Get Fit Challenge Contest Winner Update

Health & Leisure:  How do I feel today compared to when I entered the Get Fit Challenge?

Elizabeth Schmaltz: When I entered the contest, I was at a point in my life where I knew something needed to change, but I wasn’t sure what to change, or how. I think like a lot of people, when you’re trying to discern what’s broken but you can’t quite figure out what it is, you either get easily overwhelmed and quit, or try to change a lot of things at once. I decided to enter this contest, enroll back into classes for another bachelor’s degree and begin a search for a new job all at one time! I had a gym membership to Bally’s already, and would stop in from time to time just to make sure the treadmills were still there in the event I ever decided to try them. Or, would randomly tuck myself into the back of a yoga/Pilates class, not because I enjoyed it, but because I thought it was what I should do. My point in saying all this, was when I sat down and wrote my essay on why I wanted to lose weight, I was hoping you would pick me because you saw potential (and maybe that I was funny. Maybe!).

Today, as I am sitting here, I just want to hug the old me, and let her know how the story turns out (except I have yet to know!). In the two years it’s been since I’ve started this Elizabeth overhaul, I feel as though I have become a completely different person, and to my surprise, am really comfortable with that! I’m still me, but I’m a better version of me. I’m known in my office as the ‘healthy eater,’ which is a role I’ve never had before, and am happy to have. Don’t get me wrong! I still have days when I traipse through the office with Taco Bell in tow, but for the most part I do what I can to make sure whatever I’m eating has some sort of nutritional content. I’ve also become the person who has been known to schedule days off around classes offered at the gym, something, I myself, sometimes can’t believe. I have also just started taking aerial yoga classes!! It’s very Circ Du Soleil, and as a person who gets tangled in my own bed sheets, I didn’t know if I would be able to do it, but I’m there every Saturday flipping upside down from a cloth hammock suspended from the ceiling! When I first suggested it, my parents suggested that maybe I wear a helmet, as I may be a little clumsy, but it’s actually a lot of fun! (Way better than when I tried Bikram yoga last summer…I didn’t realize 105 degree room packed with 50 people would be quite so hot!!). I’m working out with my new trainer twice a week, plus he runs a Saturday afternoon boot camp for some of his clients, which I go to just about every Saturday. I have to laugh as I am writing because now it appears as though I have become an exercise crazed maniac who does nothing but run laps and eat tofu (a person at whom I would have scoffed a few years ago), but I can honestly say that I am a changed person. I went from wandering around the gym without a purpose to changing work schedules with a co-worker to pick up an extra yoga class during the week.

HL: What was your biggest challenge after completing 12 weeks with Brian?

ES: I don’t know exactly how to answer this because I trained with Brian for almost a year and a half! Really, the only issue I faced was when I changed trainers in January of this year. I met with Aaron before I officially changed over to him, but was still really nervous about it. Brian and I had settled into a routine and worked really well together, and I became really nervous about changing everything. Much to my surprise, a lot of old insecurities began to creep up and I didn’t know if I would be able to keep up with a new trainer, what he knew about me and my abilities, if he was going to make me do push ups all the time (which he does, incidentally! Secretly I don’t mind….much) etc. I remember being on a treadmill one day and toying with the idea of not working out with a trainer anymore, but as quickly as that thought enterer my mind, it left. I need the accountability a trainer offers, their expertise (because even though I work out 5-6 days a week, once workouts get beyond squats and lunges, I have a tendency to still get a little lost), and both Brian and Aaron push me to work as hard as possible during my time with them and on my own.

HL: What did Brian do to help you stay motivated, focused and allowed me to continue on?

