Member Spotlight

MEMBER SPOTLIGHT

Sonia, thirty pounds lighter than 6 months prior, with her husband Josh.

Sonia Malone

When Sonia Malone began coming to the Friday morning 6:00 a.m. PrimeTime Pedal workouts last November, she was 30 pounds heavier than she is now. Although she doesn’t miss a Friday unless she is traveling for work, she claims that changing her diet is what made the magic happen. Of course, the one hour indoor cycling class isn’t the only workout she does – she also does her own additional cardio and plays a lot of tennis.

Sonia obviously loves being active, and says that getting to the gym makes her feel better throughout the day. Experiencing tears in both calf muscles and knee surgery all sidelined her temporarily from her tennis, but the indoor cycling workouts helped her remain active while she recovered.

Before her weight-loss effort took hold, Sonia was religiously wearing a Fitbit and was focused on her “steps” and “activity” – but hadn’t lost any weight (sound familiar?!). She says, “I finally thought to myself, what was the point of having the Fitbit and getting the ‘steps’ in per day if I wasn’t also controlling what I was eating?” So – some dietary tweaks and now several pounds later, Sonia has realized the importance of proper nutrition to fuel her body for activity. She sticks to a diet consisting of a lot of fruit, vegetables, grilled chicken, and yogurt. She knows elimiating a food group completely won’t work for her, so she focuses on portion control and keeps her calories to 1300-1400 per day.

Even when she travels for her job as an IT Consultant for Chick-fil-A (she and husband Josh own one of the Mt. Pleasant locations), Sonia doesn’t miss her workout. Not only does she often book her room on a higher floor and bypass the elevator for the stairs, but during her down time she’ll opt for 45 minutes running stairs as opposed to hitting the hotel gym. She was surprised to find that the “going down” muscles hurt worse than the “going up” muscles!

If you know Sonia well at all, you know she is not one to shy away from a challenge. When Meredith encouraged her to come out and “watch” the PrimeTime team at the North Charleston Fight For Air Stairclimb, Sonia decided to do much more than watch . . . she immediately went home and signed up for the event. And not just the Climb – a race around the lower level of the North Charleston Coliseum, but the ULTRA Climb – the entire coliseum – almost 6000 steps!

When Sonia isn’t traveling, playing tennis, running stairs, or getting her cardio fix in the gym, you might find her playing piano or spending time with Josh or their two sons. David, married to Brooke, works at the family Chick-fil-A, and Greg is a senior at Anderson. They are all fond of the family dog, Callie!

When asked for words of advice for others, Sonia offered the following: “The hardest part about losing weight is just starting. If you can stay disciplined right at the beginning, then once you lose 2-3 pounds, you start feeling better about yourself and it keeps you motivated to keep going. You don’t want to ‘cheat’ on your diet because you feel good about what you have already accomplished. Don’t let a lofty weight loss goal discourage you by thinking you can never get there. Give yourself small goals to start with.”

Sonia obviously practices what she preaches, and is proof that it works! Keep up the hard work, Sonia – your efforts are paying off!

NATIONAL CLEAN OUT THE REFRIGERATOR DAY

Tuesday, November 15

The timing is perfect for this day as Thanksgiving is coming soon, and we’ll most likely need room for all of the upcoming leftovers. This job may be dreaded by many, but it is an important task. Due to our hectic and busy lifestyles, the cleaning of the refrigerator often gets neglected, hence the creation of National Clean Out Your Refrigerator Day. There may be a surprise or two found at the back of the shelves – can you even tell what it is? Things are often pushed to the back and then forgotten as new food is put in the front.

Here are some tips on cleaning out your refrigerator:

· Empty each shelf.

· Completely wipe down the inside of refrigerator.

· Wash drawers and underneath the drawers.

· Throw away all expired food.

· Throw away any moldy food.

· Get rid of anything that you do not use.

· Vacuum condenser coils.

· Vacuum out under refrigerator.

· Restock shelves and drawers with good food.

· Enjoy your nice, clean, organized refrigerator.

Sound extensive? Well it is, but you’ll reap the benefits of fresh food, energy cost savings (clean coils save energy!), healthier options, and more room for Thanksgiving leftovers in a few weeks!

AND FOR THOSE TIMES YOU JUST DON’T WANT TO WORKOUT

Ever have days when you don’t want to get out of bed and hit the gym? It’s OK. Everyone has those days, even us!

In his video for this week’s C.H.E.K Blog, Paul Chek explains why it’s so important to make the effort to go to the gym, and what to do when you’re just not feeling your usual workout. Watch what Paul does when he’s not in the mood for Dr. Movement:

http://chekinstitute.com/blog/exercising-when-you-dont-feel-like-it/

(On the other side, perhaps THIS video looks more like you? http://www.popsugar.com/fitness/Workout-Pep-Talk-Video-42628476)

Sometimes, just showing up and focusing less on what you have to do, and looking for ways to have fun and feel good, can make a world of difference to your health.

WHAT HAPPENS TO YOUR BODY WHEN YOU QUIT EXERCISING?

There comes a point in almost every fitness lover’s life when they consider throwing in the towel after a workout-both figuratively and literally. Blame it on your looming work deadlines, or the stubborn needle on the scale, or even just plain old boredom.

