Success Story #23

Name:                         P. Yang
Improvement:           5+% Reduction of Body Fat
Time:                          3 months
Program:                   2015 Total Transformation Challenge

What was your biggest challenge / obstacle (s)?
Eating right. It proved to be difficult to resist the temptation of eating everything I wanted. I learned a great deal about nutrition and importance of maintaining a well-balanced diet. I cut most carbs out of my diet and ate more conservatively and but more often. This became most challenging when I attended a wedding. As a member of the wedding party, it was difficult to not indulge, but when you are watchful of what you are eating and how to control the portions, it makes it easier to avoid temptation. 

What motivated you to stay on the course?
Seeing results and encouragement from family and friends. I’ve never been a runner but I’ve learned to like it. With the miles required with this challenge, you have to rack up a lot of miles each week. My target was 25miles of running so spacing that out throughout the week was imperative. A few times a week, I would try to wake early for a morning run before work, this was challenging because I am not a morning person. Other miles were done in evening or weekends. 
As I ran more often, I started seeing the body fat percentage start to drop. It encouraged me to continue pushing forward. I also started HIIT sessions (High Intensity Interval Training). This is where you sprint for high intensity for a period of time then come to a light jog for a period, then sprint again. Run this cycle for a period of time to burn fat.  

Did your diet change? If so, How? Please be detailed!
Yes. I became very mindful of what I buy and eat. Shopping becomes a very long affair when you are checking and comparing the nutrition facts of products but it helped me understand what’s good or bad. It’s eye opening to see that some of common products you may routinely buy is full of sugar, sodium, or high in calories. 
I ate smaller meal but more often. I found myself hungry most of the time, so I snacked on mixed nuts and fruit ever so often. If I can’t stop snacking, I chew sugar free gum to keep my mouth busy. 

What advice could you give to others that want the same results?
Commitment to goals. Setting a schedule and sticking to it. It takes time and patience. I join the workout classes and run on Mondays, I run and do challenges on Tuesdays, boot camp on Wednesdays, I run or do challenges on Thursdays, strength train and run on Fridays, and end the week with a run on either sat or Sunday depending how far along I am with reaching my miles. 

How is this experience going to affect you going forward?
It was an eye opener. I’ve always tried to maintain a healthy lifestyle but this transformation challenged helped me understand what it requires to see results. I have a feeling I will become an avid runner and hopefully participate in a marathon one day in the future.