ES: When I first started training with Brian I was super motivated and excited, so Brian’s job became to keep me from being really overwhelmed, and perhaps his biggest task was keeping me focused – not only on whatever he had me doing at the time, but just focused overall. From the very first workout, he went around the weight section with me, set up a circuit routine which included how many reps of each exercise to do, where the weights should be set, and even made sure I knew which machines to do and in what order. Because he was literally starting from scratch with me, he made it very easy for me to follow the exercise regime, and I think that really helped in terms of keeping me motivated. As I continued to get more comfortable with the routine and progress, Brian would add various exercises into the workouts, but knew better than to throw 50 new things at me at one time! The other thing Brian would do just to make sure I was keeping up with my workouts (especially the ones I did on my own), was he would check the computer system at Bally’s to confirm I was actually showing up! I don’t know whether that actually helped or if it just scared me enough to keep showing up, but it definitely kept me accountable for my workouts. Actually, I don’t even know if it’s possible for them to check the computer system!! I MAY have to check into that….

HL: What do you say to anyone who doesn’t think they have time or energy to start?

ES: When I started this program, I had no idea how much of a commitment I was actually making. I figured I would be in the gym with my trainer once a week and would then have a couple of day’s worth or cardio on my own. I also figured that I could just keep eating what I was eating, and it wouldn’t matter because I was working out ‘so much’!! Turns out, losing weight is more of a commitment than that! It really more about changing your lifestyle than it is about trying to fit what you think you should be doing into your life as it is. I know it sounds cliché, and when people used to say that to me, I would instantly tune them out. But, it’s about changing your mindset and finding what works for you. My issue was not that I hated exercising; I thought I did, but really I hated not knowing what to do. I have read what seems like 1,000′s of articles about what sorts of exercises to do if you’re a pear or an apple shape, or if it’s raining and you’re standing at a 45 degree angle to the clouds, but it wasn’t until someone actually took the time to sit down with me and say ‘this is a treadmill, and this is how you turn it on’ that I actually got it. As much as no one wants to hear and/or admit it; takes time to go through a significant weight loss process. It’s as much of a mental game as it is a physical one, and I would say to anyone willing to make the commitment, that it is completely worth every moment you put into it. Every ounce of sweat and effort that goes into changing the person you are into the person you want to become is worth it.

HL: What are you most proud of?

ES: I’m proud of myself for breaking out of my comfort zone, embracing the experience and becoming a new person. Two years ago, I was sitting at home waiting for something to happen that would magically make me a size 4. the truth is, I don’t know if I will ever be a size 4, and at this point, the process is more than that for me. I have looked at this process as an adventure from the start, and as a way to help me figure out who I am. I’ve had some missteps along the way, but I have learned something from every one of them. I am so proud of myself for even starting this, because although I was very excited about it, I was also very terrified! I feel like it takes a lot of courage for someone to take on a 150lbs weight loss challenge, and once I figured out I could do it as long as I took it day-by-day, it became a lot more manageable. I’m proud of myself for trying new things; I have been talking about trying cross country skiing for years, and I finally did it this past winter, and it was awesome! I spent a lot of time on my butt, but, I was willing to get out there and at least try it, which is huge for me! Now, I’m working out with a trainer twice a week as a ‘gift’ (such as it is!!) to myself for making it through a really tough academic year, I’m taking aerial yoga (a co-worker gave me the info because he said I was the only person he knows crazy enough to try it!) once a week just for something fun to do and to get me out of the gym one day a week, I’m training for a 5k (I don’t know if people are actually supposed to train for a 5k because it seems like it is something you’re just supposed to be able to do! People train for marathons, but does anyone aside from me train for a 5k?!!), which I have also wanted to do for a really long time, and am hoping to do by the end of the year. It’s just been an amazing experience, for which I am more grateful than I can say. So, there isn’t one specific thing about which I am most proud, but if I had choose something, I’m just proud that I’m out there trying new stuff I would never have tried two years ago!!

