Healthy Living • Y Stories • YMCA Health and Fitness
How Pat learned to love healthy living
19 October 2016 - by YMCA of Greater Toronto
Growing concern for his health prompted Pat’s wife to present him with a list of personal trainers he could work with at the Y. At first, Pat just wanted to get his weight in check, but with the help of his new trainer, Deon, he went from dreading every workout to running marathons in his spare time. Here’s Pat’s Y Story:
In 2008, I was 5’6”, close to 200 pounds, and had never seen the inside of a gym. The weight had crept on over the years since I’d quit smoking. Eventually, my wife became so concerned, she brought home a list of personal trainer profiles from our local Y.
I picked Deon out from the bunch, and knew from our very first meeting that I was in for a huge challenge. I told her I wanted to shed a few pounds, but more importantly, just start feeling better overall. Deon knew exactly what I needed to do to get where I wanted to be. Being active was so hard for me at first, but she didn’t respond to my daily complaining; she refused to accept my excuses, and eventually, that made me stop making them.
Twice a week for 12 weeks, Deon would take me through a tough exercise routine she’d developed just for me. We did a different workout every single time, so that I was always making progress and never feeling bored. But Deon also made sure I didn’t think my two workouts a week were all it would take; she also helped me develop the proper, nutritious diet I needed to make a bigger change to my overall lifestyle.
The results were better than I could have ever imagined. After four months, I’d lost 50 pounds and I can’t even remember how many pant sizes. I’d never run in my life before I met Deon, but since I started training with her, I’ve run two half-marathons. Now, I work out, run, and eat well every day, and Deon is still there, encouraging me to set even tougher goals and helping me tackle them. It’s been eight years since I got my weight, eating habits, and workout routine in check, and I know Deon will help me keep things that way for years to come.
In 2008, I was 5’6”, close to 200 pounds, and had never seen the inside of a gym. The weight had crept on over the years since I’d quit smoking. Eventually, my wife became so concerned, she brought home a list of personal trainer profiles from our local Y.
I picked Deon out from the bunch, and knew from our very first meeting that I was in for a huge challenge. I told her I wanted to shed a few pounds, but more importantly, just start feeling better overall. Deon knew exactly what I needed to do to get where I wanted to be. Being active was so hard for me at first, but she didn’t respond to my daily complaining; she refused to accept my excuses, and eventually, that made me stop making them.
Twice a week for 12 weeks, Deon would take me through a tough exercise routine she’d developed just for me. We did a different workout every single time, so that I was always making progress and never feeling bored. But Deon also made sure I didn’t think my two workouts a week were all it would take; she also helped me develop the proper, nutritious diet I needed to make a bigger change to my overall lifestyle.
The results were better than I could have ever imagined. After four months, I’d lost 50 pounds and I can’t even remember how many pant sizes. I’d never run in my life before I met Deon, but since I started training with her, I’ve run two half-marathons. Now, I work out, run, and eat well every day, and Deon is still there, encouraging me to set even tougher goals and helping me tackle them. It’s been eight years since I got my weight, eating habits, and workout routine in check, and I know Deon will help me keep things that way for years to come.
