Ana Danies

I became a member in June 2011.  I started personal training with Adam Shephard in September 2011, and we meet every 4 weeks. When I started training with Adam, I was struggling mostly with discipline.  I enjoyed going to the gym and working out, but it was hard for me to make it part of my routine.  It was also very hard to control my eating.  Adam encouraged me to have a checklist to keep track of the following goals: cardio (3/week), strength (2/week), nutrition (6 small meals/day), sleep (6 hours), and water intake (64 oz).  He also gave me several tips to modify my eating habits, including portion control and planning ahead.  The checklist has worked wonders.  I now do cardio and strength every day of the week.  I have much more energy now that I exercise daily and stay hydrated.  I still sometimes struggle with my eating because I love food, but it’s easier to keep on track if I follow Adam’s advice to plan ahead.

The main reason I wanted to get serious with my fitness goals was that I am a breast cancer survivor, and much of the literature I read while I was fighting this disease advised that the best way to reduce your chances of a recurrence are exercise and keeping a healthy weight.  So that’s what took me to the gym.  I really didn’t have an exact goal in mind, but I knew I had to lose weight and stay fit to stay healthy. There are lots of things at Milestone that have made me stay and continue working towards my goals (because, believe me, it’s not easy!).  First, Adam is a great trainer!  He knows not to be pushy, but is very patient, encouraging, and serious with his job, and he gives great advice.  Second, the staff is wonderful.  Every single time I go for my workout, I get words of encouragement and cheers from someone, and it feels great to know they are noticing my hard work!  Third, the gym has an excellent group exercise program.  I regularly go to Zumba for my cardio exercise, and it is so fun.  It doesn’t even feel like exercise!  The class instructors are phenomenal. I’ve tried before to accomplish fitness goals.

This is the first time I really feel I’m actually making a permanent change in my life style. I have lost approximately 25 lbs. and more importantly, I have gone down 2 dress sizes and I feel great!