How Lisa Anderson Lost 75 Pounds! Exclusive Interview

LAUREN- Lisa… you went from weighing 212 pounds back in September of 2006 and today, you are 75 pounds lighter weighing in at 137 pounds! First of all, congratulations!

LISA- Thanks Lauren, I always say… “I am the luckiest girl I know” I not only look and feel better…but I am developing “real muscle”… I never knew I could.

LAUREN- I want to thank you for taking the time to share your story on this blog. You are such a model for the message I try to hammer in all the time, I thought it might be nice for everyone to hear it from someone who has been there and done it, and more importantly maintained it!

LISA- You have no idea how much I love to share hoping I can help and inspire others…I know what it is like to want to get healthy… feel better… want to like what you see in the mirror…I want others to know it is possible… just believe in yourself… it’s worth the time…

LAUREN- Was there a root cause for why you put on so much weight in the first place? Did you address this issue in order to lose the weight and keep it off?

LISA- Life just happens.  Days turn into weeks, which turn into months and eventually into years! I still don’t know how that happens… time just seems to fly by and that “starting date” of Monday or the first of the month never seems to come.  I kept putting if off and before I realized it… I found myself 49 years old and weighing 212 lbs.

I was shocked needless to say.  I definitely avoided mirrors and having my picture taken for so long. I just kept wearing the sweat pants with the elastic waist and denying what was truly happening to my body and to me.

I had spent approximately a year taking care of my sick mother not to mention my 4 children and husband and completely did not think about my own self and what was happening to me.

LAUREN- Was there a point where you just hit a wall, a time when something clicked inside you to make you want to change?

LISA- Like a lot of women… that ’something’ that clicked was the reality of facing my 50^th birthday!  Turning 50 was bad enough but I did not want to be FAT AND 50. I finally asked myself… if not NOW… then WHEN?

As luck would have it… right after school started in 2006 I had an old friend come by and ask me to start walking with her. We walked that first day and by day 2 she said her knees were hurting her and she asked me to go her gym with her and take a water aerobics class at LA Fitness. I had never taken a water aerobics class before.  That alone was my “true beginning” of my journey.

Once I walked inside that gym… something just “clicked” and I remembered how 30 plus years before I had worked out at a gym and loved it at the time. I had forgotten all these years how much I really did enjoy the gym.  I knew that I was not going to leave before signing up and joining which I did and I can honestly say I can probably count on both the hands the number of times I have missed a day in the gym…

I am currently now trying to incorporate 2 rest days in my schedule as I know now how important it is to have true rest days and recovery days in order for your body to develop and perform at its greatest potential… this is actually the hardest part of my training regimen.

It was a real ‘eye opener” when I got on the scale for the first time and saw that I weighed 212 lbs.  Lauren, I weighed 222 lbs when I was 9 months pregnant and my baby weighed 10-1/2 lbs. I was so shocked!  I couldn’t even begin to comprehend those numbers. I was only 10 lbs less than I weighed when I was 9 months pregnant with a 10-1/2 lb baby inside? Oh my goodness! I knew then… at that moment… I was making a change and the only person who could do that for me was ME.

This is not a competition with anybody else but ME.  Everyday as I went to gym and I would be struggling on the treadmill at a 3.2 speed for 45 minutes trying to walk without holding on. I asked myself the same question I ask myself today… “How bad do I want it?” and my answer is always the same, Lauren… even today if not more… I WANT IT BAAAAAAD!!!

I also found all the different classes offered at the gym to be most beneficial as well.  I couldn’t afford a personal trainer but I attended as many classes as I could including step, body sculpting, spin, kickboxing, yoga, if there was a class being offered in the morning while I was there, I was attending.

Of course like everybody you feel awkward at first… kind of shy… but let me tell you…  just walk through those doors… remember EVERYBODY has a first day and it takes time to develop your own strength and fitness level.

The hardest class I attend and still do every Wednesday morning from my now good friend, Joyce… she was my inspiration. When I saw her fitness level and I was huffing and puffing…  something again just clicked inside and I knew… THAT was the kind of fitness level I wanted to obtain. And now all these years later, she is still challenging me every Wednesday morning and I am so thankful she does.

I have come a long way since the first day I took her class…  In fact, I will never forget her first words she said to me as I stood shyly in that room with a step bench in front of me on just 2 sets of risers… she came over to me and said…  Have you ever taken a step class before?  Ha ha ha… as I stood there in my oversized T-shirt and sweatpants I humbly answered, “Yes, about 4 years ago I did a Cher step VCR tape at home”… yikes… little did I know what Joyce was going to put me through there.

