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Tracey Theal is 38 years old, married with two children, ages eight and six. By losing 25 per cent of her initial body fat during our summer 2009 Lean & Mean Challenge, Tracey was our second-place finisher.

“It’s important to me to set the expectation for my children that you are fit at all ages.” As an avid water skier, it’s also important to Tracey that she feels strong enough to do the activities that she wants to do without fear of hurting herself.

Working with fitness trainer Tad Desimone has made a difference for her. “I work out before the children get up and then I don’t have to think about it again in the day.” She’s an early riser: 4:30 a.m. works around her family life. “If I don’t get it done, I’m highly motivated by guilt. I notice everyone running and my not having done my workout causes me stress!”

Trainer Tad Desimone mentioned the Lean & Mean Challenge to her in the spring of 2009. She was in between goals. Having recently run a half marathon, she had also just come back from Christmas/winter vacation having enjoyed a few too many drinks by the pool. She took on the challenge.

Keeping a food journal was an eye opener for Tracey. “I put more in my mouth than I thought”. She discovered that when she was out during the day that although she might grab her favourite coffee, a loaf would often come along with it. Too much of that was going on. She was grabbing high calorie snacks instead of planning a meal. At home, we focus on healthy foods. I don’t have a lot of time for fancy cooking. We also try to stay away from things in packages.

Tracey has a commitment with her trainer Tad Desimone. They work together once per week. “I feel that I can never fall too far off track. Next week starts all over again.” Her new goal is to make her cardio sessions more interesting. She is getting back on track after her summer break.

If you struggle with your fitness, she says, “Find the right time for you to exercise and never question your commitment. I don’t put myself in a position to justify it.” I feel better about myself after. Not every workout has to be your best, but getting it done is better than not. “Having a personal fitness trainer working with me is critical.... It takes away the decisions about what to do and lets me focus on the doing. Tad is great.”