HL: What is your current weight loss

ES: When I started, I had managed to lose a couple of pounds on my own before hand, but my highest weight on record was 299.99999 (the scale never once tipped to the 300lb mark!), and I am present right at the cusp of the 80lb weight loss mark!! I have hit a wicked plateau that just may kill me (she says laughingly!!); as I have been playing around with the same five pounds for the past six months or so. I am in the process of doing everything I can to break the plateau and completely understand that it is just a part of almost any weight loss process. In addition to those 80lbs being shed, I have dropped 10 inches from my chest, 12 inches from my shoulders, 12 inches from my waist, 9 inches from my hips, and most surprisingly, 5 inches from my arms!! I didn’t think an arm could shrink like that!!

Our Get Fit Challenge Winner Shares Her Success

Several months ago we offered the chance for our readers to tell us why they wanted to get in shape. We received many submissions from people across Southeast Michigan. Some had never exercised and wanted to get started, others had once been fit but over the years had let themselves “slip.” Even more were concerned about their health and their abilities to enjoy the every day things in life.

The person we would select would have the opportunity to workout at Bally Total Fitness for three months with a personal trainer.

We selected 28-year old Elizabeth Schmaltz whose story reflected her battles with diets, working out and losing unwanted pounds. Elizabeth was like many people who struggle with obesity, she knew she needed to lose weight, but didn’t know how to go about it. Even though she had a gym membership, she was too intimidated by the equipment to get an effective workout.

As our winner, Elizabeth has spent the last three months working out at the Bally Total Fitness in Troy with certified personal trainer Brian Gambino. Brian put Elizabeth on a workout plan and gave her nutrition guidance, beginning with a food diary to monitor what she was eating. A disciplined workout combining cardio and weight training and Elizabeth was on her way.

We are happy to report that Elizabeth has lost 25 pounds since she started.

So, how does she feel now?

“I feel great, fantastic, to the point where people are starting to notice. I had a co-worker who said, ‘Oh, I can see your collarbones,’” Elizabeth candidly shares with us.

Great attributes to Elizabeth all through this process have been her humor, optimism and motivation. She has never pretended that her weight hasn’t been a struggle, yet she is comfortable with who she is. Her primary goal was to be a thinner, healthier, Elizabeth.

Although getting started was difficult, she is now a natural around Bally Total Fitness.

“I’m pretty familiar with all of the machines in the weight area and I’m increasing my own intensity in cardio,” says Elizabeth. “I’m doing some jogging and that is going really well. I really like it, it’s a challenge; but it’s a good one.”

She has also been able to change her outlook on her past eating habits. By keeping a food diary, she was able to monitor what she was eating, how much, and how many calories she was consuming.

“It was tough doing the food diary. I was trying to justify eating a muffin in the morning every day, I’d say; ‘It’s okay to eat a 400 calorie muffin.’ But now to look back, I ask myself, ‘Why was I doing that?’ It was awful to do at first, but there was no way I was going to write down 12 potato chips,” says Elizabeth. She has since changed that attitude and consistently logs in what she eats throughout every day.

Elizabeth is very positive about her experience and her success at losing weight. “I think I thank you every time I talk to you, but this has been enlightening and has been such a good experience. I’m so glad I took the opportunity to do it,” she says.

She also recommends that others in her situation take the opportunity to get into a gym, and even hire a personal trainer.

“I would say it is a worthy investment even if you do it for two or three sessions, just get an idea on what to do, and what machines to use. There is a ton of information online that is helpful. But, you really just have to try and find a way to stick with it,” she suggests.

Elizabeth credits her personal trainer, Brian Gambino, of Bally Total Fitness for getting her on the right track. “Working out with Brian was fantastic! He increases the intensity of what we do every week and there were a lot of exercises I was doing and I wondered what I was doing to myself? But once I got used to it, I just figured out that this (workout) was how it was going to be and I embraced what was given to me,” says Elizabeth.

She adds that working out with Brian was “fun” and that he continually supported and motivated her throughout their time together.

Elizabeth is well on her way to improving her health as she continues to work out on her own. She still gets to the gym 5-6 times each week, despite working a full-time job and earning her second bachelor’s degree in business at Oakland University.

