Member Stories - Arnold | Anytime Fitness

HELLO POSSIBILITY - ARNOLD

ARNOLD FINDS HIS PERFECT HEALTH BALANCE

After experimenting with quick weight loss fads, 30-year-old financial professional finds health and happiness with accountability and support from friends

Arnold Reasons has been on a healthy journey for many years but with marriage and starting a family in the past three years, health had taken a back seat.

Having to adapt to new routines with a new-born child, unhealthy habits crept in with regular takeaways and struggling to find the time to be physically active.

Before his wedding, Arnold had been a member of a budget gym and was quickly able to lose weight with tough workouts and extreme dieting.

While he enjoyed the results, Arnold knew it wasn’t sustainable and it wasn’t an environment he could thrive in.

“While I was losing weight, I wasn’t feeling happy,” said Arnold. “I got rushed into the hype around achieving quick results and unfortunately if you lose weight that quickly, you miss out on the learnings. The gym I was at didn’t feel personal which in the end affected my consistency and I slipped into bad habits. This was exaggerated when we started a family as it changes your life completely.”

Arnold joined Anytime Fitness Croxley Park in October 2019 after looking for a new gym which would provide him with a welcoming environment. As soon as he was showed round, he knew it was the gym for him and he began to slowly adapt his lifestyle and create lifetime habits.

“There’s something about the environment you’re in and I love how welcoming and spacious Anytime Fitness is. I’m not rushing in this time. My goal is to come three times a week and cycle for at least 20 minutes. It may not sound like a lot, but it works for me right now. It’s not solely about losing weight or getting to a particular number. I want to create something that’s sustainable.”

As well as his commitment to visiting the gym three times a week, Arnold is introducing rules when it comes to food and bringing one of his closest friends on the journey with him.

“Last time I went too far with my diet and I was only eating protein and cutting carbs which meant I wasn’t enjoying food anymore. This time, I’m creating something more sustainable and I started with my biggest weakness; desserts! I love desserts so I’ve set myself a maximum of three a week and only one in a 24-hour period. It was a rule I set myself and I’ve told one of my best friends so he knows and every time I have a dessert, I send him a picture. If it’s a private goal only I know about, I’m less likely to stick to it but if I have one of my closest friends supporting me, I have accountability and it’s a collective responsibility.”

Arnold is beginning to see the difference on the scales but is focussed on establishing and keeping his healthy habits long term. His consistency at the gym has been noted by the staff at Anytime Fitness Croxley Park who recently awarded him the Member of the Month Award in October.

“The staff here are great and I know whenever I need something, they’re always there to help. When the gym closed for the first lockdown, the old me would have given up and interrupted my consistency, but I ordered myself an exercise bike to keep myself ticking over and not lose my rhythm.

“I want to introduce weights and resistance training to my routine next. This is the next stage for me and it’s not about setting a plan where I’m in the gym for two hours at a time, it’s about something sustainable that won’t be longer than 40 minutes or so.

Being consistent so far has given me the chance to decompress and have a more positive mental outlook on life which I’m looking forward to continuing. This is still the start of my journey and I’m looking forward to the future.”