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.

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.

Gary Desper adds back "The Healthy Years!"

“In my 20s, I was focused on starting a family, completing law school and beginning my career. I did not take anytime to care for myself. I ate what I wanted and exercise was something I dreaded. In August 2009, I weighed in at my heaviest ever at nearly 280 pounds and was very unhappy with how I felt and looked. Now in my mid 30s, I realized I was at risk of developing serious health problems that I might not be able to reverse and that could take years off my life. I became determined to take control of my health and change for the better. I knew I hadn’t put on the weight over night, so I wasn’t going to be able to take it off overnight either. I set realistic goals to improve my eating, exercise more and change my lifestyle. Early in 2010, I signed up for Merritt’s Biggest Loser and I have completed three rounds of the program so far. Through working with trainers Rob Stempel and Karen Martinez I have gained several new tools to help me with my personal fitness goals. Today I weigh 174 pounds. I’ve lost nearly 106 pounds so far. My young children have seen the changes in me and have become interested in making healthier choices. This is a life long journey and I will continue to work on being the healthiest I can be so I can fully enjoy my family and the many other good things in life.

Gary Desper adds back "The Healthy Years!"

“In my 20s, I was focused on starting a family, completing law school and beginning my career. I did not take anytime to care for myself. I ate what I wanted and exercise was something I dreaded. In August 2009, I weighed in at my heaviest ever at nearly 280 pounds and was very unhappy with how I felt and looked. Now in my mid 30s, I realized I was at risk of developing serious health problems that I might not be able to reverse and that could take years off my life. I became determined to take control of my health and change for the better. I knew I hadn’t put on the weight over night, so I wasn’t going to be able to take it off overnight either. I set realistic goals to improve my eating, exercise more and change my lifestyle. Early in 2010, I signed up for Merritt’s Biggest Loser and I have completed three rounds of the program so far. Through working with trainers Rob Stempel and Karen Martinez I have gained several new tools to help me with my personal fitness goals. Today I weigh 174 pounds. I’ve lost nearly 106 pounds so far. My young children have seen the changes in me and have become interested in making healthier choices. This is a life long journey and I will continue to work on being the healthiest I can be so I can fully enjoy my family and the many other good things in life.

Weight loss was not the best measurement for determing one’s progress in the gym. The tool I think is the most important for analyzing one’ physique is body fat, because a lower body fat is healthier for the body and also makes the body look better.

Weight loss was not the best measurement for determing one’s progress in the gym. The tool I think is the most important for analyzing one’ physique is body fat, because a lower body fat is healthier for the body and also makes the body look better.

I was diagnosed with Type I Diabetes eleven years ago in my early twenties. Since then I have constantly struggled to get my A1C (three month average blood sugar) to a normal level. The average level for a non-diabetic person is 6.5 or below. When I was first diagnosed my A1C was 13, WOW. I always ate healthy and exercised, but my exercise routine basically consisted of cardio that was not that vigorous. Still my A1C crept down to about 9.

I was diagnosed with Type I Diabetes eleven years ago in my early twenties. Since then I have constantly struggled to get my A1C (three month average blood sugar) to a normal level. The average level for a non-diabetic person is 6.5 or below. When I was first diagnosed my A1C was 13, WOW. I always ate healthy and exercised, but my exercise routine basically consisted of cardio that was not that vigorous. Still my A1C crept down to about 9.

Many people know of the importance of protein in your diet. Simply put protein is the main source behind muscle building/maintenance. It does not have a huge “energy yield,” like carbohydrates and good fat sources have. However protein is the main food source to keeping the muscle mass you have in tact, or to develop more lean muscle mass for your body. To better understand the types of protein. Here is a very simple break down of the protein types; and ideally when to have them.