Week 3-4

Briana and I began our work together on October 18. I am trying to get caught up on previous weeks now so that I can give accurate weekly updates.

Week three was Halloween week. I received a text from Briana's mom that day with a picture of Briana in her Halloween costume. She was dressed as a nun and looked angelic. I was looking forward to seeing her the next day to see how she had done since I last saw her. We had missed two lessons the previous week due to snow. I was a little worried that this might be a setback for us, but Briana had called me several times to let me know she had done her exercises. I loved getting her calls, and it boosted my confidence to know that she was inspired to do things on her own.

I weighed Briana on November 1. It was easier for her to maneuver onto the scale this time. Once she got on, I checked the numbers, then asked her to step off and do it again just to be sure. She weighed in at 224 pounds - a three pound weight loss after two weeks! I had estimated one to two pounds per week for her goal, and she was right there in the middle. I couldn't be happier and she was so proud and excited!

Her energy was up that day for our workout. It seemed like the positive news fueled her. She didn't get tired as quickly and didn't seem as frustrated. She did the treadmill again and we stretched our time to three minutes. Each time a minute passed on the clock, she said "Wow!" When she finished, she could barely contain her enthusiasm for making it to three minutes. I felt encouraged and looked forward to our next session together.

In week four, I decided to add more exercises into Briana's routine. I could tell that she was gaining stamina and endurance, and I wanted to challenge her. By this time, I knew when to push and when to back off. I was already seeing an improvement in her range of motion. I knew that we needed to add weight bearing exercises to stimulate her muscles and encourage the weight loss. So our training had evolved to include basic hand weights and larger movements in addition to the Pilates exercises. We had progressed from doing a handful of exercises in 45 minutes to doing 15 different exercises in 45 minutes, then ending with the treadmill and stretching. Briana was remembering the routine and liked to tell me what came next.

The three most important things I had learned by week four: Briana has a remarkable memory; she gets frustrated when she gets tired and when her muscles are sore; she will always do what she says she will do. These three things are my keys to her success. If I develop a routine that she can remember, she will do the work on her own. If I can help her get through those moments of frustration, she will push on and be happy with herself. If I set up a plan at the end of one session for what we will do on the next session, she will come ready to do it. Overall, we are definitely on the right track!