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Name: Amanda and Keith Flick
Age: Amanda: 31, Keith: 33
Height: Amanda: 5'2", Keith: 5'8"
Before Weight: Amanda: 223 pounds, Keith: 265 pounds
How I Gained It: We both have struggled with our weight most of our lives. We never cooked, ate out almost every night. Alcohol and junk were big parts of our diets.
Amanda's Breaking Point: I wanted to be an athlete. I was tired of sleeping in all day and feeling worthless because I was never active. I woke up one Sunday at 1 p.m. and realized that I had wasted so much of my day. Also, complications with my autoimmune disease called CREST syndrome had started to worsen. I knew it was up to me to improve my quality of life.
How She Lost It: Running was the first step. I made a New Year's resolution to run a 5K. I started dieting and working out with a Jillian Michaels DVD and the elliptical machine. That following June, I ran my first 5K. After a knee injury, I took time off from running and gained 15 of the 50 pounds back. I called a personal trainer for an intervention! From there, my weight loss really took off, and I completed my first full marathon in Chicago on October 13, and now I am actually a personal trainer at the gym!
Our newest adventure is CrossFit. I go online and attempt the workout of the day. I've found a passion and new hobby that keeps me happy and healthy! I'm living a life better than I had ever imagined. Instead of staying up late and sleeping all day, I'm at the gym by 5 a.m. I've traded beer, cigarettes and junk food for water, running shoes and clean eating! I never thought about being a personal trainer, but was encouraged by my trainer and gym friends to go for it. I absolutely love it and realized I have a passion for it.
Keith's Breaking Point: After about a year of watching Amanda lose weight and get healthy, I knew I had to do something because she was looking better and better, and I had to step it up! I ordered a shirt and couldn't wear it because it was too small. I was smoking cigarettes and still eating fast food. I felt tired and unhealthy all the time. When I did something as little as bending over to tie my shoes, I couldn't breathe!
How He Lost It: I started eating better immediately and did the elliptical until that became too easy. At that point, I downloaded the Couch to 5K plan and started running. Then around the 200-pound mark, I decided to work out at the gym too. When Amanda started her personal training, I was her guinea pig. I now run three days a week and she trains me twice a week!
I feel generally good all the time now. I had high blood pressure, high cholesterol and sleep apnea. All of those problems are gone now. I used to have blood sugar issues that never bother me anymore. And now when I bend over to tie my shoes -- I can breathe! Because of Amanda's autoimmune disease, she has to eat a very strict diet, and I've found enjoyment in the challenge of seeking out new and healthy meals for the both of us. A healthier lifestyle has even helped me want to better others areas of my life: I now have the drive and energy to go back to school to finish my degree. I cook all of our meals and help Amanda with all the chores around the house.
After Weight: Amanda: 123 pounds, Keith: 175 pounds
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