In a matter of minutes I was taking those risers off that bench and amazed at what she was able to do.  Every Wednesday is different with Joyce, sometimes just a bodyweight day, sometimes all plyometric exercise (yuck), some days strength training, etc. but every class I know I am being challenged to my ultimate and that is important to remember… we MUST challenge ourselves. We must look forward to stepping outside our comfort zone and become amazed at what we really are able to accomplish! It is incredible indeed.

And speaking of Joyce, regarding picture taking… TAKE PICTURES… it is a MUST… the mirror and scale does not reflect what is truly happening to our bodies…but a picture does. She kept trying to get me to take a “before picture” but I did not want to see my true self. Now I know how important that really is to do.  Remember, that first picture… if you stick to your plan… YOU WILL NEVER look like that again and it is a good reminder of where you truly started.

My one regret was NOT taking pictures in the beginning and I always encourage people to do that so you can really see your transformation taking place.  My now good friend Joyce tried to tell me… but I wouldn’t listen… I did not want my picture taken when I was so HUGE.

My first before picture…  is not a true before picture. I actually outgrew the jeans in the picture… it was so sad the day I had to buy a pair of jeans for a meeting I had to attend and I had to buy a size 18/20… I was mortified!

I really think that is another problem today… the sizes that we can buy in the store just keep getting bigger and bigger as we as a society keep growing.  Remember when the largest size you could buy was a size 16, 18 or 20?  Then it was moo moos or sweat pants only… it kind of brought you back to the reality of your situation… only now we can just keep buying a larger size…

LAUREN- Yes, that is true about our society. So was it the clothes continually not fitting that did it for you?

LISA- That was a main concern of mine… but honestly Lauren, I have to admit… deep down it was that old biological clock ticking… 50 was just a year away… I had to do SOMETHING…

LAUREN- I can appreciate the age factor being your age… Your mind is still the same but the number freaks you out a little. For a lot of people they use the “age card” as an excuse that it too late, or just impossible. Obviously, age can make it more challenging, but you are proof that it is not impossible, and I hope a lot of 50+ year olds reading this will see you as a role model and be inspired to take action.

Tell us how you lost 75 pounds.

LISA- I was truly committed Lauren.  Totally. I had lost weight in the past only to put it back on again.  I never did it the right way though.  The last time I lost weight I was running 3 to 4 miles a day and only eating a bowl of Crispix cereal! That was crazy.  I was getting thin, but my friends kept telling me I was losing my hair, which I was.

Of course, in about a year’s time I stopped running, took back up to bad eating habits and put that weight back on.  We have all played that game before.  It is important to fuel the body. We must eat.

I transcribed an interview for somebody whose client lost 125 lbs and he made the greatest statement… he said in all the years past of dieting and trying to lose weight… he was “Starving himself FAT”.

Think about it.  How many people “starve” themselves all day long thinking that is how to lose weight and by the time they get home from work… they eat everything in sight!  It is the absolute worst time of the day.  Our body has to have food in order to run properly and burn fat.

I finally understand that now. We have to eat…it is part of the PLAN. Nutrition is 80% of this game and if you do not do that part correctly, it is not going to happen for you.

It is about making choices and decisions about how you want to live your life.  I am so energized every day…it is a gift to myself as well.

My “secret” in the beginning was to keep a homemade pot of vegetable soup in my refrigerator so that when I came home from the gym I had something healthy already fixed. I would add to my soup something different everyday depending on any leftovers the night before.  It really helped me.

Now of course I know it is important to eat 3 meals a day and incorporate 2 snacks, which I do.  I also was dedicated to the gym and I still am.  I also know how to work out at home on my own, but I really needed that social support.

I think of stepping outside of my house and being around others in the gym, is my social outlet as well.  I have made so many great friends along the way and have been given so many amazing opportunities now in the fitness field.

Do not be afraid to challenge yourself or try new things.  I thought back in the day it was all about being able to do your workout with no sweat and no problem. 30 years ago when I was going to the gym I did the same exact workout every day. Every day I went, I did the same circuit of exercises and of course it got to the point where it was easy to do it.

I thought that was my accomplishment when in reality you never want to just be able to do your workout.  You must be challenged.  You must get your heart rate up.  You must get out of your comfort zone.  You must try new things and have new programs.

LAUREN- Did you have a mentor, other people in your social circle supporting you or accountability to anyone?

LISA- My only accountability was to ME and it still is.  Seriously…I was that dedicated, I was that lucky.  I do encourage everybody to have a support system… somebody to be accountable to.

I am currently starting my own 30-day challenge with the classes I teach at LA Fitness and I am hoping that by making everybody not only accountable to themselves but to use me as well. We are going to support and encourage each other to reach our August goal… no matter what it is.

