Merritt Clubs Blog

On September 9th 2010, I weighed in at a whopping 337 lbs.... I know the day and the weight so well because that's the day my doctor said he wouldn't operate on my hip because he was worried Iwouldn't be able to do the physical therapy needed to rehab. He said that if I could prove to him that Iwas motivated by losing just 25 lbs. he would schedule the replacement. This made me take a closelook at my lifestyle since the day I retired from the Army.... In 2003 I came home from Iraq wounded and ittook 14 operations too get me to the point where I could live a normal life again. I was suffering fromPTSD and depression after leaving the only life I had know for 24 years. My way of dealing with all of thiswas to eat and I mean eat EVERYTHING!!!!! I went from a 6'1" 185 lb. soldier serving in the special forcesover three wars to a 330 lb. man who was acting like his life was over.

After Dr. Boucher told me what I weighed and all that went with it, I decided to give myself one last try at being healthy. I joined Merritt and was amazed at not only what the club does for you physically but also themental benefits. Thanks to a great group of people helping me led by Cindy,Lauren, Spencer and Michelle, I have now lost over 155 lbs. and as of thiswriting weigh 171 which is less than what I weighed in college. My body fat% while still a work in progress has gone from 44% down to 17%. The bestnews of all is that after 18 times under the knife, I have now gone twoyears with no major health issues and I thank Merritt for a big part of this.

LYNELL TOBLER

The Beginning
As a young adult, I had always been proud of my figure, but as I grew older, my weight slowly grew too. At the age of 54, I had reached a weight of 190 pounds on my five foot, three inch frame. In 2008, I joined Owings Mills Merritt Athletic Club. I didn't go regularly and when I did go, I didn't push myself to exceed my comfort zone.

Portion Control
In the summer of 2010, I had extensive dental work done. I lost about four pounds from not being able to chew. The weight loss motivated me to ask a girlfriend about dieting. I had never been on a diet in my life -I wasn't particularly interested in following a bunch of rules about calories. After all, I consoled myself, I was actually a very healthy eater. My problem was portion control. I loved to cook and I loved to eat my own cooking! I ate to comfort myself. But, I did some research and found a diet I could live with. I started counting calories and tweaking my beloved gourmet recipes to lower the fat.

Group Fitness Camaraderie
I worked up the courage to try a yoga class with Charlie Beall at Merritt in hopes of easing the stress caused by my chronic dental pain. It changed my life. I loved Charlie's low-key attitude and relaxed style of instruction - no intimidation. I loved it when Charlie brought out his flute at the end of every session and played softly, elegantly, while we meditated. I was so out of shape that I could barely do any of the moves. But, I loved the camaraderie of the group. Seeing the friendly faces of the same people every week motivated me to keep coming. I stuck with my diet and maintained a steady weight loss.

The Lifestyle Change
I loved my yoga class so much that I added BodyStep, BodyPump, and BodyFlow classes to my weekly evening routine. My weight-loss accelerated. This June of 2011 I actually “broke the 120 pound barrier,” so I feel as if my goal is finally, completely achieved. I’ve never felt better in my entire life. Thank you all, so very much, for accompanying me and supporting me on this journey to fitness over the past eight months. If you had told me last summer that I would be greeting this summer with a slim, strong body, I would never have believed it. And as an added benefit, when I visited my doctor this week, my blood pressure was down to 100 over 70, so I may be able to go off my blood pressure medicine soon, one of my original goals for losing weight. Dreams do come true! I am living proof.

Lynell Tobler, Merritt Athletic Clubs member since 2008

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What keeps you from the gym and working out? More than likely, it has something to do with lack of motivation, accountability, and/or the dread of boring workouts. You’re not alone. My thoughts have varied from, “It’s been a long week...I don’t feel like going to the gym” to “Seriously, I’m so bored of running on the treadmill” to “It’s not like I’m meeting a trainer so I don’t have to go right now, I can go whenever works for me.” No matter what the excuse, the next day I often feel regretful I didn’t go.