A Triumphant Return
When you read the title you were probably thinking of a grand return such as Michael Jordan’s come back to basketball wearing #45. The return I’m going to share with you is slightly different; it’s a person’s return to their former self. Fitness Dojo member Scot McConnor has been a little on the heavy side for many years now. While holding a sales position that required many long hours traveling and numerous dinners with clients Scot found it difficult to maintain the healthy lifestyle he once lead. He knew he was overweight and did not like the way he felt on a daily basis. He made a serious decision about fitness because of his age, rising blood pressure and cholesterol. Scot was told that he was going to need medication to control them both. He knew it was time to make a change, however like many of us he did not know where to start.
It began about a year ago. Scot had made a commitment to himself; he wanted to get back to the way he looked and felt in his early twenties. His first step on this journey was to hire a personal trainer. This gave him the accountability and direction that motivated him to stick to a daily workout schedule. His trainer put him through hell and back to get his body moving in the right direction during his weekly workouts. The next part of his journey was to ensure he was eating healthy. As most people know it takes more than just healthy eating or exercise to produce great results; rather it’s the combination of the two that will propel you in the right direction. Scot understood this so he took the next step and got his eating in check. He downloaded an app to his phone named MyFitnessPal (www.myfitnesspal.com) in order to track his eating. MyFitnessPal is great for keeping track of your daily food intake. You will be surprised when you see what you are really eating as you begin to start logging it on a daily basis. In addition he decided to become a Fitness Dojo member on facebook and their website for daily motivation and accountability.
Thus far Scot felt he was headed in the right direction. He hired a personal trainer, started eating healthy again and logged his daily eating habits with MyFitnesspal. Additionally he ensured that he stayed motivated by being an active member in the Fitness Dojo community. His next fitness endeavour was to start running. Scot was never a runner; maybe a little for football back in high school, but never running as an individual sport. He started with a run/walk program designed for him at his request by Fitness Dojo. With consistent effort he began to see results in his running plan. He went from running 3 minutes/walking 1 minute to running 5 minutes/walking 30 seconds to running for a mile straight. After just a couple of months of gradually increasing his distance, he was running 4-5 miles every other day.
Scot completed his first of many Tough Mudders only a few weeks ago in Ohio and ran the entire course (12+ miles). This was an accomplishment he would not had even thought possible a year ago. His story is true for everyone; you can accomplish your goal when you commit yourself to the process and stick with it. One year ago Scot was 247 lbs, now he sits at a lean 194 lbs and looking for the next challenge to push himself.
There are many resources out there to help you. Whether it’s a food tracking app on your phone or an online fitness community such as Fitness Dojo. Assess your goals, ask for help and begin to make changes. Everyone has to start somewhere so don’t wait for tomorrow, next Monday or next month to begin; it only takes one moment to change everything.
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Check out Fitness Dojo and all it has to offer. Whether you need a new workout, or motivation to go for a run it’s a great source to help you lead a healthy lifestyle. Just as I have shared Scot’s story with you don’t forget to share your story with us--you’ll never know who it’ll help until you share it.
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