20 lbs and that I wanted my performance to improve – specifically to increase endurance and stamina. I stated that I was going to “set the time to do the things I said I was going to do” as the answer to “what does being fully committed to your goal for the next 60 days look like.

Life Time helped me to achieve my goals by providing the resources at my fingertips. The challenge itself was an impetus for the change. I enrolled in the Signature Program, which was a game changer. I enjoy the studio classes, but the format for GTX was challenging and really fit my favorite workout style. The coaches and trainers were more than supportive. After signing up under Coach Eddie’s team for the challenge, I felt even more of a drive.  I appreciated how he would often put on the theme song from “Rocky” to help encourage us to finish the session strong. Coaches Erika and Alicia also became accountability partners. I attended GTX at least three times a week and incorporated an active recovery day.

I was grateful for the awesome Life Time Training App that provided self-guided workouts with instructions and videos. I also checked into the app as much as I could to track progress. I used the strength training intermediate track workouts to supplement GTX. The other 60day components that I really leaned into were the clearly outlined 60day Habits for Success. I increased my water intake substantially. I incorporated a pre and post-workout shake or snack, heavy in protein to help with recovery. The Life Cafe was a useful amenity for fueling up on supplements like UCAN or grabbing a quick healthy bite. The Cinnamon Roll Shake and the Blueberry Lemon Pie shake were some of my favorite shakes that I used from the 60day weekly emails and tips. Even though this program allowed access to unlock over 200+ recipes, I definitely kept a good 10 recipes in rotation that were easy to fix for both myself and my family – especially the Shrimp Stir Fry and the Crispy Herbed Chicken Thigh recipes. The Life Time facilities that were particularly useful were the InBody scale and the sauna and steam room for recovery. My coach encouraged me to download the InBody app and use it as a tool to monitor weekly progress. I also challenged myself to try something new at the club, which was Pickleball and Rock climbing. I felt a collective sense of camaraderie every time I saw someone in the green challenge t-shirt wearing or wristband because I knew we were all on the path of self-improvement.

At the start 2023, I was the heaviest I had been in years as a result of poor choices I made based on stress eating and a sugar addiction. I was full of excuses for why I wasn’t able to consistently go to the club, and when I did, I didn’t have a plan and had little direction. I was also experiencing inflammation in my joints and just felt sluggish overall. Initially, I was supposed to do this program with a friend who never signed up. My coaches, both in-person and virtual, and the new gym friends I met in my classes were motivational and I didn’t miss a beat. Once I made a commitment to show up for myself, I hit a stride. Despite the construction at my local club, I kept showing up. I am more than 20 lbs lighter than I was 60 days ago and I feel stronger.  I have new goals to crush and this is only the beginning. I would like to continue to lose an additional 15-20 lbs and tone up. My plans are to continue to utilize small group training and the strength training options in the Life Time Training App. The definition of a journey is the act of traveling from one place to another. In summary, the journey that I have been on for the last 60 days has been both challenging and rewarding. I am so grateful to have a membership at a progressive gym such as Lifetime, which makes the journey to go to the next level a little easier by providing the resources and blueprint to be successful.