February 21, 2013 –
Before 
After
The picture labeled “Before, spring 2012.” was what set me in motion to taking better care of myself. For about 8 years I lifted weights three days a week with my only concern being gaining strength and muscle mass, yet, combined with a sedentary office job, I slowly became overweight. I am 5′ 9″ in the spring of 2012 I weighed 261 lbs. When I saw the picture I was amazed at my huge weight gain and it prompted me to start taking better care of myself. I began by reducing my meal portions, incorporated several fruit and vegetable snacks into my daily routine, and planned out healthy snack alternatives for those times when I knew I would crave junk food. The most difficult part was reducing the amount of sweets I was eating since binging on sugary foods had been a habit for several years. Since I still love chocolate I do not try to keep it out of my life, so I have learned to allow myself small amounts in moderation. Experience in exercise and struggling with weight loss has taught me it is far too easy to eat more calories than you can burn even when exercising regularly. This led me to try D1 Knoxville after a neighbor invited me to try it with him. I joined D1 in (September 2012?) and immediately jumped into the boot camp. There have been several occasions while in boot camp class that I have wanted to give up but I have found that the 60 minutes of intense exertion is always worth the feeling of accomplishment afterward. Moreover, the coaches are outstanding in their leadership skills and the staff is always supportive and helpful. Better yet, an unexpected benefit to becoming a part of D1 has been the camaraderie that I have developed with some wonderful people just like me who enjoy the challenges that each of D1’s classes provide. As of today, I have lost 56 lbs. and foresee myself reaching my weight loss goal of 66 lbs for a body weight of 195 lbs. in the coming weeks. Thank you D1 Knoxville!