Lisa’s Story: Taking Back Her Health

The Doctor’s Office

In December of 2015, Lisa S. made her way to her annual health appointment with her internal medicine doctor. Lisa was 58 at the time and her blood glucose levels over the past several years had slowly started to creep up. At the appointment, her blood glucose had reached the high 120s mg/dl with an A1c over 6%. To compare, those without Diabetes should have blood sugar levels around 70–99 mg/dl and an A1c of 5.7% or less. The doctor noted that her levels, along with high cholesterol, would consider her to be prediabetic. Left untreated, Lisa’s prediabetes would lead her to become a Type 2 Diabetic.

Lisa’s doctor began to rattle off medication she could take to lower her blood sugar levels. The more she listened, the more motivated she became to take back her health. Lisa was on medication for other health issues and did not want to be on another one. After expressing her opinion to her doctor he told her that if she would start up an exercise plan with proper nutrition she could lower her blood sugar and cholesterol. Before Lisa left her appointment, the encouraged her to stick to a healthier lifestyle, and not to fall back into old habits as many patients do.

Finding the Right Fit

After hearing good things about Family Wellness from family and friends, Lisa decided to schedule a tour. She felt the facility was clean, open, and well-staffed. When she talked it over with her husband they decided to give it a try. Feeling a little overwhelmed by the amount of equipment and other intimidating weight lifters, Lisa reached out to Carma, Wellness Training Manager to set up a personal training consultation. After listening to Lisa’s goals, Carma thought Tami and Lisa would be a perfect fit.

Lisa recalls her Training Consultation with Tami being sort of magical and uplifting. They discussed Lisa’s goals of lowering her blood sugar but also wanting to increase her strength and balance. Tami had a welcoming and supportive attitude on Lisa’s story, which inspired an immediate connection. Lisa left knowing that she would have another support system in her journey to embrace a healthier lifestyle.

More Than a Gym

Since Lisa’s main focus was to lower her blood sugar, Tami created intense workouts that focused on cardio along with some weight training. Her schedule consisted of 45-50 minutes, 5-6 days a week starting with weights and cardio. As Lisa and Tami moved around the fitness floor, Tami could tell that Lisa felt slightly intimated by other members. Tami told Lisa that the workout space is just as much hers, as it was the other members’. This reassurance from Tami helped Lisa feel more confident in walking onto the fitness floor. Tami had taught her how to breathe properly, think about and tighten the muscle you’re working on, and how to track how hard you’re working. Since Lisa was on certain medications, it was important for her to be aware of how fast her heart was working.

Like most fitness journeys, there were some bumps in the road. Lisa had days where she didn’t want to come in to the gym or when she didn’t want to complete her cardio portion. She would feel down on herself if she only finished 3 out of 6 workouts a week. Lisa would also notice that she hadn’t lost much weight. That is when Lisa needed a little support from Tami. Tami reminded her that she may only notice 10 pounds gone on the scale, but that she was also gaining muscle. Tami would also send motivational text messages or they would walk around the track and talk about why she wanted to better her health. The relationship they formed helped keep Lisa focused on her workouts and reminded her why making lifestyle changes was so important.

Lisa’s Success

After a lot of hard work and dedication, Lisa visited her doctor’s office a year later with a blood sugar level of 97 mg/dl and an A1c of 5.3. Her doctor was impressed and even said “I wish all my patience did what you did.” Not only did she reach her goal of improving her blood sugars, but her workouts also increased her strength and balance like she wanted.

Lisa is forever grateful for how Tami helped her become a healthier version of herself. Tami is proud of Lisa for reaching her goals and all of the hard work she put into getting there. Tami knows that while personal trainers make the workouts, it’s up to the client to embrace the challenge of lifestyle changes. Lisa continues with Tami’s planned weight training as well as cardio, Tai Chi Chih, and Yoga. Tami believes that she is doing her job well when her client doesn’t need her anymore. Because of the close relationship they developed during their year of training.

Lisa believes that working with a personal trainer helped her to take back her health. “Personal Training sessions may feel expensive at first, but your health is worth the investment. It connects and improves your mental, physical, and emotional well-being. The guidance, support, and relationships are worth it.”

Congratulations Lisa on reaching your goals, and thank you for inspiring so many with your story!