Weight Loss Over 50
Losing Weight Over 50 Years Old
“Can Someone My Age Do This Program And Achieve Results??”
This is the question that Vickie Sims posed to me when contemplating if she would do a Hitch Fit Online Personal Training Program. It’s pretty obvious that the answer to that question is a resounding YES!!!
I get so excited when I get to share a transformation like Vickie’s. At 59 years of age, this mother and grandmother she decided she wanted to see some changes happen in her body and her life, initially she had doubts of if this was something that she could do!! It has been incredible to see her change over the last few months, not just on the outside, but on the inside. Seeing her confidence grow week by week as she realized that she was entirely capable of transforming, that she was so much stronger than she imagined, and that when she could achieve some pretty incredible things when she set her mind to it!! Vickie shed 29 pounds and 14% body fat during the course of her Lose Weight Feel Great transformation, she was glowing the day she came into Hitch Fit for her after pictures!! I’m grateful to God for leading Vickie to Hitch Fit, it has been an honor to be a part of this journey with her. Be prepared to be inspired by this amazing woman!
Vickie’s Stats:
Starting weight: 166
Ending weight: 137
Starting Body Fat: 41%
Ending Body Fat: 27%
Vickie’s Story:
“I truly believe things happen for a reason according to God’s plan. I believe buying the home gym years ago and having it sit idle for that same amount of time was part of His plan. I believe that the day I checked Facebook and saw a friend’s post about Hitch Fit was part of His Plan.
I had just finished the 3rd (total of 9 months) session of another weight loss program and after spending over $300, I had not lost one pound. Here I was at a place I thought I would never be – overweight, frustrated, depressed, not liking myself at all and lots of times feeling pretty much alone. My daughters are grown with families of their own, grandkids are at an age where they have lots of stuff going on, so my days of doting on them were gone and my husband is in a band, so he is gone a couple of nights a week. Most nights I would sit on the couch, actually lie on the couch, and have candy, ice cream, chips, diet coke and whatever other comfort food I could find.
I wanted so badly to do something for myself, to have something I enjoyed. I just didn’t know how to go about accomplishing this.
On that fateful day (I truly believe I was nudged by God at this moment), I was bored and decided to check out Facebook. There it was, in the right hand corner, a post from Kerri Steffens where she had just told the INSPIRING, MOTIVATING, Hitch Fit Life Transformations Group that she just purchased her Fitness Model program. I work with Kerri and she has always looked awesome. I checked out her post (honest I am not a Facebook stalker) and then decided to check out the Hitch Fit Website. Once I did that, I sent Kerri an e-mail and asked her about the program. Although Kerri was gearing up for the Fitness Model program, she had just finished the Lose Weight Feel Great program. After listening to Kerri I was intrigued but just didn’t know if I wanted to spend more money on yet “another weight loss program.” Kerri suggested I check out the free program Live Fit on bodybuilding.com. I did just that. I decided to give this a try. After two weeks, I had lost a couple of pounds, but I just really didn’t have the guidance I needed for the nutrition and the exercise. I talked to Kerri again and she gave me Diana Chaloux – LaCerte’s e-mail.
I remember the first question I asked Diana was “can someone my age do this program and see results.” Diana said “absolutely.” I wasn’t so sure about that. I am 59 years old – with raging hormones and both work and life filled with stress – I just didn’t see this happening. After all, it hasn’t happened in the past.
I went ahead and decided to purchase the 12 week Weight Loss Plan. Let me tell you all, this is for real – it is not just “another weight loss program” as I thought. This program transforms your mind, body and soul.
When you purchase the program, you complete a questionnaire and send it back to Diana and Micah. You let them know if you will be working out at a gym or at home and the program is built around that. I was so excited – finally, this home gym was going to be more than just a catch all for clothes!
From day one I was hooked. I was ready for this and I was willing to make this commitment. Honestly, it is a huge commitment, but one that is so worth it. You have to want this, you have to want to lose the weight and you have to want to change your lifestyle when it comes to food and exercise.
