In January 2015, I was the heaviest and most unhealthy I have ever been. My clothes were all too tight, I was tired with low energy and it was a struggle even to bend over and tie my shoes.
It was not a New Year’s resolution but a chance meeting with Unite Fitness owner Gavin McKay that provided the spark. His gym was hosting a “transformation challenge.” Several people signed up to compete for the largest reduction in body fat through physical training and nutrition advice. Although I was petrified to step into a gym, Gavin persuaded me to move forward and encouraged me that, while it was going to be tough, I could certainly do it.
My goals at the onset were to lose weight and feel more comfortable in my body. I don’t think I initially set out to learn to love fitness, although now that I do, lifetime fitness is my goal.
All my life, I have yo-yo’d in weight. In the past I was able to lose weight, sometimes even a substantial amount, through dietary changes. However, it was always fleeting because the diet wasn’t sustainable. This time I decided to add exercise to the mix.
I’ll be honest, the first couple of weeks I came home and sprawled on the floor in pain swearing I’d never go back! But as I learned what my body was capable of and started to see positive change, I actually started to enjoy working out. I think the key to anyone’s success in fitness is finding something you enjoy doing, in an environment that is comfortable for you and finding a way to be held accountable.
One important thing I did was sharing with my family and social-network world that I was determined to do this and to post on social media about it. If anyone saw me slacking off, they were instructed to call me out on it. I must admit at the beginning the visibility really kept me motivated. It was about six weeks before I started wholly doing this for me.
I honestly didn’t expect to like exercise as much as I now do. I have never been an athlete before; I thought I just didn’t have that gene. Consequently, I had to learn pretty much every exercise (including proper running form) as a beginner. That can be very intimidating for people, and it certainly was a factor in keeping me out of the gym.
For me, starting with one-on-one personal training was helpful at getting me started. And as I got more involved in the program at Unite, I found the friendly, competitive atmosphere there was perfect for my style.
As the weeks and months passed by, I was encouraged by the changes I noticed — not just in my weight, but my energy level, and the way that I moved through my days. I found that tackling my health and fitness in a holistic fashion, paying attention to both diet and exercise, created its own positive momentum. This time I knew I was not turning back.
What have I learned along the way? When it comes to exercise, proper form is essential. Learn to exercise the right way to avoid injury. Although persistence is key to getting results, rest is just as important. At one point I was working out seven days a week and I hurt my shoulder in the process. Muscles need a recovery period too!
With regard to nutrition, the best advice and most sustainable diet change I have made is to “eat clean.” This meant that most of my food is consumed exactly how it came out of the ground or off a tree. The proteins I eat are grass-fed, non-hormone animals — which incidentally taste a lot better too!
I eat hardly any processed foods. Although I eat a well-proportioned amount of “good” carbs, the world is full of bad carbs, which I generally avoid. Finally, as I say to my patients with diabetes, everyone cheats now and then — and that’s OK. You just have to make it seldom and not overindulgent.
Last but not least, social support is absolutely key. Share your goals with family and friends so that they can hold you accountable — even better if a partner joins in on the fun!
Like many people, I have a stressful job that adds up to far more than a 40-hour work week. For decades, I used this as an excuse about why I didn’t have time to be fit.
The truth is I don’t have “extra” time. I made a decision to fit working out into my day right after work and before dinner. Sometimes that means I don’t get home until 8:30 p.m. There are only 24 hours a day and seven to eight are spent sleeping. I’ve traded my “relaxation” time, which before was sitting in front of TV eating bad food, for exercise time. It is my new stress reducer and it actually works better than anything I’ve ever tried.
My advice for patients, friends or anyone who is interested in making a healthy change in your life: Don’t wait until you are 45 years old! I feel about five years younger now that I’m fit. I’m happier, more energetic, more productive and physically hurt less. I wish I had been bitten by the fitness bug a long time ago. But you should know that it’s never too late!
In the beginning, I posted on social media for my own accountability, and it was truly helpful. Over time, the accountability became less necessary, because I became “addicted” to my workouts. But friends, family and patients were beginning to notice the change in me, and to ask how I did it, so I began to see the posts as a way of sharing the message that others could achieve the same kind of results.
Over the past year I’ve heard from many patients and friends that seeing my transformation inspired them to start their journey. And that’s a great feeling. For so many years I’ve preached diet and exercise as a physician, and finally I’m leading by example.
Robert J. Winn, MD, is medical director at Mazzoni Center.