80 Pounds, 6 Years, and Still Going
By Timothy J Murphy, CAE
We have all celebrated milestones in our lives—those actions or events marking a significant change or stage in development. Milestones can be personal, professional, even societal. If it’s noteworthy, it can be considered a milestone.
Anniversaries marking important dates can also be considered milestones. I recently celebrated one that is and has been very important to me. Six years ago, on July 24, 2014, I had my first full workout at Exercise Inc with my coach Kyle Truitt. I didn’t realize it at the time, but the fitness quest was (and continues to be) life-changing and most satisfying.
For me, the workouts are much more than “giving it all you’ve got” for the 20-minute time frame in the studio. The connection between coach and client has become a friendship that makes the sessions fun, despite the hard work. That friendship happened because of mutual trust; Kyle trusted me to stick to the fitness and nutrition plan, and I trusted him to know what would work to keep me on track, and to push me beyond my self-imposed limits.
When celebrating anniversaries, we naturally look back at the memories of where we’ve been. For me, these memories include a 40-inch waist, a scale reading of 245 pounds, a suit size of 48 “portly”, and being flabby with limp muscle tone. Those are now distant memories, yet they’re vitally important because they serve as a reminder of how far I’ve come, as well as what could be again if I ever lose sight of my fitness and nutrition goals.
I also harbor very fun and enjoyable memories of the time spent in the studio. While fitness is serious business, and the coaches at Exercise Inc are absolute professionals, we’ve had some fun along the way as well. Some of these include working out in silly costumes at Halloween, wearing Christmas tree hats at Christmastime, and even turkey-shaped hats at Thanksgiving. In that same fun spirit, over the past 6 years we’ve even gone to great lengths to demonstrate that one doesn’t need “gym clothes” to do the workouts. I’ve enjoyed the perplexed stares that came my way when working out in a full tuxedo, a complete Scottish kilt and Prince Charlie, and even Bavarian lederhosen. I would bet large sums that people who subscribe to “regular” gyms don’t enjoy that same positive emotional connection to their fitness activities!
Looking back on those memories of where I’ve been makes me appreciate the present so very much, while serving as motivation for future goals. Every day I get to enjoy an enviable BMI, great muscle mass and tone, and an overall sense of health and happiness. I can now compete in all kinds of races; 5Ks, 10Ks, quarter- and half-marathons—and finish in the top 25% in my age group! I get to wear “slim fit” shirts and pants with a 28” waist. I can relax knowing that even at times when I am away and cannot attend my in-person session, Kyle can put me through a challenging virtual workout that keeps everything on track. All of this would never have happened without the superior philosophy and direction of all the pros at Exercise Inc.
I didn’t begin my fitness journey until after my 51st birthday; as such, it’s never too late to begin yours. Whether you want to tone up, slim down, get stronger, or all of these, Exercise Inc has the program that will offer the greatest success. I’d give up many things before I gave up my weekly workouts—and once you experience it, you’ll understand why.
Your next milestone is waiting for you.
The preceding was a guest post from one of our clients, Tim Murphy. Since he began training with Kyle at our Zionsville location in 2014, Tim has lost over 80 pounds, reduced his waist size from 40 to 28 and reduced his suit size from 48 portly to 38 slim, among improvements to other key health metrics. To hear more about how Tim has changed his life in 20 Minutes A Week, check out his Client Spotlight.
