Trainer Notes: July 20

2 Weeks to go - 87 lbs. down so far! Wow, it's coming down to the wire now and Michael is so close to achieving our first "lofty" goal of getting under 300 lbs. That also means that our 100 lb. goal is still within reach. At first, just getting under 300 lbs. was enough of a reach in the time frame we have had, but as the fat started to melt away more and more, we decided to take it a step further and go for the whole 100. Why not? Our fascination with round numbers and the fact that it was only 6 more lbs. just made us decide to go for it. I have to admit, setting a goal to lose 100 lbs. in 5 months seemed like a pretty big reach, maybe like trying to run a marathon uphill in high altitude (alright, that might be a stretch, but you get the point). Even with confidence in our abilites and Michael's dedication, I wondered if we could really attain that level of results that quickly. In realistic terms, that meant that he would have to lose 20 lbs. per month, or about 5 lbs. per week on average. For the obese population, that is the upper limit for what is considered reasonable and safe (3-5 lbs. per week).

So, the margin for error was very small from the beginning. He would have to be spot on with his nutrition, with barely any cheating or slip-ups at all, and he probably couldn't afford to miss more than 1 or 2 workouts in the entire 5 months. Was this realistic? Well, I guess I believed it was, and I believed in him, at least, and even if Micheal didn't in the beginning, I know he does now. Because with all of those challenges to meet or overcome, Michael has followed and stayed consistent with all of our nutritional recommendations, and has never missed a single one of his workouts in the last 4 and a half months. In fact, he even shortened his recent travel plans so that he wouldn't miss any workouts so close to the end of the competition. To me, that's just a testament to Michael's character and commitment. He has never shown anything but a complete appreciation for being given this opportunity. It's even more than that, like he bears it as a responsibility to prove to us, himself, family, friends, and those following and supporting him that he doesn't take a second of this experience for granted. Also, that he is a fighter who can rise to the challenge and has the dedication and will to compete and win. I've never seen Michael give anything less than 100%. I'm quite sure that he has often given us more than he even thought he could at the time.

That's the amazing thing about the human body and the human spirit, though. It's ability to adapt and improve based on the challenges we are presented is truly remarkable. Alone, we rarely reach our true potential. We often need to be pushed, challenged, and encouraged to reach new levels. Hopefully we've done that for Michael, as we try to do for all of our clients, and hopefully that opens his eyes so he can see and unlock his own potential in the future. I have no doubts that Michael and his wife have truly established new habits and have greatly improved their lifestyle. I have complete confidence that he will never see a "3" as the first number on the scale again. More than just the weight, his entire life has transformed, and I'd say in the end, that means more than any number ever could. So, while the "big number" definitely indicates we've achieved something special and hopefully gives him a better chance at winning this competition, his overall transformation shows that he has already won in one of the toughest challenges of all - living a full, fit and healthy life.