6 months ago Courtney Holloway was almost a size 20 at 237.6 lbs. She didn’t like what she saw in the mirror, and hid under baggy clothes that wouldn’t show her body. As a nurse, she struggled keeping the pace at work, often running out of breath with tasks like walking up the stairs or running to a patient in distress. She has a five year old son who loves to run, and when she couldn’t keep up with him without troubled breathing she knew it was time to make a change. “The kids are active, and if I’m sitting out the entire time…” she trailed off, “it kind of makes you re-evaluate.” Now, Courtney is a size 12 and has lost almost 40 lbs and 3 ½ inches off her waist. The last time Courtney was a size 12 was when she got married almost 8 years ago. She had gone to school for nursing and made a habit of take out and ordering out. Once she started her family it became a balancing act of work, school, and home life. She made excuses, and though she did try to lose the weight every now and again, she gave up easily. “I would never have done it on my own,” said Courtney. In the past Courtney failed in reaching her goals because she lacked the support and accountability she needed to stay on track, which why she joined CNU Fit. Courtney took advantage of two of CNU Fit’s programs: metabolic coaching and personal training. Though the beginning was challenging, she lost 10 lbs in the first month, and continued to gain strength and drop body fat by using the support and accountability of her personal trainers and nutritional coach. The hardest part for her was the beginning; when Courtney started her journey at CNU Fit, she was an “eat out” person--the cafe at work was always there if she didn’t pack a lunch, and it was easier to go through a drive through than it was to make dinner every night. She was used to eating more than her body needed, so she relied on sure willpower and reminding herself that “if you don’t do it this way, you’re never going to see progress.” “Working out is only half of it,” she said. With the help of her nutritional coach she was able to start creating the healthy eating habits that were to accompany her personal training sessions and ultimately help her drop nearly 40 lbs. At work, her colleagues are starting to notice the weight loss. “It’s nice to be acknowledged by other people that I’ve lost weight,” she said. “My self confidence is definitely boosted.” Now, the biggest challenge she is facing is accepting the fact that she’s not a size 20 anymore. “I’m not used to my new body yet,” she said. Her mind still thinks she’s a size 20, so she instinctively buys the bigger sizes, only to have them fall of when she tries them on. “I can’t shop online anymore,” she laughed, “I actually have to try clothes on.” Her next big milestone is getting under 200 lbs. At her last weigh in she was 201.6, so she thinks it shouldn’t be long before she reaches this goal. Ultimately, she would like to get between 150-160 lbs. The mirror is not the only place reflecting her accomplishments: the other day at work the code bell got pressed and she had to sprint down a hallway to a patient, but this time she wasn’t out of breath, she was full of vitality. “There’s a tangible difference,” she said. Recently she went to the park with her son and was able to keep up with him. Her weight loss and habit changes are definitely “a positive influence in the house,” and she can’t wait to see what happens next. “I love CNU Fit,” she said. “They’re always supportive and encouraging. It’s like I have cheerleaders. I know I will reach my goals.”