She has not quite set a final weight loss goal for herself, but is taking things “one day at a time.”

“As a person who has never been thin, I have no idea of what anything less than 200 lbs. looks like, so once I get there, I will decide how far I want to go,” says Elizabeth.

Somehow, I think whatever goals she sets, she will reach.

Editor’s note: Be sure to watch for our January issue when we wrap up this series with Elizabeth’s personal trainer, Brian Gambino, share her workout with you, as well as excerpts from her food diary.

Get Fit Challenge Update

It’s 8 a.m. on a Wednesday morning and Elizabeth is already on the treadmill warming up. Her trainer, Brian Gambino, BACSCS, is finishing up with one of his other clients. These days are beginning to work their way into Elizabeth’s routine, a routine that she says she needs to keep herself on the fitness trail.

At 28-years old, Elizabeth had the foresight to notice that she did not like the path her health was taking. Overweight, but recognizing she needed to improve her health, Elizabeth faced the same obstacles many people do… she didn’t know how to get started.

This is now changing with the help of her trainer, Brian, and Bally Total Fitness. Brian has several accredited personal training certifications including: ACSM, Health & Fitness Instruction; NSCA, Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist, and ACE. He is a past Personal Training Director for Bally Total Fitness and has been involved in personal training for over nine years. Elizabeth has her work cut out for her!

In their initial session, Brian set up a program for Elizabeth that involves cardiovascular workouts 5-6 times per week, accompanied by three days of circuit training. He also provided nutrition information and assigned Elizabeth to keep a food diary that she brings to him for evaluation.

“Our goals are to get her moving again and back into workouts. We want her to lose weight and just get healthier,” says Brian. “What I’ve set up for her is a three times per week total body workout that includes her major muscle groups and helps burn calories. Then she does two different modes of cardiovascular exercise, such as the treadmill and the elliptical.”

By changing up the machines Elizabeth uses as well as the cardiovascular workouts, Brian is trying to reduce the risk of repetitive injuries, as well as keeping her body guessing what is coming next.

Currently, Elizabeth is performing 6-9 different exercises each session at 12-20 repetitions. The circuit training allows for her to maintain an elevated heart rate so that she can continue to burn calories throughout her workout.

In just her first four sessions, Elizabeth has already increased some of her strength, as well as her cardiovascular endurance. She has increased her treadmill time from 20 minutes to 30 minutes, and Brian has noticed an increase in her strength.

Elizabeth’s submission for the Get Fit Challenge noted how she had a gym membership, had tried different workouts, but ultimately was unsuccessful because she was intimidated by the workout machines, as well as the lack of knowledge of what to do. Today, that is changing.

“I am pleasantly surprised (with the progress). I still don’t love the weight section and still find it intimidating, but the program Brian set up for me is super easy to follow. We walked through it 2-3 times the first day,” says Elizabeth. “I am the type of person that needs things neatly mapped out and structured. Brian has really helped.”

With just a few training sessions under her belt, there is no dramatic weight loss. And, as Brian points out, dramatic weight loss right away is not realistic.

“We can expect to lose one to two pounds per week for women somewhere between 4-6 weeks,” says Brian. “After that she will begin to burn more fat. Elizabeth has a great attitude and is fun to train. She makes the job more enjoyable.”

Brian has seen many people succeed in their attempts to improve their health and hopes that Elizabeth will be another one of those success stories.

We’ll continue to follow Elizabeth’s progress in our upcoming issues, including her results at the end of her three-month Challenge. Good luck, Elizabeth!

And the Winner is… Elizabeth Schmaltz

Recently, we announced our “Get Fit Challenge” in conjunction with Bally Total Fitness. Many of you, our readers, submitted very compelling stories telling us why you wanted to get fit. Though it was a difficult decision, we narrowed down our choice to one winner: Elizabeth Schmaltz.

