Coppell, TX
Meet Dave Lacinski
Basic Information: Name, occupation, where you live, and how long you have been in the Get You In Shape program.
My name is Dave Lacinski and I am a marketing director at Texas Instruments. I live in Coppell with my wife Linda. We have one son Brian; he graduates from Texas Tech in December. Linda and I started with the Get You In Shape program at the beginning of April.
Where were you at in your life before Get You In Shape? What did your life
look like?
Before we joined Get You in Shape, I was out of shape, ate way too much, generally felt terrible and had zero energy. My blood pressure, weight and waist line were increasing every time I went for my annual physical. It was clear I needed to do something different in my life. Linda and I plan to live a long life together and physically I was just going in the wrong direction.
Why did you join Get You In Shape?
I joined Get You In Shape initially because my wife Linda thought it was something we could do together to make some health improvements and hopefully regain some of the lack of energy we were struggling with. I liked the structure of the program. I was able to plan my workouts at a time that was convenient for me and I was able to go at a pace that was reasonable for someone in my physical condition. I liked the approach of the group setting and having it outdoors was a definite plus.
What was your first experience or first impression with Get You In Shape?
My initial sessions with Get You in Shape were a bit stressful. You really never know just how out of condition you are until you start to stress your system a bit! To be honest, I struggled during the first week. But, an amazing thing happened to me, — I actually lost weight! By the end of the first 4 sessions, I was actually feeling different. By the fifth session, much to my surprise I was actually looking forward to going to the workouts. The environment was very positive. The personal trainers were super encouraging. No one was yelling at you because you couldn’t do all the reps. It was a good positive experience and was something I was actually enjoying not only physically but also the mental work break that comes with working out.
What are some of the tools from the Get You In Shape program that have helped you?
The tools I have benefited from most are the Trainer Tips, The 24 Day Challenge, bi-weekly measurements and the general nutrition information that both Linda and I were able to use to help us change our eating habits. Since work travel almost always interferes with some structure, the Workout ABCs are very helpful to me. It’s something I can follow while on business travel, and that Linda and I can do when on personal travel, and makes it easy to get a workout planned. The bi-weekly measurements are a great way to keep motivated. Sometimes the weight doesn’t change much but the inches continue to melt away which gives you some great feedback.
What do you like most about the Get You In Shape Program ?
There are 4 points which really stand out for me to describe what I like the most about the program and allowed me to tailor my plan to meet my goals.
· The trainers are great folks. They are genuinely enthusiastic about the progress each of the participants is making. It’s amazing that they can all have a sense of humor at 5:30 AM! It wouldn’t be near as much fun without their enthusiasm.
· The structured program of working out targeting various muscle groups and mixing in cardio makes the workouts interesting.
· The availability of support by Brad and the entire Get You In Shape team has been awesome. If you have a question about workouts or nutrition or just some words of encouragement, they are there to help.
· I like the flexibility of the program to allow you to add other items to your plan. Things like some Saturday workouts, the 24 Day Challenge, additional Cardio each offer benefits that helped me move forward.
How has the Get You In Shape program helped change your life?
I think the starting point for this question has to be asking if things did change in your life. In my case as well as Linda’s the answer is a resounding YES! Since both of us were in the program, we began to see how, as Brad says “Focus on Change and you get results” makes sense. We have focused on eating differently and getting our workouts in. In turn the changes we have made have boosted our energy levels and increased out endurance and stamina. The added strength of our core has helped improve our posture that had degraded from sitting in an office all day. I think we actually eat less but feel much better. I no longer feel exhausted at the end of the day even with a stressful work environment. My blood pressure is dropping steadily and while I have a bit more to do, I feel like I am on the right track. When you feel good physically and mentally your approach to life’s every day challenges is much different.
What is your proudest moment or results from the Get You in Shape program?
Initially my proudest moment was surviving the first week of the boot camp. But I can say today, that seems to be in the distant past. Each week I find myself feeling stronger. I now run the mile in under 8 minutes when I started out in April at over 10 minutes. I participated in the 24 Day Challenge and lost over 12 lbs and numerous inches. It’s been over 60 days since I finished the Challenge and I am still losing weight and inches due to the bootcamp workouts and healthy eating habits.
How has the Get You In Shape Program impacted other areas of your life?
As I had mentioned earlier, the key areas for me were my overall general health and my energy level. Feeling better and having increased energy level has helped me immensely at work to stay focused and be mentally sharp during a long day of meetings, crises of the day and other work related issues. Linda says I’m happier, too. My overall confidence level is being restored. I am no longer the fat guy at the end of the table!
Since Linda and I have seen similar physiological improvements, we now plan our meals together, shop for the groceries and generally provide the motivation for each other to “stay with the program”. We have made the changes in our lives a positive experience for the both of us.
What are the results that you have achieved from the Get You In Shape program and how has Get You In Shape played a role in your results?
Since joining the program at the beginning of April, I have lost over 27 lbs and 20 inches. These “gains” have enabled me to lower my blood pressure a significant amount. My body shape is very different now than what it was 7 months ago. I have dropped a pant waist size and a wear a size smaller in my shirts. As a side note, when I wear my “old” clothes – I look like I am wearing my brother’s clothes (He’s much bigger than me)! It’s actually quite shocking when I think about all that “extra stuff” I was hauling around. No wonder I was always tired and hungry.
