Craig & Atha of McKinney Build a Stronger Family with Exercise & Nutrition
*Note: Your results may vary, depending on the both the level of your compliance with our program and strategies, and the speed at which your unique body responds.
What caused you to look for a health and fitness solution?
Craig: We went to Disney World and decided we were out of shape walking around so we’re like, let’s start working out. I reached a plateau, we were both trying to lose weight and I was trying to gain some strength.
Atha: That’s true. We have a five-year-old daughter who we’ve been couch potatoes for, I guess our whole 14-year marriage basically and we didn’t want to be a couch potato for her so we needed to get up and get moving.
Why Elect Wellness?
Craig: We had a Christian background and that enticed us and also the three free sessions which gave us an opportunity to meet the trainer and…
Atha: Because we were really nervous about what it was like to have somebody come and exercise with you and not know them.
What did you notice first from your training?
Craig: My energy level is insanely better since I started training it’s just unbelievable what it’s done for a lot of aspects in our lives. Tom brought our intensity to who other level.
Atha: I really didn’t. I thought I didn’t but I didn’t know what intensity was.
Craig: That was another thing especially with Atha, helped with form and preventing injury and stuff. Atha’s come a long way in four of my exercises and it’s really helped her.
How many calories are you burning now during your 45 minute workout?
Usually in the 7 to 800 calorie range so much, much better than what I used to do. I probably was in the 2 or 300 calorie range workout.
How has in-home training helped?
Atha: It’s very convenient, it’s the hours, you know, the scheduling of the appointments were very good and it’s nice not to have to go to a gym especially when we worked out before we joined Elect Wellness but we didn’t really alter it. I didn’t really know what I was doing so, I mean, to go to a – I would have never went to a gym and tried to work out in front of people. It’s nice to work out at home. No need for childcare. We don’t have to do anything. She just plays in the comfort of her own home and comes and joins in, watches, and she’s actually, she’s five, and she started working out with us so she’s a real inspiration and our trainer when its Tom’s off day. So hopefully it will stick with her as she grows up.
What improvements have you noticed?
I feel better, not as tired and lethargic as I have been in the past. I’ve gotten quite a bit of weight off so that’s helped out a lot. I have muscles I haven’t had before.
Craig: Absolutely. I agree with everything she said, heart rates coming way down from around 90 to low 70’s approximately now so it’s a big help with me. Also, I kicked the nicotine habit, Tom helped me with that, just having the accountability and that’s been a 25-year habit so in some for nicotine gum, nicotine patch, it doesn’t matter.
Atha: Yeah!
Craig: So that’s awesome, it’s been three months and a couple of weeks, no nicotine! Yeah, he took my patches so I wouldn’t have that threat sitting over there on the counter.
Atha: I’ve lost inches so that’s nice. New clothes fit better. So from a 16 to a 12 or a ten somewhere in the last year so it’s been very nice to be able to get down to – I weigh what I weighed when I got married.
What about your nutrition?
We started last year, spring-ish, doing it on our own and we went into diet mode because I didn’t know really how to eat because especially as a female you just go, don’t eat anything or eat no fat and so when we first was trying to eat fat I didn’t – I couldn’t find fat because I didn’t want to eat fat. So I mean, but the balanced diet and nutrition has been tremendous. You’re held accountable for everything that you eat by doing a daily food log. They track it with you and give you feedback on what are you eating or why. They don’t tell you exactly what to eat or not to eat something they give you suggestions and choices of what to put in its place.
But, they do – it’s not a diet plan. They allow you to pretty much eat freely without feeling too much pressure but then you just get it to yourself that you want to do good and have good numbers.
Has your own nutrition coaching helped your daughter as well?
Olivia, she gets our eating habits and things. I mean, she’ll make – she’ll say she made a good choice or she’ll say, this is a poor choose when she chooses her options.
Craig: Today she wanted pizza and without saying pizza she said, I have a bad choice. I said, we’re going to go to lunch, I have a bad choice, pizza. So she’s…
Atha: I mean, she’s knowing the difference, I mean that’s one that the she…
Craig: She’s more aware of nutrition. Yep, he’s our food navigator, our nutrition navigator and we call him TomTom.
What would you say to someone considering Elect Wellness?
Atha: You should do it because if we can do it and stick with it then anybody would be able to do that and it’s actually brought us closer together.
What would you want to tell yourself when you feel like quitting?
It’s – I mean, it’s not worth it because we’ve come this far and for our daughter I just can’t sit on the couch and do nothing and have her grow up that way or have us not be around for her when she needs it the most.
Craig: It feels awesome. It feels awesome!
