A 38-year-old mother of two finds the determination and drive to shed 30 pounds, and finds herself in the best shape of her life.
Allie Newman is a 5’2” petite brunette. The 38-year-old mother of two had always been physically active – first as a ballet dancer, and later as an avid alpine skier.
But beginning in 2010, Allie’s activity level dropped off and she found her weight slowly increasing. By May 2011 Allie was appalled to find herself weighing in at 157 pounds – too much for her small build to carry. “I hit my magic number and felt disgusted with myself. I knew I had to do something – I wanted to get back to feeling comfortable in my own body.”
After some prodding by friends, Allie signed up for a 5K obstacle course. She had four months to prepare. “So, in June 2011 I joined my local gym with one goal: to prepare for the 5K competition and not embarrass myself.”
“I initially joined the gym on a four-month trial membership basis – after all, I wasn’t going to become a gym rat.” Along with the trial membership, Allie also opted to secure five sessions with a personal trainer.
“Everyone told me this trainer was hard core and would get me ready for the 5K challenge…she lived up to everything I had heard. I told her I wanted to increase cardio fitness, strengthen upper body, and lose my unwanted ‘muffin top.’ Hard core? My first session with her just about killed me!”
Despite the challenging workouts, Allie kept coming back and she kept fighting. “It wasn’t long before I was at the gym every day – sometimes twice a day – and I was seeing results! My clothes were fitting better, and I started to see muscle definition in places I had never seen before.”
By October 2011 and in time for her 5K obstacle race, Allie was 17 pounds lighter and stronger than ever. “I had never run a race before, so taking into account the Marine-designed obstacles, I set a goal of 60 minutes to complete the race. I beat my own goal and finished in 57:00!” In December 2011, Allie ran a conventional 5K and finished in 31:00.
As the winter of 2011 emerged, Allie was so inspired by physical fitness that she wanted to become certified as a personal trainer. In December of that same year, Allie received her certification as a Personal Trainer through the Aerobics and Fitness Association of America (AFAA).
In June 2012, it will have been a year since Allie joined the gym as a trial member. She is currently a full-time health club member, has lost a total of 30 pounds so far, and has gone from a size 12 to a size 6.