Katie's Journey

One of the most satisfying things of my job is to see real, life-changing results in my clients. As well, stories like Katie's help others like her realize that real results are possible. Here is Katie's story in her own words.

"Well, my story begins with a motorcycle accident on July 16th, 2006. A guy cut off my husband's motorcycle (I was riding on the back) trying to hit the exit ramp he just missed. I suffered from lots of road rash, a broken right radius, a badly sprained left knee and ankle, as well as a partially torn rotator cuff. (My husband also suffered from lots of road rash, a displaced bone in his hand and a broken scapula - shoulder bone.) Luckily I only had to have surgery on my broken radius, as the rotator cuff was only a partial tear. However, little did I know that I had just over 6 months of physical therapy ahead of me. At the hospital, I weighed a whopping 317 lbs and said that it was probably because of all the swelling and trauma that I weighed that much. My husband and I were in the hospital for four days and off of work for just over three months. During this time, I came to the realization that God had given me a second chance at life and I needed to take every opportunity that I could. It also brought up a lot of questions for me in regards to my weight - would my injuries have been this severe if I had been a smaller size? If I would've already been exercising would my body have recouped quicker, assuming the same injuries? All these questions lead me to believe that weighing less and being healthier would make my life better and that if God blessed me with this chance to better myself then I had to do something about it. so I decided it was time to start an exercise regimen.

In January 2007 (not a resolution, just a coincidence), I started working out at Gold's Gym. On the first day, I weighed 322 lbs - I was shocked and it almost brought me to tears! I had to push on and thought that it was a good thing I was there. I started by just walking on the treadmill, using the elliptical machine and using a few weight machines to help with my physical therapy homework. I was super self-conscious and felt like everyone was looking at me and saying, "WOW - she is huge." I was never one to be as self-conscious as I was when I first started working out. I just kept to myself and did my own thing, which is extremely out of character for me.

I met Debra Clark one day while I was doing my radius stretches (more physical therapy homework) after my workout and before her Aerobic Dance class. She invited me to join her class and I said I couldn't because I lived in Toledo and only worked here in Ann Arbor and needed to get home. She continued to say 'Hi' and invite me to join her class and said I would really like it. I eventually tried it and Debra was right - I did love it! It gave me something different to do other than the treadmill and the elliptical.

I started working with Debra after she gave me my "free" workout and we completely hit it off. At my first official weigh-in and measurements on 4/10/07, I weighed 316 lbs with a body fat % of 43.1%. I signed up for a training package with Debra that allowed me to workout with her once a week. Not only did she kill me with a lot of different cardio, she introduced weight training into my program. Within two months, I was down to 307 lbs and 41.6% body fat. The biggest change was my actual measurements - I had lost 14.5"! I have continued to work with Debra since last April and I have now lost a total of 40 lbs and 27" overall with a body fat % of 37.2% (a loss of 5.9%).

Since I first started working out, my outlook has changed on a lot of things! I came to realize that if people are looking at me, they are hopefully saying something to the affect of, "Good for her, she is here trying to make a difference in her life." I have also come to realize that everyone is there for the same reason, no matter what their size; everyone is there to be the healthiest they can be in one way or another. I have also learned that weight training is pivotal to any workout regimen. I never would've gotten where I am today without lifting weights. I have also realized that although my progress is much slower than I would like to see and I have a long way to go before I can go to the "maintenance phase", I am doing this the smart and healthy way - exercise and portion control while being conscious of what I am eating but not necessarily restricting myself to any one particular diet. Besides, this is not a diet but rather a life change and if I am going to stick with it; it has to be a slow change. I love my new lifestyle and wouldn't give up my workout times for anything!"