My Home Club: All! The beauty of being a member is the accessibility to all of the clubs in the neighborhoods. I started out at Madison and now work out at the Sunrise, Folsom, Arden, and Carmichael clubs. All are wonderful and each as a "personality" all its own. Check out my 'before' and 'after' images below! I hope this inspire those of you who are on the fence with making the commitment to a healthier lifestyle.
Before I started my program with California Family Fitness, I felt:
At my worst; I was 220 lbs, was squeezing into 42" pants. I had trouble climbing up stairs; even got winded walking to the kitchen from the living room. Getting out of a chair was hard work. I couldn't bend over to tie my shoes. I was very lethargic about everything; didn't want to do anything, didn't want to go anywhere. The only thing I was good at was eating. I'd have at least three large helpings at dinner time and then two or three deserts after that. I didn't sleep well; my blood pressure was high (in the 160/120's). I even developed early symptoms of asthma! I was taking prescriptions for just about everything including reflux problems. Even if I ate only a little bit I felt bloated, pretty much all the time (that's because I WAS!) I was on diabetes watch, testing every time I went to the doctor.
The reason why I started my program with California Family Fitness was:
I saw my Father die from diabetes as did his mother. My Mom has diabetes and I've seen how it has altered her life. Also, as my Mom aged she developed osteoporosis, kidney problems, high blood pressure and a host of other medical issues that greatly diminished her ability to enjoy her retirement. I talked to her doctor about why she was in such poor health, even though she wasn't obese and he said it was from not eating properly and not exercising. He explained how important nutrition and exercise were in behing healthy for the long haul. At first it did not exactly clicked with me, but as a care-giver for my Mom over the years I watched her deteriorate even further and I did not want to see my wife and I follow that path too.
My experience with California Family Fitness can be described as follows:
I was given a guest pass for Christmas (2004) by our oldest daughter, Cindy, who had been a member for some time. At first I just stuck the card in my wallet and said the usual "ya, sure - I'll see". I had been trying to lose weight on my own, but had the usual affects of up and down weight loss and gain. But one day (January 20, 2005) while driving home from work, I passed California Family Fitness on Madison and decided to pull in. Well they were great; very low key and friendly.
My Membership consultant, Dave, showed me around the facility, made some suggestions as to how I could use the membership to suit me. The value of the membership and what I can enjoy as a member was fantastic, so I signed up!
I went right over to Target and bought my first set of exercise clothes. I bought all cheep stuff because I really didn't think I would keep it up. My first day I tried the tread mill and could barely do 10 minutes at 2.0 miles an hour with no incline. I was really disappointed. But no one laughed at me, no was snickering and pointing at the funny looking fat guy so I tried it again the next day. I purchased myself a little radio, which became a CD player (remember those?), which eventually turned into an iPod. With the encouragement of staff and other members I kept at it and can now walk over 4 miles in an hour on the treadmill at an inline of 8.0 or higher.
The comfortable environment, the staff, and the ability to watch a little TV has made my exercise routine something I look forward to.
Now, I feel:
Fabulous! At almost 61 years old I'm down to less than 145lbs, have a 31" waste and feel great. I can (almost) keep up with my grandkids, play games go kayaking and am always on the go. I'm full of energy; sleep much better, virtually no physical problems or ailments. My blood pressure is down to around 120/70 and my doctor says I'll likely soon be off all medication!
Because of the results:
I can and do enjoy life so much more. I am able to enjoy my relationship with my wife, Susan, my family and my job more and enjoy going places and doing things like I haven't been able to for over 20 years. In fact my wife and I celebrated our 20th wedding anniversary by taking a cruise to the Mexican Riviera in December and were able to take full advantage of everything the ship and Mexico had to offer. In fact, we worked out in the ships gym and walked up and down stairs throughout the cruise and we both lost weight!
I enjoy the atmosphere at all the clubs I've been to. The staff is always friendly and makes me feel welcome and glad to be here. I also enjoy seeing the families that come together to share the experience, in fact, it seems more like a country club than a gym!!
