[/caption][caption id="attachment_7709" align="alignleft" width="420" caption="Allyson today"]
[/caption]My story began one fateful day in September 2011, at Hilton Head Health. It was hotter than hell in Hilton Head, SC. My grandmother would tell me that I was sweating in places that ladies should never sweat. It was my first week at H3, and on that particular day, I decided to try treading. Every other day there was another class I wanted to take at the same time that treading was offered. Let me just say, that in the 2 weeks I was at Hilton Head, I NEVER again tried treading.
So what happened on that day ... I jumped on a treadmill. Sounds easy enough. Anyone can do treading (I said to myself). I just happened to select the treadmill in front of that day's instructor but I didn't know that because he wasn't there yet and I didn't know the class. The instructor was Jeff. OMG! I will never forget that hour in my life. Jeff was loudly encouraging the group and doing all kinds of crazy things. If you haven't been to Jeff's treading class, it is worth it for the entertainment value alone! Ah, but I digress...
I thought I was going to die in treading. I couldn't breathe. I was in terrible shape coming to H3. I didn't EVER exercise (I thought exercise was walking from the parking garage in my building to my office). I had lots of weight to lose. I didn't get enough sleep. I didn't eat well. I worked too much. During that treading class and since I was in front of Jeff in the class, I asked him if he knew CPR and if he could save me if I passed out. I thought I was going to die. Jeff was yelling (in an encouraging way) to the group and then talking to me softly and gently. He kept encouraging me to keep it slow, don't do this, don't do that. Then every few minutes in a soft and caring voice - between screaming to the group - he was making sure I was ok. He watched me constantly. I told him that I was going to quit. I couldn't go on. He said very calmly that yes, I could do it. He monitored me throughout the class. Maybe he was nervous he'd have to do CPR! I am proud to say that I did finish the class - by some miracle.
At about the same time when I was at H3, I decided to sign up for personal training. I enrolled in three PTs and because of the treading, I thought I would start with Jeff. I was scared. Everyone talked in the dining room about how hard he is. The PT was great. He was very encouraging. I am so uncoordinated I am surprised he didn't fire me on the spot. Later in the week, I went to the Intro to H3 @ Home Wellness Coaching session. It was great and I was sold. I still think of Amy's story about the man in Colorado. I told my husband about that story when I got home and he cried. While all the coaches seemed great, after treading, I knew I had to sign up with Jeff.
So you may wonder, how has it gone? It has now been six months since I was at Hilton Head Health. It's hard to believe that in only 6 months I have completely changed my life. Most of those bad habits are gone. I have now lost 50 pounds and I am 15 pounds from what my doctor says should be my goal weight. That, alone, is a miracle since I don't ever remember being at an ideal weight. I am now exercising at least 3-4 times weekly - even though I don't really like it. I am getting more sleep, I am working less hours and I am eating very healthy. Also, my blood tests when I arrived at Hilton Head Health were all slightly in the danger zones (for example, my cholesterol was 207). Because they were all border line, my doctor was primarily concerned about pre-diabetes. Now, six months later, all my results are normal and many of all my numbers have gone down over 50 points (my cholesterol is now 140) and I am no longer in the pre-diabetes category. My doctor is thrilled.
I owe ALL my success to Jeff and, to a lesser extent, my motivation and determination. I will be completely clear, without Jeff and the coaching sessions, I probably would have quit a long time ago. It is a challenge, especially when I had so many changes to make and when everyday life brings stresses and other critical priorities (from work or family or whatever). It would have been so easy to quit and in the past, I did quit. I have made it through so many challenges, such as the holidays, visiting family, Super Bowl parties, travel, work stress, home stress, etc. Every step of the way, Jeff was there to encourage me. He never faltered even when I faltered. He has been there to pick up the pieces and encourage me to keep going. He helped me come up with strategies to deal with every issue both big and small.
I encourage each of you to sign up for H3 @ Home Coaching. It works. Yes, it costs some money but it is a fraction of the cost of coming to Hilton Head Health. And, yes, Jeff has saved my life and I will always be grateful for this gift.
You won't be disappointed with the At-Home program and it is so worth the money. If Jeff only got a $1 for every compliment I have received, I would owe him a fortune!
Good luck on your journey to good health. I would definitely recommend H3 at Home Coaching to everyone.
Great story! You definitely look amazing (I’ll send that dollar to Jeff). I concur with everything you have said. It is like my story through you except I was usually yelling right back at Jeff in treading. I feed off of that type of behavior and never missed getting the first treadmill to be right in the action! I like to think of the @home program being a great way to protect your H3 investment. You are living proof and are an inspiration to any that reads this!
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