By Maria Ferreira, Member at Renaissance ClubSport Walnut Creek

 

I never thought I would end up overweight. I had spent most of my life as a very fit and competitive runner, so I exercised a lot. But at 53 years old, as a mother of two with a very stressful job that required lots of travel and commuting, I found myself with 20 pounds too many. Unable to lose the weight on my own, I knew I had to do something different.

 

If you've ever lost weight, you know it typically starts with looking at yourself in the mirror, seeing the few extra pounds that have gathered around your waist, and wanting a change. In my case, no mirror was needed — my body was telling me I needed a change.

Over the past several years, my life had been defined by the stresses of work and life as a single parent living in a city just north of Los Angeles. At work, I routinely clocked over 60 hours a week in a high-stress environment, and I found myself in the habit of winding down with several glasses of wine with dinner and dessert most nights. The only nice gym was 30 minutes away, and I was unwilling to spend that kind of time driving to work out, especially with a son at home.

By Anuj Dua, Member of ClubSport San Jose

 

I ran my first Bridge to Bridge race in San Francisco this year — a 12K run that began at the Ferry Building in and ended at the Marina Green. While the run was grueling, any fatigue was well masked by glorious views of the bay and the Bollywood playlist pounding in my ears.

 

As a kid, I was never super skinny, but I wasn’t overweight either. Eventually, “life happened” and, after finishing grad school, all of my time became consumed with the usual grind and made no time to take care of myself. I put everything before me: job, home, and my kids.

I clearly remember the day I attended my first REV32 info night. I was a member of ClubSport San Jose and had been working at my weight loss goals for over a year, but I hadn't seen enough progress. As I sat there listening to the presentation, one particular sentence grabbed my attention: "What is your why? This is your driving force."