Gary Ambrosius – Pre Holiday Meltdown Weight Loss Challenge Winner

       GARY AMBROSIUS

To All My Pro Fitness Friends:

First and foremost, I want to thank everyone at Pro Fitness for all the encouragement and advice I received during the weight loss challenge. I could not have done it without all of you! You all kept me motivated and helped me “stay the course”.

I entered the first weight loss challenge with minimal success.  My BMI indicator always stated I was “overweight”.  My goal was to get it closer to the “normal” range.  I realized if this was going to happen I would need to make some major changes to my diet and exercise routine. That is  what motivated me to enter the weight loss challenge.

I decided that I needed to exercise at the minimum 6 days a week and at a minimum of 45 minutes to 1 hour a day.  I made a commitment to get in the gym at the Y on Saturday and Pro Fitness on Sunday mornings!

Doug was very instrumental in giving me advice regarding my diet. I transitioned from eliminating bread, chips/pretzels, pasta, soda, and sweets from my diet. He provided valuable advice as to how to prepare steamed vegetables, such as asparagus, broccoli, spinach, and Brussels sprouts. I use a lot of fresh vegetables, placing them in a zip & steam bag.  Doug also advised me to add a little butter in the bag. I knew I needed more protein and he stated the best cuts are turkey, salmon, tuna, and lean chicken. Chrystal Zank has also been a huge help in helping me “stay the course”.  She gave me a lot of valuable advice regarding gluten free foods and how to “treat” myself every so often.

I will be donating any monetary winning from this challenge to the Cerebral Palsy Center. My reason for doing this is twofold. First and foremost, after my accident, I was wheel chair bound for approximately 4-5 months. I could not place any weight on either leg. The CP Center allowed me to have water therapy in their pool. They would wheel me into their pool and I would float to the deep end with the help of floatation devices and therapists. I would also do non-weight bearing stretching and water jogging. With their help and over time I was able to walk up the ladder and out of the pool. I would not be where I am today without their help. That organization is my favorite charity!

The second reason is that I consider Pro Fitness my extended family. It is the encouragement, advice, and help from all of you that helped me get to where I am today. THANK YOU all, especially Doug, Chrystal, and Colleen.  Colleen also helped me when I was frustrated and feeling the weight loss was not going as planned. She would tell me “it is a journey, not a race”.  In closing, I hope to continue seeing everyone at the gym and if I can lend any advice please let me know.  I would love to share my journey with you all!  I would also share my personal mantra with everyone and that being “Breathe Gary”.

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