Matt’s 23-Pound Journey to Better Health—No Meds Needed
I came to Uplift after getting some results back from my annual doctor’s visit that I had some elevated blood pressure, and cholesterol and one of my goals was to be able to control that without using medicine so I knew I had to make some lifestyle changes. Up until that point, I had been going to a gym and basically doing 20 minutes of some cardio but nothing really intentional or anything that was making a real difference.
My wife had been going to Uplift for a couple of months and suggested I give it a shot and see if it would be something I would like since she had seen positive results in a short time so I did. Going to a gym or anywhere new can be intimidating but I was greeted by two friendly faces, Skye and Marina, and they knew my name and helped me get set up and paired with someone who could show me the ropes and get the format down. I actually enjoyed it so much that I was quickly hooked for 3 reasons: 1. The workouts are effective and hit multiple areas of the body and have a ton of variety so you don’t get bored. 2. Timing, I can be in and out within 45 minutes and that is almost impossible at any other gym. 3. The community is something special because you’ll see similar faces or even if you don’t always see the same people, the energy and sense of accomplishment when the workout is done and how every one cheers for each other on the first workout or the 1,000th workout is really something special. I had been struggling to lose weight for about a year and I took the challenge of the monthly Weight Loss Challenge (at the advice of my wife, go figure) and that one month helped me focus on simple daily and weekly goals and at the end of the month I dropped 10 pounds for a total of 20 pounds since joining Uplift. Marina helped me focus on the small wins and changed my thinking to simplify the food intake and that has helped me keep the weight off which is something I am proud of.
I do have some wrist and shoulder issues that can flare up with some movements but the coaches check in on me to make sure I’m good and offer suggestions whenever I need them. I can’t really say enough about the coaches at Uplift, for those coaches to know people by name or know what issues they may be dealing with or offer suggestions on ways to challenge yourself more or ways to get the same work but without risking injury is such a huge benefit to Uplift. I can be a little lazy from time to time, but there is always a coach in my ear asking me if I can do more and encouraging and challenging me in a positive way that makes me comfortable.
In the time I have been at Uplift which is going on 2.5 years, I have lost about 23 pounds and my check ups have been very positive. The hardest hurdle for me was simply walking through the door. You don’t have to worry about a piece of equipment that is being used or the gym being too crowded or feeling strange in that environment because everything is laid out for the work out, all you have to do is walk in the door and the rest will take care of itself!
-Matt S.