History: Gold's Gym & Goal Setting

This has been a real tough year for many of us, and now more than ever goal setting can get us through these tough times.  I set a goal January 1, 2011 that I would begin to work out at Gold’s Gym.  My goal was simple…to lose weight.  Today, I am proud to report that my goal has been realized.  I have lost a total of 48 pounds and I cannot begin to tell you how “great” I feel physically, and about myself.  Just this one simple goal, and following through with a promise to myself is so healthy.  The benefits are incredible….I sleep, feel, and think better.  My allergies have gone away.  Even the heat does not bother me like it used too!  I am consciously aware of what I am eating, and just the other day I tried my old staple…a coke.  It wasn’t bad, and didn’t taste like syrup, but I couldn’t finish it.  In the old days, I could easily drink a 44 ounce soft drink before noon, and today 6 ounces of a 12 ounce can remain in the can.  I have tried and for the most part succeeded in elimination “high fructose corn syrup” from my diet; that stuff is very bad for you; seems your body makes formaldehyde and ethanol which is poison to you out of it. 

My routine was simple; during the week go to the gym at 5:30 a.m., workout for one hour, sauna for 10 minutes, and shower, and be ready for the day by 7:30.  On weekends, I would go at my leisure.  My workouts consisted of one thing; the elliptical runner.  The elliptical runner is easy on your knees.  I would burn on average, 750 calories in one hour on the runner, and sweat.  I had the gym run my “check in” dates, and out of 200 days, I visited the gym 184.  That’s 184 days times 750 calories which is 138,000 calories which translates for me into a 48 pound loss!  Now I am down to 180 pounds, and according to my “Body Mass Indicator”, I am in the normal range rather pushing the obese category.

One interesting note; I was able to watch a movie while working out.  I always seemed to burn more calories when an action movie like “Salt” or “Tron” was playing.  Nevertheless, it has been an incredible experience getting back to the weight I was when I was 24 years old.  I never did get rid of my old clothes, and after getting the dust off of them, they fit; albeit slightly differently.

I want to thank Gold’s Gym for creating a comfortable atmosphere for me and all staff for providing words of encouragement along the way.  I want to especially thank Tomas Lober, my trainer and the folks running the front desk; Jeph, Aaron and Drew.  Staff makes the place, and you all have done your job.

Now that I am where I want to be weight wise, I am planning to ride my bicycle 100 miles in the Hotter than Hell Hundred in Wichita Falls in late August.  A goal easier said than done.