Jeff O. knew that to achieve his goals, he would need a personalized strength training experience. Serendipitously, he came across Discover Strength in Maple Grove, and has been coming ever since.
“This year I made the choice to change my health trajectory. Over the years my habits and lifestyle choices were slowly and methodically advancing my body’s decline. My dear wife said, that even though I’m in my late fifties, I ate like a teenager. She wasn’t wrong. I craved sugar and high-fat foods. I consumed too many calories. Over the years the insidious weight crept up. I was too afraid of giving up the foods I loved. When I began this journey I weighed over 235 lbs. My BMI was 31.1. I estimate my body fat exceeded 31%. I was technically “Obese”. I was taking daily prescriptions for my high blood pressure. For as far back as my digital health records go, my annual blood tests showed high negatives in all areas including cholesterol, glucose, and sodium.
In January of this year, I decided to reverse my decline. I cleared my house of all the bad foods I had relied on. My wife and I began a diet of portion control and mostly healthy unprocessed foods. Studying proper health and diet techniques became part of my daily routine. I involved my personal physician in my plan. I purchased a Fitbit to track my calories, macros, and activity. I developed a mantra that I needed to record everything both good and bad. I made peace with the scale and weigh myself several times per week. I didn’t want to cheat myself. I even learned to measure my food precisely. I also walked. I found that I’m not a runner, biker, or swimmer. Nothing wrong with those pursuits or others, but I spent time daily on a treadmill or on the walking paths. I could increase my heart rate through intensity and found that I loved spending time outside.
My initial results were both dramatic and positive. I was enjoying the increased activity. I was increasing my daily steps. I began to lift weights several times per week at home. I was losing 2 lbs per week on average, sometimes more. My first blood test after three months showed that I had improved to medically acceptable levels in both lipid and basic metabolic panels. I learned that for me, 80% of my weight loss was through caloric restriction and 20% was due to aerobic exercise.
By the first of June, I had lost over 50 lbs! Then I had a Dexa Body scan and Resting Metabolic Rate test. It showed that I had reduced my body fat percentage to 22.6%. That was a terrific improvement, however, It also showed that my lean mass was lacking. Due to my aggressive weight loss, my Resting Metabolic Rate was just 1475 – a clear sign that I could benefit from increasing muscle. By now I was hooked on the fitness life and wanted more. I knew I needed to increase muscle mass. But how? I had been lifting weights on my own, trying apps, and watching YouTube.
I realized to achieve my goals I would need help from a personal trainer. However, I didn’t want to return to the mega fitness places and I knew that trying to choose a trainer on my own could be a hit-or-miss proposition. I needed to find a small place that I would feel comfortable in and that would care about my journey.
By chance, while doing one of my daily walks in Maple Grove, I noticed a storefront sign, Discover Strength. I gathered courage and walked in. I liked what I saw. It was a small, clean place that looked like they had some serious equipment. Then I was approached by Brad who introduced himself and began to tell me about Discover Strength. It sounded like it was made for me.
The training staff is professional, friendly, and knowledgeable and they seemed interested in me and my goals. The system has been great. The trainer-guided total body workouts are a quick 30 minutes twice per week. The equipment is top-of-the-line and was chosen to ensure good form when used. When I leave after each session I feel it. My muscles have been working hard! And it has been effective. I had originally planned to give DS 90 days before completing a second Dexa Body scan. That way I could see for myself if the DS system was effective for me.
On October 3, completed a follow-up Dexa Scan and Resting Metabolic Test so that I could compare it to my first test approximately 90 days earlier (a week prior to starting Discovery Strength). My results: I lost 18 pounds, and my body fat was 14.6%.
In addition, since I began my health journey, I have lost a total of 80 lbs as of Oct 6. My BMI is 20.8. My second blood test this year improved upon the first and both my lipid panels and base metabolic panels are outstanding. I also recently took a Cardiovascular assessment to ensure my years of bad diet and lack of exercise haven’t caused damage to my heart through plaque buildup. Fortunately, my CT calcium score was very low. So far all of my results have improved. My doctor has been reducing my blood pressure medication in response to my health improvements. Within a few months, he advises that I will be able to be completely free of medications.
Best of all I feel really great! I have embraced my new healthy lifestyle. It is more than a diet and exercise regime. And Discover Strength is a huge part of it. Resistance training as taught by DS has increased my strength, and balance and improved my resting metabolic rate. But it has done more than that, it is the third leg of my health plan. Through diet, exercise, and resistance training, I have all the tools to continue to improve my health and my life. All of this health information has been out there for years. I just never paid attention. If I did, I would just rationalize it, by thinking, I have time to start it later. The food pyramid, portion control, studies on exercise, studies and programs on resistance training. Once I took back my control and made my decision to lead a healthy lifestyle, I don’t miss the old me. I learned that I had gotten lazy. I had been seduced by food. I had bought into the lie that always had whispered, “that I could begin a healthy life next month” after the holidays, the Super Bowl, the Vacation, my birthday, whatever. And it only took me 59 years to figure it out!”