Betsy Wade, one of our amazing Milestone members, recently shared how her life has changed in the last year. We love her courage, honesty and willingness to share her story as it has the potential to inspire others! Milestone is thrilled we could be a part of Betsy's journey. Read her exert below. You go girl!
What a Difference a Year Makes
On Tuesday, I celebrated my one-year fit-versary* surrounded by a group of special friends at the Imagine Dragons concert at the KFC YUM Center.
Going through a divorce and raising a child as a single parent had taken its toll on me emotionally and physically. Despite my daily runs, I had gained more than 30 pounds. I wasn’t eating healthy and I felt terrible.
So last year I took a week-long staycation to get back on track. It changed the course of my life. I kicked it off with a peaceful weekend at Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill where I went kayaking on the Kentucky River, paddle boarding on the pond and did yoga in the 200-year-old Centre Family Dwelling.
When I returned to Louisville on June 16, I walked back into the Baptist Milestone Wellness Center where I had been a member for years and I recommitted myself to fitness. I looked at the class schedule and randomly walked into Jeffrey Howard’s 20-20-20 – that’s 20 minutes of Shred, 20 minutes of Tabata and 20 minutes of Power Sculpt. Despite having just completed a half marathon, I could barely walk after the high intensity intervals and went to bed with my muscles twitching. I knew I was where I needed to be.
I returned every day that week and the next and the next and the next. I hired Jeff as my personal trainer and he said he would work with me for six weeks. But he is still stuck with me a year later. He helped me change my diet and through consistency and discipline he helped me shed 33 pounds and 6 sizes in 12 months. I went from being blue to bright and I’m back to being me.
While Jeff has been my guide on my journey over the last year, there are many others who have helped me move from the back row to the front of class. Without them I wouldn’t be where I am today. In different ways, they all are an inspiration to me.
So thank you to Cindy Philpott, Laura McCauley Wagner and Bobby Wagner, Jennifer McCall and Troy Kuhl, Kim and Wade Davis, Vince and Mary Tichenor, Amy Joseph Landon, Marilyn Wainright, Mark Eliason, Summer Eliason, Sarah Medley Peace, Diane Kelton, Chuck Bent, Aimee Goff, Suzanne Slaven, Amy Higgs, Ballet (Lynn) and all of the others who sweat through Jeff’s classes every day.
As people have watched me morph back into myself over the last year they have asked me how I got to where I am and what I’ve learned. So here are my top 10 lessons:
1. Consistency is key. Do some type of exercise at least once a day.
2. Discipline with diet is a must. If you cheat you are only cheating yourself.
3. If you don’t feel like exercising do it anyway because it will make you feel better.
4. Always keep a bag packed with your workout gear. You never know when your schedule will change.
5. Work out with people and teachers you like.
6. Find someone who will help hold you accountable.
7. Set realistic goals.
8. Change up your workouts to keep your body guessing.
9. Stay positive.
10. And most importantly, have fun.
June 16 will always be a special day on my calendar - my fit-versary.