As the winner of our first annual Get Fit Challenge, Elizabeth will receive a twelve-week membership to Bally Total Fitness. She will have a program designed to meet her individual fitness goals. With the assistance of a personal trainer, she will learn how to workout safely and efficiently and will reap the benefits of a healthy eating and exercise routine.

Congratulations to Elizabeth! We wish her the best of luck as she embarks on her new journey toward personal fitness. Here is her entry:

I am hoping it isn’t too late to enter the contest! My name is Elizabeth Schmaltz, and I am a 27 (soon-to-be 28) year old single female, who is anxious and excited to lose weight. At 280lbs, I have a lot of weight to lose, but I try my best not to think of the cumulative number. Thinking of losing 140lbs all at once can be a little overwhelming, to say the least.

Like everyone else, I feel like I have tried every diet (healthy and o therwise) and every exercise regime known to man, but haven’t been able to stick with any thing. Partly because I have a tendency to become horrifically bored very easily and partly because I just haven’t found something I enjoy doing enough to commit to it. I can be found once or twice a week in a Pilates class with people half my size and twice as athletic, flipping my bum over my hea d in what some yoga gurus call “the candlestick pose.”

I would like to state for the record that my version of this exercise in no way resembles an actual candlestick! Mine looks more like the candle itself, after it has almost completely melted and is sort of drooping to the side, etc. Needless to say, it just isn’t that pretty. On the other hand, it does give me a small sense of satisfaction to know that I am keeping up with everyone else in the class, regardless of how I look doing it.

Other than Pilates, I am somewhat clueless when it comes to the gym. I can generally be found wandering aimlessly through the cardio section of the gym, hopping from machine to machine because I don’t know how long to do anything. I can usually be found on a treadmill or an elliptical trainer, but that is where my gym excursions usually end. I am too scared to wander over to the weight lifting section of the gym. I feel as though I should know what I am doing in order to be there. Seems like everyone there knows what to do, except me. Every once in a while, I will get up the courage to walk over there, only to suddenly discover just how uncomfortable I really am. I then fly through a couple of sets on the few machines I do know how to use, and will head out as quickly as I came in. It is unfortunate to feel as though you are excluded from a whole section of the gym because of being intimidated. I have read a lot of information about the importance of weight training, but because I am too nervous/scared/intimidated to try or ask, I am really missing out on some exercises that could be really beneficial. That was my main reason and/or motivation for entering the contest. I want to feel confident walking over to the weight lifting section, and I think with some direction and training, it could be done.

I guess what I really hope to get out of being in shape is self-confidence. I want to feel comfortable in my own skin, and to be noticed. I am looking to feel as though I have the potential to turn heads! As someone who has never been in shape or thin, I want to know what it feels like. To see if it really is as good as I have made it out to be in my head. I want to get into shape because I am curious. I want to see if life would be different, or if I would somehow be different. I want to stand up proudly to say that I did it, that I was able to lose 140lbs! To be able to say that would be one of the proudest moments I could think of. In my mind, it would be amazing, and I would be a better person for having done it. I want to be someone that others can look up to and know that they aren’t alone in the battle to lose weight.

I hope you will consider me for this challenge because I would truly love to participate in it. I would love the opportunity to work out with someone who knows what they are doing and can show me how. I want to know what exercises would work best for me, and how to do them properly. Most of all, I want to be able to flex my bicep muscles into what some may call the “gun show” pose, and not have my eye poked out by flying arm flab! The whole point of striking that pose is to look cool, and when your eye is suddenly poked out by flying flesh, the coolness factor drops significantly, and the potential for eye surgery and a pirate patch increases by a factor of ten.

– Elizabeth Schmaltz

Health & Leisure Magazine will be following Elizabeth over the next three months, monitoring her progress as she begins her journey toward personal fitness and bringing her story to our readers. So be sure to watch for the “Get Fit Challenge” update in our next issue!