Sky Fitness member Michelle Ruben gives us an update on her personal training journey while participating in our Transformation Challenge…
After holding a steady ranking at #3 on the Fitness Challenge board for a few weeks, my ranking has slipped to 4, then 5 and now I’m off the board completely! I feel frustrated and extremely disappointed…I have practically lived at Sky Fitness these past few months. I’m there 6 days a week: Jumping on the elliptical where I have been exploring the Virtual Active trails in New Zealand, climbing Jacob’s ladder, rowing, walking, personal training 2x per week with Eric Kaisner, yoga, Pilates and more. Needless to say I’ve been working my butt off!
Larry was very helpful and offered some tips. 1) Increase my daily water intake to over one gallon and 2) Fuel my body with snacks in between meals. Eric, my trainer, stressed that I need to be consuming enough calories, prepare well-balanced protein and proper carbohydrates.
After 2 weeks of being stuck, the scale moved! Whoot! Whoot! All of this personal training and sweating makes a difference. However, I am still off of the board. The top 4 places are held by men which brings up my suggestion to divide the next challenge into men vs women as it is a known fact that men can lose weight faster than women. (But that is a discussion for another day!)
The challenge board is a great psychological tool that fiercely turns on our competitive nature. While I was excited to be on the board, the competition has my ego super-charged. This is a dangerous place for me as a yogi whose journey is one of balance and self-acceptance; although after seeing the current board rankings, I jumped on the elliptical and thought deeply about my true goals and what I have learned so far.
- Strengthening my muscles
- Adding new tools for stress relief through cardio and weights
- Fueling my body with better choices
- Following through on my commitment to health and fitness
- Showing up every Tuesday & Thursday @ 7am
- Laughing through the pain during personal training with my teammate Marta and trainer Eric
- Receiving amazing love and support from my family and Sky Fitness’ yoga community
I am working VERY hard. Some days, a text to Eric at 5am which might read “Hey, not going to make it in today” would be tempting; however, I persist because change is possible for all of us. Positivity, persistence and performance fuels me to become the best version of myself. Self-love radiates outward as I actively embrace a healthy lifestyle.
The 2017 Transformation Fitness Challenge ends on April 17th, but my journey will continue.
Thank you to everyone who has supported me along the way…
Eric for all of your patience, knowledge and workout creativity!
Marta for being a motivating teammate!
Stacy, Nancy and Annabelle for your smiles and encouragement!
Larry for the helpful tips and positivity!
