I want everyone to know that they can be fit and healthy, and enjoy the journey at any age.
In my 40’s I had a series of injuries and surgeries that left me quite inactive. Eventually my five-foot frame was enormous. I hid behind oversized clothes and avoided cameras, destroying any pictures I could find. I was not happy but was really too sick to do much about it. I stopped weighing myself at 170 lbs.
I was on many medications for multiple health problems. Two years after bouncing throughout the health care system for heart, lung, gastrointestinal and endocrine testing, I was obese. I was told to lose weight and get fit. It was an effort just to walk a block. I could not see how I was going to get healthy.
I believe that every health and fitness success begins with a catalyst. Mine occurred in 2007 when I changed jobs in my organization. It required that I train away from home for 18 weeks. I was the oldest person in the training group. I had nothing in common with my youthful and fit younger classmates, who made me feel older than my age and quite lonely.
My doctor had given me the go-ahead to start getting in shape. I walked for hours. I forced myself to walk to and from class and I spent at least on hour a day on the hotel treadmill. I ate frozen dinners for portion control. I felt better but lost only a few pounds in the 18 weeks. I gained knee tendinitis, Achilles tendinitis, and shoulder tendinitis. I could not figure out how I could work so hard for such little reward.
When I returned home, my husband and I decided to set up a home gym. I felt we needed someone to teach us how to use the equipment. I asked the gym equipment store owner if she knew of any kinesiologists who did personal training. I was put in contact with a trainer, bought the equipment and the rest is history.
At the very first assessment with my trainer, I found that I underestimated my food/calorie/carb intake and overestimated my protein intake and exercise effort. I had placed too much emphasis on cardio and none on weight training. I had blamed my lack of progress on my age. He taught me that age is not a barrier to finding health or a fabulous body. He stressed keeping records to measure my progress. With his expert guidance, I was soon finding changes week after week in my shape, my energy and my health. I set bigger and bigger goals. At one point I asked for a special program for my arms. It was so successful he has marketed it to others!
By the summer of 2008, people who hadn’t seen me in a while would walk right past me in the street. I had to reintroduce myself to people who had known only my formerly obese self.
My trainer introduced me to fitness magazines. Early in my journey, I discovered Oxygen magazine with Robert Kennedy and Tosca Reno. It led me to purchase The Eat-Clean Diet®, The Eat-Clean Diet Workout, and The Eat-Clean Diet Workout Journal. I used the terms “eating clean” and “sisters-in-iron” from Tosca’s books as my mantras. I have been eating clean for so long now that when I have tried some of the my old food choices, I feel so ill that I have no desire to go off the Eat-Clean nutrition plan again. The Eat-Clean Diet is the essential resource manual for me. Recently, I began training on my own due to financial constraints and The Eat-Clean Diet Workout options have been invaluable. Right now I am using the heavy/light routine from the book.
When I had met my ultimate goal, I did not want to stop. I wondered what was next. I found the answer in The Eat-Clean Diet Workout and Oxygen magazine. I was fascinated with the physique of the figure competitors. I spoke to my trainer and asked if I was nuts to even consider entering a competition. He laughed and reminded me of my journey, what I had accomplished, and what I was continuing to achieve. He suggested I find a professional who knew a lot about competition, as it wasn’t his field of expertise.
I am lucky to have found a pro willing to take me under her wing. I am working hard and intend to enter a figure competition by 2010, the year of the Vancouver Winter Olympics. I had a small setback this past summer because of surgery. I lost some muscle and strength, but my preexisting fitness level helped me through my rehab, and I am well on my way back!
Through my journey I gained energy, vitality, stamina, strength, muscle tone, great hair, skin and nails, a better sex drive, improved moods, and self-esteem. I have normal blood pressure, a lower resting heart rate, and my last visit to my doctor was an annual check-up with perfect numbers! Above all, I gained a wealth of knowledge, which I impart to anyone who will listen!
I went from over 170 lbs to 104 lbs. Now I am gaining muscle so my weight is up to about 110 lbs. I lost a lot of inches! The inches that I gain now are from my growing muscles.
I feel so great that it is important to me to influence as many others as I can. I want everyone to know that they can be fit and healthy, and enjoy the journey at any age. My success at making it on stage, whether I win or lose, will do more to promote the visibility of health and fitness at age 60 than anything else I can think of.
Sincerely,
Christine Cmolik