That’s normal. But here’s why you shouldn’t follow through on the temptation to just quit . . . Click here to learn why you shouldn’t quit exercising

STAFF RECIPE FILE

Beet Salad w/ Carrot, Quinoa, and Spinach

(Taste-tested in Meredith’s kitchen and we have a winner – it’s quick, it’s easy, it’s delish!)

INGREDIENTS:

Salad

· ½ cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed

· 1 cup frozen organic edamame

· ⅓ cup slivered almonds or pepitas (green pumpkin seeds)

· 1 medium raw beet, peeled

· 1 medium-to-large carrot (or 1 additional medium beet), peeled

· 2 cups packed baby spinach or arugula, roughly chopped

· 1 avocado, cubed (I left this out)

Vinaigrette

· 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

· 2 tablespoons lime juice

· 2 tablespoons olive oil

· 1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint or cilantro

· 2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup or agave nectar

· ½ to 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, to taste

· ¼ teaspoon salt

· Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

1. To cook the quinoa: First, rinse the quinoa in a fine mesh colander under running water for a minute or two. In a medium-sized pot, combine the rinsed quinoa and 1 cup water. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil, then cover the pot, reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes. Remove the quinoa from heat and let it rest, still covered, for 5 minutes. Uncover the pot, drain off any excess water and fluff the quinoa with a fork. Set it aside to cool.

2. To cook the edamame: Bring a pot of water to boil, then add the frozen edamame and cook just until the beans are warmed through, about 5 minutes. Drain and set aside.

3. To toast the almonds or pepitas: In a small skillet over medium heat, toast the almonds or pepitas, stirring frequently, until they are fragrant and starting to turn golden on the edges, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a large serving bowl to cool.

4. To prepare the beet(s) and/or carrot: First of all, feel free to just chop them as finely as possible using a sharp chef’s knife OR grate them on a box grater. If you have a spiralizer, you can spiralize them using blade C, then chop the ribbons into small pieces using a sharp chef’s knife. If you have a mandoline and julienne peeler (this is a pain), use the mandoline to julienne the beet and use a julienne peeler to julienne the carrot, then chop the ribbons into small pieces using a sharp chef’s knife.

5. To prepare the vinaigrette: Whisk together all of the ingredients until emulsified.

6. To assemble the salad: In your large serving bowl, combine the toasted almonds/pepitas, cooked edamame, prepared beet(s) and/or carrot, roughly chopped spinach/arugula (see note above about leftovers), cubed avocado and cooked quinoa.

7. Finally, drizzle dressing over the mixture (you might not need all of it) and gently toss to combine. You’ll end up with a pink salad if you toss it really well! Season to taste with salt (up to an additional ¼ teaspoon) and black pepper. Serve.

PRIMETIME BUILDS AGAIN – for Habitat For Humanity

Thursday, October 13

8:30 am. – noon-ish

The PrimeTime Build Team is at it again – come help us out!

MEN AND WOMEN WANTED
NO EXPERIENCE NEEDED
MUST BE 18 YEARS OLD

A GIFT FROM SERENITY NOW YOGA

Our friends over at Serenity Now Yoga are celebrating their 12th birthday this month, and to share the love, THEY are giving US a present! snylogo

Throughout the month of October, PrimeTime members may attend Serenity Now Yoga classes FOR FREE!

Now that’s what we call “neighborly love!”

Pick up your free passes in the PrimeTime office.

Click here for the Serenity Now website.

PrimeTime Fitness to be Closed for Business

As we make preparations for lots of rain and wind, we will be powering down all computer systems and relocating them to safety.

Our key access system is controlled by and operated through our computers. Therefore, once we shut down our computer systems, the key access will not work. At that time the door will be physically locked, with no access to members.

No decisions have been made as to when this will take place. We will try to wait as long as possible before disengaging the key access, and our first priority after the storm has passed will be to get it back up and running again as soon as possible.

Please note that the key access is electronic – any sustained power outages may result in additional gym closing time.

We’ll keep you posted on when all this will occur.

Thank you for your understanding, and stay safe!

IT’S BACK – WEDNESDAY MORNING PEDAL & PUMP!!

Wednesdays at 9:30

That’s right – the popular Pedal & Pump is returning to the schedule on Wednesdays in October, so you can get your 3-day fix of this awesome workout.

30 minutes of indoor cycling + 30 minutes of strength training = one hour of serious power!

Pedal & Pump now offered Mon/Wed/Fri at 9:30 a.m.

Click here to schedule your next Pedal & Pump workout!

PRENATAL YOGA w/Darragh Dunleavy

Six-week Saturday Series: September 24 – October 29

9:00 – 10:00 a.m.; $80 for the session

Classes will include breath work, pelvic floor strengthening, visualization and relaxation, and supported poses. It is recommended that you be in your second or third trimester and have your doctor’s approval before starting this program. Appropriate for all levels.

For more information – and to sign up – call Darragh at 843-276-5252

Six-Week Session

September 24 – October 29

9AM – 10AM

$80

Darragh Dunleavy is a 500-Hour Registered Yoga Alliance Instructor with 10 years Yoga teaching experience, and is certified in Prenatal Yoga through Holy Cow Yoga Center. She presently teaches Gentle Hatha Yoga at the Sullivan’s Island Club, O2 Fitness and at PrimeTime Fitness. Darragh is also a Licensed Massage Therapist and Reiki Master. For more information about her visit: www.trinitywellnesscharleston.com

Click here to read more about Darragh.