Meet Results Fitness Warrior Sara and read all about her very first time doing Rise Up, our 6-week total body transformation program, and get inspired to take back control of your health and fitness!
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What was your biggest fear before signing up for Rise Up?
My biggest fear before signing up was a fear of failure. Could I do what I needed to, and would it make any difference?
I had tried other things in the past that didn’t work or I didn’t stick with. As I’ve gotten older, the extra weight seems easier to gain and harder to take off.
What made you decide to overcome those fears and Rise Up?
My family has a history of diabetes and heart disease and just this year, both of my younger brothers had stents put in because of heart blockage. My late father had triple bypass surgery and had lost a leg to diabetes. My blood work and tests showed that if I didn’t make some changes, I would be headed in that same direction. I had to make some changes.
I also had been getting injured easily and wanted to strengthen my body to prevent future injuries and stay active as I got older.
Before Rise Up, what was getting in the way of seeing results and reaching your goal(s)?
I have gone up and down in my weight over the years, but at that time, had steadily been gaining. I was not eating a very healthy diet, and was doing a lot late-night snacking. I exercised some, but struggled to fit it in my busy schedule.
This past September, I had knee surgery for a meniscus root tear and had a stress fracture so post-surgery, had to be non-weight-bearing for six weeks. Even after the initial six weeks, it took a while before I could put full weight on my leg so during that time, it wasn’t surprising that I gained weight and reached the heaviest I had ever been.
How did Rise Up help you to overcome this barrier?
After getting the go-ahead from my doctor that I could go back to Results Fitness and start exercising again, I slowly was able to regain more mobility and strength.
The Results Fitness coaches referred to the instructions from my physical therapist and were able to help modify exercises as needed for me. Truthfully, it wasn’t until I started doing the Rise Up program that I really started to see a change.
No amount of exercise can overcome a poor diet. Rise Up provided me with the knowledge, structure and accountability I needed to make changes to my diet/eating habits. I started eating balanced meals with more protein and smaller portion sizes. I drank a lot of water, prioritized getting more sleep, exercising at Results Fitness 4 times/week!
Since I had to track all these habits on paper and turn them in to my coach, it motivated me to do all I that I could and everything I committed to doing when I signed up. Every week, my own coach would give me feedback on what to change as needed and encouraged in what I was doing right.
What was your biggest nutrition struggle before Rise Up?
My biggest struggle was mindless snacking. I would constantly munch on snacks throughout the day, and would be especially bad late at night. I’m a night owl and always had to have several things to eat while I stayed up watching sports, the news or a show.
Even if I was not hungry, I would continue to snack out of habit. I also did not do well with portion sizes. Oftentimes I would have seconds of food, without giving it much thought.
How did Rise Up help you overcome this struggle to succeed?
As I tracked my meals and snacks each day, I was very conscious of what I was eating to ensure I was having balanced meals.
Thanks to Rise Up, I learned proper portion sizes and when home, used a kitchen scale to make sure I was getting the right amount of protein.
Never ever did I feel hungry o that I wasn’t eating enough and as it turned out, when I focused on eating real foods, especially when snacking, I felt satisfied! I learned that I could watch something on TV and that I didn’t “need” to be mindlessly snacking.
In six weeks, I changed my diet, increased my workouts, slept more, stayed hydrated, lost 11.5 pounds, 11 pounds of body fat, and lowered my A1C bloodwork numbers from 6.2 to 5.9!
How has your life changed since completing Rise Up?
Going through Rise Up made me much more aware of what a healthy, balanced diet looks like! It has educated me on proper portion sizes and taught me about other lifestyle habits and changes that impact my health.
I improved my diet, exercise, sleep and water intake and feel hopeful I can continue making progress beyond the program now that it is a lifestyle!
How is Rise Up different from other exercise/diet/nutrition programs you’ve tried in the past?
Rise Up uses a very holistic approach that considers and accounts for ALL the factors affecting your health. Other programs focus on just eating (dieting) or exercise (cardio) alone but Rise Up is much more thorough and comprehensive. That’s why it works!
Rise Up taught me what I need to focus on and exactly what to do to succeed: weight training, getting enough protein in my diet, water intake, proper sleep, and staying connected to a community of like-minded people.
It was also helpful to have my own coach who reviewed my daily food logs and habits so that I always knew what to modify/change as well getting encouragement on the things I was doing well!
What would you say to someone reading this who feels stuck, frustrated or unsure how to reach their goals?
There’s no shame in needing a little help to achieve your health goals, and Rise Up WILL supply you with tools to succeed!
You not only get the individual attention from your own Rise Up coach who will walk you through everything you need to know/do, but you are a part of a group of people who are working alongside and encouraging each other along the way.
You will learn so much about proper nutrition and are provided with tons of great recipes to try out!
Equally helpful are the Results Fitness workouts: Small Group Personal Training sessions and HIIT classes. There are all different fitness levels and ages represented, and each workout challenges you to improve a little more each time!
While I see other people lifting more weight than me, I know many of them were once in my shoes and just continued showing up and getting stronger over time. It inspires me to keep pressing on and pushing myself to be the best me I can be!
I always leave every Results Fitness workout so glad I came, knowing I would never work as hard by myself.
