Major, (5/9/12)

Major has been a loyal Downtown YMCA member for several years. Just recently however, a checkup at the doctor quickly motivated him to start focusing on a healthier overall lifestyle. Determined to lose weight and get physically fit, Major lost a total of 60lbs in just 4 ½ months! Major's exercise routine consists of heavy cardio workouts including but not limited to, Treadmill interval training and using Cybex Strength Training equipment at least 3 times a week.

Major has put in 33 years of dedicated service to the Caddo Parish Sheriff's Department and is still going strong! When he's not out patrolling the streets, you might find Major out on the golf course or enjoying some of his favorite old Jimmy Buffet tunes on the weekends.

Katherine, (5/1/12)

Katherine has been a family member of the YMCA for over 10 years!  Her children participate in YSports and our Adventure Guides program.  Katherine enjoys taking group fitness classes at the Broadmoor Y including Boot Camp, Spin Class and Cardio Slam. 

Beverly, (5/1/12)

"Fitness clubs come and go but the Y will always be here."

Beverly has been a member of the Y since 1987....25 years! Her workout routine varies; she doesn't like to do the same thing every day. She works out several days a week, sometimes twice a day. Beverly uses the Downtown Y and the Broadmoor Y. When asked about her "routine" she will say "cross-train, cross-train, cross-train." She likes to swim, box, weight lift, and bike. Fitness classes are also part of her fitness regime. Every six weeks the Downtown Y will offer a new noon fitness class and Beverly always participates, Boot Camp to Gorilla, Beverly is there! She said that the fitness instructors will give you one-on-one help when needed and that each instructor does something different so no two classes are the same. Beverly never feels uncomfortable going to classes alone because she has lots of friends at the Y.

Favorite fitness classes: Spin, Pilates and Skinny Jeans
Other hobbies: Fishing, Motorcycle Riding and Firearms Practice

Suzanne, 43 (01/12/12)

I have been overweight for what seems like my entire life. You know 10 pounds here, 20 pounds there. I have tried many things: aerobics in the 80's, weight-loss shakes, Weight Watchers (4 times) and have experienced moderate success, but not sustained any of it. I also became convinced that gyms were full of people who needed to lose 10 pounds - I didn't belong there once I needed to lose more than 30 pounds! So I built walls that reinforced the great person I was in my character, and valuing that in others. All the while, feeling like a failure in the realm of physical fitness. I even convinced myself that I was not able to be physically fit, I couldn't run, I wasn't athletic. Of course this all reinforced the walls I had created that assured me that my value was inside and people worth knowing and loving would have to break through and see all that.

Reality has a way of cracking the walls until they fall apart. In September 2010, I learned that I had breast cancer, specifically, estrogen sensitive breast cancer. To say that my world was "rocked" is an understatement! I have a wonderful husband and two precious boys. Was breast cancer going to take me away from them? Fortunately, my breast cancer was small - ½ the size of a dime. And had I not gotten a mammogram, we would not have found it yet. This breast cancer would be curable with surgery! Curable! I took a moment to praise God for this blessing and in that moment, my life began to change. I learned that my cancer, because it was estrogen sensitive, was going to be the kind that would grow in the presence of estrogen. And, because of my obesity, as my body metabolized fat, that would increase the estrogen and increase future risk of cancer of this type. That's all it took for me to decide "It is finally time!" Finally time to take control of this part of my life - my health! I need to love my husband enough to spend all the time I can on earth with him. I need to love my kids enough to teach them healthy eating and exercise habits. I need to love myself enough to embrace the ME I have always been afraid to be.

In January 2011 I joined the Y (again for probably the 3rd time in my life) with the resolve that I would lose weight, be healthy and decrease my chances of ever hearing those words again - "you have cancer". In fact, I didn't just join - this is what I asked SANTA to bring me for Christmas was the membership! They started a program called Great Shape Up (similar to The Biggest Loser) and despite my fear and all the excuses I had previously used no longer worked. This was serious! So my husband and I embraced the program, learned to trust the trainers, put in the work, and I watched myself change! I began to lose weight! But not just that - I also began to feel differently about myself. I began to dream differently about who I wanted to be and how to get there? I set goals related to physical ability/accomplishment and reached them. The program ran for 3 months and about half way through, one of the trainers called me an athlete. I had never thought of myself that way . . . and I LOVED it! I completed my first 5K in April 2011.

I have gone on to lose 50 pounds! And I must admit, I have never lost that much weight in my life. It has not been easy, and I have not been perfect at it! I still eat Mexican food, and still watch television. But my head is different! I know what it takes to work off the Mexican food, so it is a choice I make. I am active about choosing how and what I eat and how and when I exercise, instead of life passing me by and just kind of going with the flow! To me, now, every day is precious . . .every choice is precious and necessary! I have an amazing group of encouragers who hold me accountable, and that means that sometimes they say the hard stuff to me like "stop thinking so much and just do what you know to do!" I am still on the journey of losing weight and being healthy. I still need my accountability partners every day. I am truly thankful for the YMCA and the impact they continue to make in my life. They encourage me to go for my goals, and I have had to lean on them when I couldn't believe in myself! They believed in my enough for me in the beginning! And now I see that I can do this, I am worth doing it and they will help me reach any fitness goal I have!

Your choice - keep sitting on the couch and this time next year you will still be kicking yourself over it, or get up and come to the Y and take control of YOUR health and fitness! You cannot imagine how awesome it feels!!!

My Story : Anonymous (11/10/09)

Not too long ago, I realized I had to make some changes if I was going to ever recover from some serious loss and change in my life that had crushed my spirit and left me overweight. While I was doing many positive things toward healing, I still wasn't getting there. Fortunately for me, that became obvious to a good friend. I remember her asking, "Would you think about joining the Y?" She said she worked out there, and that exercise would be good for me. I told her I'd think about it, as I recalled the last gym membership I had that I used maybe three times in a year. The next day I told her my answer was "yes." I figured I had nothing to lose.

This friend set me up with a trainer, and before I knew it, I had an exercise plan and a gym membership. At first, I went to work out because I knew my friend would be there. She would know if I didn't show up! Somehow, I kept coming back, day after day. I'm not sure when it happened, but one day I realized I really had come to love my morning exercise routine. I loved how it made me feel. I felt alive again and hopeful for the future. Exercise had become a means of releasing negative "stuff" that had been eating me up and weighing my spirit down. Along the way, my exercise time evolved into a devotional time too. My Ipod had a growing collection of contemporary Christian music on it that I listened to more and more while I pedaled along on the machines. I was so inspired by the music. My spirit was being fed and strengthened. What began as an activity for physical health was spilling over into my mental and spiritual health in a dramatic way. I had never felt better, the extra pounds melted away, and, for once, I really believed it when someone told me God loves me. Everything was coming together for me. I finally experienced healing from the past.

I have asked myself why I ever kept coming back. Spending hours in a gym had never appealed to me. What was different this time? My answer: the people. Many were so encouraging and took a genuine interest in me, including the trainer who set up my exercise plan. In fact, some well-timed notes from that trainer helped spur me on thru some low points, and, we became good friends. Looking back, it was if I was surrounded by a big group of cheerleaders. I was experiencing real, genuine affirmation and encouragement like never before as a conveyance of God's love. It was altogether breathtaking, humbling and awe-inspiring for me to realize that. What a huge difference it made and continues to make in me. I will be forever grateful for the experience.