Laura Sims

"I’ve always been an active person, growing up I played every sport that I could, basketball, softball, baseball, golf, swimming, got into running for a bit, kayaking and anything else that you would consider to be competitive! The last few years life has got in the way and I became less and less involved in any kind of activity that you could consider exercise. I knew I couldn’t go on like this, nor did I have any desire to.
So in December of 2015 I decided that it was time for a change, time to get back to the gym and stick with it, I had no excuses not to do it. Then I decided that I would put it off until the first of the year, the whole “new year, new me” attitude. Then I decided that I just needed to go ahead and get with it while I was in the mood. So I did, I lost 14 pounds from the end of December until the end of January. Then life struck again, my grandma was diagnosed with lung cancer then had a stroke that left her unable to care for herself in any way. So trips to the gym turned into trips to the hospital, doctor appointments and staying home almost 24/7. Needless to say those 14 pounds that I was so proud of came back and brought a few extra friends with them. At this point it didn’t even matter and that was my new excuse for not going to the gym.
Then one night at a ballgame party I was asked if I wanted to join the Biggest Loser for the upcoming season. I said no. I didn’t want any part of it, didn’t have time for it, wouldn’t be able to make it to the workouts, didn’t want to work out at a gym where I didn’t really know anyone, didn’t want to drive to Tell City a few times a week and every other excuse I could think of. “No” wasn’t an answer that anyone was going to accept, I was asked again and again. Text after text. So the day before the deadline I finally gave in and said I would do it, only because I didn’t want to listen to everyone. I’ll be the first to admit that I had some weight that I needed to shed but wasn’t really interested or concerned about doing it. But I had committed to a program, a team and friends, it was time to get serious. I was still concerned about making it to the workouts but had some pretty awesome people step up and say if you need me to meet you at the gym early in the mornings before work, I’ll be there just let me know or if you need to come some other time all you have to do is let me know.
This told me how committed that the coaches were and showed me how committed that I needed to be. That’s what I did, I completely changed my diet. I gave up fast food, pizza, fried food, junk, sweets, beer and replaced them with salads, fruits, veggies and more water than I want to mention! I also quit making excuses, I quit quitting when I got tired of working out and pushed myself more than I ever thought possible or maybe wanted to. There wasn’t one second of it that was easy for me, there were a lot of times during our work outs that I was ready to hang it up, then I would look around and no one else was giving up so I would just push through. We had some killer workouts at times, Eagle’s Bluff seemed like every other day, running bleachers at the track on the hottest day of the year, the lovely name game workout that just happened to include 510 jumping jacks and the day that I was talked into walking up Eagle’s Bluff and around the loop 7 times! I tried a lot of new things too, wasn’t always my idea but I showed up when I was signed up! 
In 10 weeks I lost a total of 32 pounds. I feel better than I have in a long time. I’m in better shape than I have been in years and weigh less than I did when I graduated high school! This was just the beginning and the jumpstart that I needed! I’m not finished, I have a few more pounds that I wouldn’t mind parting with, but now it’s time to set some new goals and keep a healthier way of life. I won’t lie I amazed myself with what I was able to accomplish, but I am even more amazed with the people I have met, friends that were made, support that was given and the accountability that I was held to.
Thanks Steph for not taking “no” for an answer!" -Laura Sims