The 12 week weight loss plan is all about transformation. You have to stick to it 100%. If you have a bad day of eating or not getting the exercise in, get back up and start again. Transformation isn’t easy. Friends don’t understand why you aren’t the fun person you once were – although they may not say those exact words, they do say things like “Are you ever going to drink with me anymore or “I will be glad when this program is over so you can drink again.” Was that really the only fun thing about me? I am still me, just a better, healthier version. However, your true friends will support you and be right there with you at all times. They may not agree with everything you do, but they will not try to bring you down during this time. Stick to it – it is so worth the journey.
The first 4 weeks were the toughest. I have the biggest sweet tooth on this planet and I was one who thought she had to have a diet coke by her side at all times. Surprisingly, giving up the diet coke was the easiest thing I have ever done. I quit cold turkey and have never looked back. Now, giving up the sugar (especially the chocolate and my ice cream) was difficult and it still is. However, I think back to how I looked and felt when I ate the junk food and compare it to how I look and feel today – and I will never go back to eating like that. You may have noticed I haven’t mentioned potatoes, bread or anything like that. I didn’t really miss those kinds of food during my transformation phase. Once I started eating clean – eating things like chicken, tilapia, fresh vegetables, I learned that I really liked eating that way.
It was difficult from going to not eating breakfast and with sometimes not eating all day, to eating 5 meals a day (6 on strength training days). At first, I just didn’t know how I was going to eat all that food. I think by the 4th or 5th week, I was looking forward to each meal!
I thought the exercise part would be a cinch. When I was younger I loved exercise and went to several classes a week. I really never did much strength training, but I have bought fitness magazines (Muscle and Fitness Hers and Oxygen) since I was in my 20s. I always admired the women in the magazines and really wanted to look like them. I wanted to be fit, strong and healthy. However, I always ended up just setting the magazines aside and not doing a darn thing about it. As I got older, I stopped going to classes (my excuse was that life always got in the way). So without exercise, with the aging process, menopause and stress of work and life (during this time period my mother-in-law lived with us for 6.5 years. I love that lady with all my heart, but living with her was quite difficult and very taxing on my health) I continued to gain more and more weight.
When I started the strength training I was thrilled. This was something I had always wanted to do and I was finally making it happen. Then came the cardio… I am not a runner but I was hoping that I would learn to love it. I also had it in my mind that running was the only cardio that I could do. However, I did not learn to love running and was struggling with cardio on a daily basis. I told Kerri that I was having a tough time getting my cardio in. She suggested I mix it up. She loaned me a couple of Shaun T’s dance party dvds. Now that was fun. I combined the dvds with my speed walking on the treadmill. I never did become much of a runner, but that was okay, I was up, moving and losing weight.
Before I knew it, my 12 week program was coming to an end. I wasn’t where I wanted to be so I asked Diana what I should do. She suggested extending my program for an additional 4 weeks. I did just that.
By the end of the 16 week program, I had lost 29 pounds and went down 3 dress sizes. I lost about 14% body fat. I have never felt better in my life.
What a journey this has been. I had several set-backs, a cousin dying unexpectedly. We hadn’t seen each other in years but it still had a major effect on me. My mother-in-law ending up in ICU, almost dying of a staph infection in her blood stream – spending days at the hospital with her. However, each time I would e-mail Diana and she would always give me the encouragement I needed to make it through the tough times.
I couldn’t have done this without Diana Chaloux – LaCerte, Kerri Steffens and my husband Rick Sims.
Thank you Diana for your guidance and wisdom.
Thank you Kerri for the inspiration, support and most of all your friendship.
Thank you Rick for always being there (no matter how cranky I got) and for exercising right beside me each and every time. (Rick doesn’t do the clean eating but he is eating much healthier than he was and he has even lost 20 pounds along the way).
Most of all thank you GOD for that nudge on that one special day.
Oh and to get back to the question I asked Diana “can someone my age do the Lose Weight Feel Great program and see results? I have to agree with Diana’s answer ABSOLUTELY!! ”
Achieve Weight Loss Over 50! Start your program today and start losing weight Over 50 Years Old!
Check out Kerri’s Transformation! Vickie’s Inspiration!!
Vickie’s Program Choice – Hitch Fit Online Personal Training Weight Loss for Women over 50
