After turning 51 in July 2017, I dusted off our scale to get an idea of my weight. I knew that I was obese and dreaded seeing the number. Having just purchased new jeans, size 48, I was taken aback by the number – 325 pounds! It was at this point that I knew things had to change.
Over the next four months, I closely monitored the food I consumed and would walk from my home to the Atlantic Highlands Harbor (2 miles) every night, regardless of the weather. I successfully lowered my weight to 286 pounds by Thanksgiving. My results over the next four months were not as successful as I actually gained back 9 pounds. It was clear to me that I needed to seek out assistance if I wanted to continue to lose weight successfully.
March 2018 was when I started the next step in my journey. I was at the Town & Surf Diner and the man next to me at the counter was Paul Mazzella, owner of Eastpointe Health & Fitness. After introducing myself and providing a summary of what I was hoping to accomplish, we agreed to meet that week at the gym to discuss what Eastpointe could do for me. My official first day was March 14th.
When discussing my goals with Paul, I set my sights on getting down to 225 pounds by March 2019. I did not wish to try and lose weight too quickly but rather do it steadily over the next 12 months and beyond. I started with my first trainer, Mike, on March 14th and have never looked back.
I come to the gym four days a week, working on my customized training plan three times and coming once a week for cardio. As the new workout plans arrived every four weeks, they intensified gradually and I could see the results! I would meet regularly every Thursday with Nick and would often receive help and guidance from Nick, Mike and Mel on the other days. The other key piece to my continued success was maintaining a diary of my daily food consumption through My Fitness Pal which would be monitored periodically by Kim Mazzella, the facility’s nutritionist. Kim would provide me with positive feedback as well as advice on modifications which were vital for me to continue with my success.
I have been a member of Eastpointe Health & Fitness for 14 months now and find myself spending at least an hour a day there to continue to reach my goals. During this time, I have surpassed my one year goal to lose 70 pounds. Recent body composites also show that my visceral fat level has decreased by 50% while my PBF has decreased by over 36%. I firmly believe that with the continued help, guidance, and support from all of my trainers along with Paul and Kim, I will continue to be strong and healthy while lowering my numbers even more!
It’s clear to me that the program at Eastpointe Health & Fitness works, as the proof is certainly in the numbers. My only regret is not having done this sooner.
