Sharing Success: Chris Martinez

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Since December, I have been working with Chris Martinez through H3@Home and he has been a shining example of the “right” person for coaching. The fact of the matter is that not everyone is right for coaching, but if you’re one of those people who is you’ll absolutely be able to thrive within the relationship.

When I first started with Chris, I have to say he did not have 100% belief in himself. I noticed he was somewhat uncomfortable when it came to the exercise piece of the puzzle. Struggling with lifestyle change in the past, he just seemed quite ambivalent about the initial changes he wanted to make. As we progressed with the coaching, he quickly gained momentum, battled through obstacles and took every failure and turned it into a positive. The one shining example I have from working with Chris is when the number on the scale didn’t move for roughly 4 weeks. Chris was logging, eating right, exercising regularly and the scale continued to stay the same. I knew he had “Shifted Sets” in his wellness journey in that 4^th week when something special happened. He said, “As long as I continue to keep the behaviors it will move, I’m not stuck by any means, I just have to keep going.” You know what happened that next week? Chris lost close to 4 pounds. Incredible, right? A lot of us we would have given up and thrown in the towel. Chris didn’t because he knew all he had to do was get on the treadmill, eat right and believe in what he was doing.

I’ve learned a lot from Chris. Hearing him go from the guy who didn’t think he could run a mile to the guy who has now completed a 10K placing 2^nd in his age group (yes first 10k ever). Chris applied a lot of the strengths he uses at his job to his health and wellness. He’s regularly setting targets for himself now and focusing on the measurable improvements in front of him. I feel like his success has ultimately been a result of his ability to push through the plateau, while not beating himself up along the way. He truly continues to set accomplishments that are out there for him and I have no doubt that he’ll sustain this lifestyle for the rest of his life.

Now, hear it from him…

Many times in my adult life, I’ve found myself hitting rock bottom when it comes to my health and wellbeing. The tragic cycle has been one of gaining and losing weight over and over.  The feelings of shame and guilt always eroded my confidence and pulled me back into the spiral of self-disgust and overwhelming frustration. Each time I fell short, I felt less and less confident that I would ever be able to change my life for the better. I was almost ready to give up when I stumbled across Hilton Head Heath (H3) online. I decided it was worth a shot and booked my stay.

I celebrated my 33rd birthday at H3 on December 3rd. I now think of that day as my “re-birthday.” That is the day that started the journey that I have been on for the past seven months. Along for the ride, has been my coach, mentor and friend, Jeff Ford. I’m not sure exactly what has changed in the past several months that has allowed me to be successful but I know what I learned at H3, along with the support and guidance from Jeff, have been a large part of it. The best way to articulate the transformation I have undergone is to say that H3 and Jeff were the sparks that ignited the fire within me.  Ironically, though I give H3 and Jeff much of the credit, I now realize that the ability for me to be successful was inside me all long. It took someone else pointing out the possibilities for me to see them and begin to act upon them.

Certainly, it has not always been easy. There have been times when the fire within me has diminished and Jeff has had to turn up the heat. The “heat” has come in the form of positive encouragement, helping me to see things in new and different ways, and reminding me of my successes both large and small. And there have been many successes to speak of. In the last 7 months, I’ve lost about 40 pounds, have lost several inches from my waistline, have lowered my blood pressure to a healthy level, and have run 5K and 10K races. As an added bonus, imagine my surprise when I discovered that I placed second in my age group for the 10K!  Most importantly, I’ve regained hope for the future, something I was not sure I would ever know again. In order to get to a place of optimism, I had to learn to stop beating myself up when I didn’t reach goals that I set for myself. If I set a goal and I succeed, I celebrate! If I set a goal and I don’t succeed, I celebrate what I have accomplished towards that goal and set a new one. When I miss a workout due to a late work meeting, I don’t reach for a cookie to console my guilty conscience. Instead, I reschedule the workout and revel in the fact that despite the missed workout, I still managed to have a “healthy-eating day.”

I have learned so much from my time at H3, having Jeff as my coach and going through a personal journey that is much more healthy and complete than any ever before. I’ve learned the importance of getting enough sleep, maintaining a positive attitude and drawing upon my existing skills and abilities in order to be successful. Most importantly, I have learned that inside me is an athlete waiting to be unleashed.  I am capable of so much more than I ever gave myself credit for. I don’t beat myself up anymore for not being perfect. I take pride in my accomplishments and am already looking forward to what new adventure awaits. This fall I plan to run a half marathon with my father. In 2013, I will run the Chicago marathon.