I have some people who have signed up to do 50 pushups a day, can you imagine? Another is giving up eating a bowl of cereal late at night. Another person is taking the challenge to drink at least half their bodyweight in ounces of water.  They are all so different but still a goal… and that is very important. As you accomplish your goals it gives you a deep sense of pride and just sparks the passion to move on to your next goal.

What greater reward is there than to be proud of oneself?  I love that… to be PROUD OF ME… it is just awesome!  As women we spend so much time encouraging others, we fail to remember just how important we are, too.  We must remember that it is okay to take a little time out of our life for it to be “JUST ABOUT ME”… we owe that to ourselves.

LAUREN- What was your biggest challenge while you were making your transformation?

LISA- My biggest challenge really was that just 5 months after I started my journey I was having bunion surgery.  That was in February but I was NOT going to let that stop me either. I spent 1 week at home and anxious to get back to the gym.

I actually hobbled along on my shoe boot and slid a chair around with me so I could elevated my foot while working on my upper body on the machines.  A few weeks later I was given the go ahead from my doctor, where I could actually do my cycling class with my big boot sitting on top of the foot pedal.

Nothing Lauren… NOTHING was going to stop me again, not even a bad foot. Soon I was on the elliptical machine, too. I will have to say my friends at the gym were amazed at my tenacity. It’s so easy to find excuses to stop, and I didn’t want that to happen… not ever again.  This is the only life I have.

I often feel like I cheated, only because I just love the fitness life… and having the time to do it. That in itself makes a difference as well. Up until a few weeks ago, I was a part time medical transcriptionist out of my house…  so I would spend my mornings at the gym, and the afternoons I would type.

Not everybody has that kind of lifestyle that enables him or her to go to the gym as I do. I know how lucky I am indeed…  but we have to make the time to take care of ourselves.

I just don’t know what the answer is Lauren…

…But like I tell my friends who keep asking me “how” I did it or how do I keep inspired or is there an end to my journey…

I always reply… if everybody knew what it felt like to feel good… they wouldn’t want to feel any other way. NO, there is no end to my journey. Each day is just a new beginning. I love that!

Don’t you just love how we are able to do whatever we want with our bodies, Lauren! I LOVE IT.

I just discovered this passion of mine as a 50th birthday present to myself. I was NOT going to turn 50 and be fat! My birthday is in September.  I walked into the gym September 9, 2006 weighing 212 lbs. It was horrible.  By June, I weighed 149 lbs., and by my 50th birthday I was smiling big time.

Now, I am a certified personal trainer, teach 2 body-sculpt classes and a spin class at my gym where my journey started… and have found my passion in life.

I just want to inspire other people our age that just because we turn 50… IT AIN”T OVER… we can still accomplish more than we ever imagined.  Now I weigh about 137 lbs., but more than that… I have beautiful MUSCLE and I continually kick my ASS every day trying to challenge myself.

I love playing with the big boys as well. Give me a sled to push, a big barbell to play with, a tire to flip, a big boy pull-up, a kettlebell to swing, and I’m one happy girl!

Life is SOoooooo GOOD!

I have 2 friends opening up their own gyms and I get to work there as well as a trainer and anything else they need me to do. I just keep learning along the way. I hope you can see now why I say, “I am the luckiest girl I know.”

LAUREN- Lisa, it doesn’t surprise me that you have managed to maintain your ideal body weight because you fill all the requirements… You continue to network with like-minded people, eat well and exercise on a high level, always challenging yourself, and you have taken on a leadership position as a trainer and role model to support others… including posting on this blog!

I am sure your story will inspire and motivate others. I appreciate you so much for sharing your story!

LISA – It is my pleasure Lauren.  Thank you so much for letting me share my story. If I just inspire one person, it is all worth it.

We all know what it is like to dream about that body we want and get frustrated because we just don’t know how to go about getting it. There is NO MAGIC POTION, NO MAGIC PILL, NO MAGIC FORMULA…  it is the REWARD while on the journey, the discovery of whom we really are deep down inside that keeps us moving forward.

Once the mind-body connection is made… that is when all the magic begins to happen.  Once you realize how badly you want it, and you feel it in your heart and your soul, the magic begins and your body responds.

Trust me, if I can do it, any of us can do it. We are worth it. It is finally ok to say… “IT IS ALL ABOUT ME.”  Thanks to you Lauren, for all you do and all you share with us out here in cyberspace. It is truly a pleasure. You too are making a difference, and I thank you for that.

I just did the Peachtree Road Race, a 10K that is run every 4^th of July here in Atlanta, GA.  Over 55,000 people run this event. This year I proudly ran it with 3 of my 4 children. It is up to us to set an example to our children as well.

Wishing everybody their best day yet…and like the old Nike advertisement says… JUST DO IT!

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