Page 5 - Healthbeat June 2016

‘I LOST 152 POUNDS.’
success story Name: Sally Hughes
From: Conway Age: 26
Occupation: Customer service agent for Fidelity National Information Services
Starting weight: 357
Current weight: 205
My story: I have been struggling with my weight my whole life. I was always a little curvier than my peers, but my weight really skyrocketed when I went to college. The more I gained, the harder it was to do basic activities that a woman my age should be able to do with ease. I dieted with friends and alone, but I couldn’t stick with anything and would regain all the weight that I lost, plus some. I had given up on myself and felt very alone, even though I know I wasn’t. In October of 2014, I was at an all-time low at my highest weight. I was fed up. I started thinking about having weight-loss surgery. I hadn’t done a lot of research on it in the past because that seemed like a last resort, but I was at that point. I started looking into gastric-bypass surgery and made my appointment for the seminar in January 2015. My surgery was scheduled for July 1, 2015, and I haven’t looked back since. Dr. Mark Gibbs gave me the tool to change
my life forever.
My eating plan: I have a basic phi- losophy when it comes to food. I do not eat more that 8-10 grams of fat and 8-10 grams of sugar in anything I eat. I also make sure to get in 60-80 grams of protein a day. I try not to overanalyze, and I just keep things simple. The one thing this new tool has taught me is portion control.
My exercise plan: I take my dog for walks, and I have a membership to a local gym. I plan to incor- porate more fitness into my daily routine. I really love Zumba, and I hope to start riding horses again
soon.
My goals for the future: This is a hard question to answer because there is so much I am looking forward to in my future. I definitely want to shed some positive light on bariatric surgery and how helpful it can be if you follow your surgeon’s instructions. I have my life back, and I don’t plan to
waste any more time not living life to the fullest.
fast fitness SUMMERTIME CALLS FOR FLEXIBILITY
TABATA ROUTINE OFFERS FAST, INTENSIVE WORKOUT WITH NO SPECIAL EQUIPMENT
WITH AMY JACOBSEN, CERTIFIED PERSONAL TRAINER
The summer season is in full swing! For many of us, this means our schedules need to be more flexible to accommodate family vacations, weekend trips and other activities. To add to the confusion, the weather may be unbearably hot — or we could be hit with summertime thunderstorms.
Sticking to a regular fitness routine can be a challenge. However, whether you’re at home, at the gym or outside at the ballpark, pool or beach, your body is a con- stant element. A timed Tabata workout that requires only your body and a timer or clock is the perfect solution. The term Tabata refers to a workout during which you perform a specific exercise for 20 seconds and rest for 10 seconds for eight rounds. Your total workout can be as short as four minutes if you do only one exercise — but I recommend incorporating more than one exercise for a longer workout.
Here’s a 20-minute Tabata routine that incorporates five exercises for a workout that’s short and sweet — and tough.
• Pushups
• Squats
• Mountain climbers • Jumping jacks
• Burpees
Remember to per-
form each exercise for
a total of four minutes, alter-
nating 20 seconds of exercise
with 10 seconds of rest. Rest
about two minutes between
each exercise, drink plenty of
water, and do not give up! Stick to
the timing, and you’ll get a beneficial and fun workout in a short amount of time.
Amy Jacobsen is an American Council on Exercise-certified personal trainer and an Aerobics and Fitness Association of America-certified group exercise instructor, and manager of Little Rock’s Downtown Athletic Club. She holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in kinesiology and has nearly two decades of experience as a personal trainer.
I DID IT!
BEFORE
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