Client Profile:
Terri Tartaglione-Nelson
Terri is on a mission to be fit for the rest of her life. And the staff at Bronco's Gym in Madison, N.J. believes that she'll do it.
This wife, mother and business owner has found the answer to balancing a busy schedule with optimum fitness and solid nutrition. We decided to highlight Terri's effort and to ask her a few questions in order to inspire others:
First of all, congratulations on your success. We have quietly been observing your steady progress over the past several months and thought you might want to share a few insights so that folks could learn from you. So, the first question is: When did you begin and how long did it take to see results?
Thank you very much, I feel great. I have sporadically come to Broncos Gym over the past 9 years but have never stayed with the program and was easily distracted from my goal. In February of this year, following a trip to Europe, I weighed 170 pounds, none of my clothes fit me and I felt unhealthy. I started back at the gym in the first week of February and I started to see the first results at the beginning of March.
We know that you work full-time in your own business and have a busy schedule. How do you find the time to fit in your exercise?
I was determined to make it fit to my schedule; I worked with Charlene to find a schedule that would work. I come to the gym three times per week- one day at 7:00 am and two days at 8:00 am. I live in a townhouse that has a community fitness center; so on the days I was not with Charlene I did cardio in the fitness center. I always told myself that I had to do it in the morning because if I tried to do it in the evening I would find an excuse not to exercise. When I traveled I always made sure that the hotel had a fitness center and that I took my gym clothes with me. I am not an outside “runner or walker,” so it is safer for me to be regimented to an “indoor gym” schedule.
Are there any obstacles that you had to overcome? How did you do it?
ALCOHOL was the biggest challenge by far. We are in the wine and liquor business and there is a lot of entertaining, visiting customers and as my husband says “bringing work home.” It got to a point where we were drinking two bottles of wine at night – it tasted great but it also packed on the calories. I stopped drinking altogether and would instead drink green tea. I knew that if I wanted to lose weight and become healthy I had to change the way I did things.
Diet for most people is the biggest challenge. It’s nearly impossible to find the kind of foods necessary for weight loss goals at most eateries, so do you prepare your own foods? Is there a system that you use to stay consistent?
Charlene told me a long time ago “if you eat the same thing every day you don’t have to make choices” and some of those choices might lead you in the wrong direction. So I eat the same meals every day - a protein shake for breakfast, Greek yogurt 2 hours later, grilled chicken along with a vegetable or salad and a sweet potato or brown rice for lunch; an apple two hours later and the same lunch for dinner less the potato or rice. If we go out to dinner and I am concerned about how the chicken is prepared, I will have a piece of grilled salmon. I also shop once a week and make a large batch of chicken and portion everything out into containers for the week ahead.
What advice can you give others who may be struggling to be consistent and to make the right choices?
Go to Bronco’s! Nothing else has ever worked for me - I have tried dieting on my own - it never worked. It takes a plan and someone who will guide you along. The one thing I always wrestled with was the money, especially in today’s economy – should I be putting it elsewhere? But at the end I put it in the best place possible – the investment in my health and future. Also keep in mind that the results don’t come immediately; they take time, and once you start to see the results you don’t want to stop. Today, I saw a neighbor at the beach who I have not seen or spoken to since September -she looked at me and said “you look fabulous – you’re so thin.” I felt fabulous – it was so worth it.
Finally, do you see yourself as a fit person in the years to come? And how do you plan to make that happen?
This has now become a lifestyle for me; it’s a new way to live. I crave greens and ensure I have apples on hand. I can drink, but not every night, and not 2 bottles of wine. I know my limitations- I can have a cookie but not two. I weigh myself daily. I have lost a total of 33 pounds and my goal is to lose another 7 by my 50th birthday next month. I am restaging my life and I will never let myself get like this again.
Way to go Terri! You are an inspiration to all of us and we wish you all the best as you move forward with your goals. See you at the gym!