I am proud to announce the winner of the Total Fitness weight loss efforts for 2001 — Tom Conroy, investment banker.
Too often, I hear excuses. Here’s how Tom has overcome what others might have seen as insurmountable challenges to lose more than 30 pounds since January:
Injury. Tom sprained his ankle after just the first two weeks of our working together. No bother — we kept working his upper body, improved his core muscles and flexibility and eventually rehabilitated his ankle. He wasn’t about to use injury as an excuse to sideline his goals.
Too busy to eat right? Take it from Tom, who works 11-12 hours a day — no one is too busy to plan ahead. He started a blender club at work and brings his own protein shakes and healthy snacks to eat throughout the day.
Family support. Tom wanted his wife, Mariah, to share his enthusiasm. Even though she has chronic fatigue, we began with kinesiology, life coaching, nutrition and yoga. “Her energy level and eating habits improved, and she’s taking better care of herself,” he says.
Stress. On days when he had a tremendous load at work, I encouraged Tom to go easy. “I’ve learned to listen to my body more. Not every day has to be a really hard workout,” he advises.
Tom Conroy’s Weight Loss Secrets
You want to lose 30 lbs. — or more? Follow Tom Conroy’s example.
Last year, he actually gained weight trying to work out on his own. His big mistakes — skipping breakfast, focusing exclusively on cardiovascular exercise, not wearing a heart rate monitor and eating late dinners. He chose Total Fitness because he liked our holistic approach — working with mind, body and spirit.
Exercise: Tom works out 5 to 6 days each week. Two to three times a week, he comes to Total Fitness to lift weights at 6 a.m. The other days, he does an elliptical machine at home or walks in the park. He stays in his optimum heart rate zone on cardio days, and takes it easy when stress at work gets out of hand.
Eating: Breakfast is now his most important meal, and dinner is usually before 6 pm. “I’ve gone on an elk diet — I graze all day,” he says.
Water: Tom drinks about 2 gallons of water per day. This is a very important secret! He fills up a jug four times before lunch, and again four times after lunch. “I like the fact that working out with Catherine is a surprise — I like variety,” Tom says. “I do not think of her as a trainer, but more of a life or success coach.”