How To Lose Weight When You Travel
Congratulations to Paul O’Neill for making it to his goal weight! Paul has lost about 70 lbs and completely changed his exercise and eating habits. His doctors have taken him off of most of his medications and he is living the good life today because of all his hard work and dedication.*
I first met Paul at the beginning of March this past spring. His wife Lucy O’Neill was my Client Spotlight in February after she met her goals. Lucy had told me that Paul wanted to get started on a program with me but he traveled every single week and lived several nights out of a hotel room. He ate all of his meals out while on the road and was not sure how he would exercise. In fact, we weren’t even sure how or when I would be able to train Paul since he was gone most of the week. The first obstacle Paul had to overcome was realizing that his health needed to come first and he very easily decided that he would make the time each week to meet with me and do what he needed to do to meet the needs of his diet and exercise goals. That decision was a life changing one for Paul and I can’t tell you how thrilled I am that he was motivated to take that first step.
Paul decided to sign up for my Lifestyles Weight Management Program where he could balance seeing me once a week with online workouts that I prepared for him while on the road. When Paul came to me he was on 7 medications to treat high cholesterol and hypertension and some other conditions. Paul has a family history of heart disease and had already undergone surgery himself for Atrial Fibrillation in 2006. At 5’ 10” tall and 260 lbs Paul was classified as obese. His ideal range for a healthy weight would fall between 185 and 200 lbs. Paul was sedentary spending most of his days at a desk job and had not done any regular exercise routine in years.
I have to admit that I saw Paul as very high risk for failure due to the fact that so many things had to change for him to be successful. Paul had to find a place to exercise in different cities when he traveled; he had to change his choices of restaurants and learn what to eat in each situation. Paul has kept a diet diary every day since he started the program and I was able to help him make these changes. Now he is a pro and could tell me what to order in any given situation!
We had to start slowly on the exercise routine and struggled at first getting his heart rate up because of all the medication he was on that kept it below his target range. As his heart got stronger and his body weight decreased, he was able to reduce and eliminate medications and before long his heart rate would get into his target range and that’s when he really began making progress. Today he no longer has high cholesterol or hypertension and no longer takes 7 medications a day!
I asked Paul what made him successful and here is what he told me:
1. Keeping a food diary was absolutely essential. It kept me accountable and helped me to see where my calories were coming from in my diet.
2. The more I exercised the stronger I got and the better I felt and slept.
3. The constant support of my wife doing the same program
I can’t say enough about Paul and Lucy who have both been inspirational to me and I hope that sharing their story inspires you to reach your full potential.
Are you looking to transform your health? Mary works with clients all over the country developing personalized nutrition and exercise plans for weight loss and health. If you’re ready to get started on your journey to health and wellness contact her today!
Visit BodyDesigns Two Week Detox Plan or BodyDesignsbyMary for more information.
