STROKE NO LIMITS COACHING

Debbie Hall

 

TESTIMONY FOR BENN

 

I originally joined Vision for a few reasons:

 

• I have arthritis and was getting progressively stiffer and sorer all over – back, neck, knees, feet, hands and fingers. I bought a Ceragem bed, which went a long way towards giving me more energy and taking away the stiffness. I felt a lot better, so decided it was now time to build muscle strength, especially in my legs and back

• My Mum had arthritis and osteoporosis, and since I, too, have arthritis, I wanted to build up bone density. I consider that now is the time to do this, while I can.

• I had both kneecaps removed when I was in my early 20’s due to netball injury and subsequent arthritis. I went from being strong and athletic to weak and unfit, never imagining I could regain my leg strength - even though the surgeon told me to build up my thighs “like Tarzan’s” … (which I never did)

• I was overweight and a yo-yo dieter. I needed the exercise to go with the diet, so a lifestyle change was what was needed. Knowing I wouldn’t be able to do it on my own, as I don’t have the knowledge or the expertise, a personal trainer was the only way to go.

 

Vision has turned my thinking around. It has changed my body shape and given me back my fitness and sense of well-being. I feel younger, fitter, stronger and healthier. I am totally amazed at the progress I have been able to make. The team at Vision has been very positive and supportive, enabling me to stay on track. I have attended educational seminars and programs, cross-training and social functions and I am able to use the gym whenever I like. There is a lot of support on the Vision website, where I get most of my help with food. Benn has lots of ideas and feedback for me with food & recipes.

 

I have been with Vision now for 2½ years, and in that time have lost 18kg. I deliberately lost the weight slowly so I could accustom myself to my new lifestyle in the process. I have surprised myself with what I have been able to achieve at Vision. While I value the importance of cardio/exercise and diet/correct nutrition, I am convinced that resistance training has played a vital role in my increased fitness and the overall results I have achieved.

 

I am now in the process of trying new recipes and working out ways I can maintain the weight loss effectively. It’s not easy, given our social climate and our cultural obsession with food. Entertaining, which Steve and I do often, now has to be thought through very carefully if we are to not revert to old food habits.

 

My goal now is to stay focused, and to get stronger and fitter, in a way that is realistic to my lifestyle (ie something that I know I will maintain). Steve and I walk  3 - 4km together every morning and I walk with other friends at other times.

I still have a long way to go with leg and core strength, but I have every confidence that Benn, trainer extraordinaire, will get me to where I need to be.

 

HOW I DID IT

• Desire

My first meeting with Shane at was motivated by a strong desire to lose weight and get fit.

• Commitment

•  

After signing up, I set about tracking my food – it was a bit tedious but totally worth the effort, as it helped re-educate me about what food was necessary for me to achieve my goal. It was a total commitment.

•  

I trained with 2 weights sessions per week. I was to do my own cardio, so I went for regular walks with friends.

After about 6months, I braved my first X-training one Saturday morning. I was heartened by the fact that I was able to walk and go at my own pace. I knew there was no way I could run…

• I Can Run!

After about 12 months, I decided to try to run. My first attempt lasted about 10 seconds. I continued on in this manner each session, and gradually increased the time and distance. I started running in short bursts on the treadmill. Over time, I increased this. One week, Benn suggested I do a block run. I ran the whole way and thought I was going to die. But it had ignited in me a desire to keep running. I did a few more block runs, then Benn suggested I do the Blackmore’s Bridge Event, a distance of 9km. I half-ran and half-walked this in a time of 77minutes. By now, I was down to my goal of 75kg. Then, after another 9-week challenge, and as the year came to a close, I reached 73kg. 

 

NEW CHALLENGES

2014 brought with it new challenges. I decided I wanted to get my weight down to 69.65kg, just to be able to say I lost 20kg. My current weight (November 2014) is approx 71.5kg. I feel great. Realistically though, will I maintain this?

 

In July this year, I ran the Sutherland to Surf. Last year we walked it. This year I had set myself a goal to run the whole 9km Blackmore’s Bridge Run, so Sutherland to Surf was a kind of dress rehearsal. Up to this point, the furthest I had run was 6km. I was aiming for 7km on the day … I ran 11km!!! That was a huge surprise to me (I’m sure the last km was actually 6km long!). So now I was confident I could run the whole 9km in September … which I did, in 65mins.

Who’d have thought that, at age 58, I would be lifting weights, wearing size 12 clothes or running these distances (or at all!) when I joined Vision in January 2012?

 

MY SPIRITUAL JOURNEY

My spiritual journey has been a long and complex, but extremely rewarding one. It’s way too long to talk about here, but more recently, I have discovered you can take control of your mind … you don’t have to be dictated to by your emotions. YOU can decide how you will feel, what you will say or do.

 

My new favourite saying about 12 months ago was

Life is all about how you handle plan B …

 

I have discovered, and begun to understand the .

 

 

 

TO BE CONTINUED …