Member Spotlight

Story by Meredith Nelson / November 17, 2016

MEMBER SPOTLIGHT

sonia-and-josh

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!

I worked out with Meredith for years before she (sadly) moved away. She is creative, fun, and great at correcting your form. She can adapt to injuries you might have. She will incorporate things you like (yoga) and can work with all types of exercise equipment from machines to bands to TRX to free weights to your body weight. No two workouts are the same, which means you do not get bored and you want to keep coming back!

— Marie Louise R, Mt. Pleasant

Meredith first sought to truly understand my fitness goals and then observed my current weight-training routine.  She then helped me organize a workout plan that gave me better results, in the same amount of time.  Now I have a more balanced routine that is producing better results, in the same amount of time, with the same amount of effort. She always had my work within my comfort level and has helped me develop a more balanced program that maximizes the results.

— Rudy V, Beaufort/St. Helena

I found my happy place at home with Meredith and Primetime Fitness.  I started virtual training with Meredith at the beginning of Covid and now virtual training is part of my weekly routine.  What a joy to get a great workout and not have to leave the house! Thanks, Meredith!

— Mark P, Mt. Pleasant

I’ve been taking Meredith’s classes for a few short months and also doing some training sessions with her, and it has already made me stronger.  I love that she offers lower-impact options (for this 58-year-old) and also motivates all of us during class!

— Marie F, Beaufort/St. Helena

I was recently diagnosed as a Type 2 Diabetic.  I had worked out with Meredith once before, but at the time, I just wasn’t dedicated to a routine.  As soon as I was diagnosed, I shot her a quick email, and she immediately responded. We met and discussed diet and exercise; she was a wealth of information. I started working out with her and figuring out what routine spoke best to me. She helped me set up a Peloton bike and monitored my form. Hey, if this 65-year-old woman can get in shape, anyone can. I’m 15 pounds down and on the right track. Thanks, Meredith!

— Becky T, Beaufort/St. Helena