Member Spotlight: Agnes Strickland
1 . Tell me about yourself….
-Agnes lives in Ayden, NC. She has been married to Marion for 52
years. She fully believes a person should NEVER give up on a dream. At
71, she is having the “best time of her life.” Since joining Champions a
few years ago, Agnes has lost 95 pounds. When she first starting coming
to Champions, she had to use a walker to get around. A few weeks ago,
she was doing turbokick! What a transformation at age 71!!
2. What was your “eye opening” experience that made you realize you needed to
focus on your health more?
-Agnes broke her ankle, her femur, her tibia (not all at once) and
was using a walker to get around. Her body was very weak, she was very
overweight, and she could not take care of herself, let alone her aging
parents. She had to make herself healthier so that she could help
others. Her health was declining quickly and she was “tired of being
fat.” She said one of the most eye opening experiences was when her 4X
clothing got tight and her next size up was a “tent dress.” She refused
to buy a tent dress.
3. What elements did you need to focus on for a lifestyle change? Diet, exercise,
sleep, stress management, specific medical condition, etc…?
-Agnes said she learned first and foremost that the experience of
eating, especially going out to
friends and being with friends.
selective about what she eats.
come from about 70% of what she
done at the gym.
eat, was
She eats
She said
eats and
not about eating, but about
much healthier and is very
that she feels her success has
about 30% from what she has
4. What have you accomplished since making these changes?
-Agnes has lost 95 pounds. She has gone from a 4X, nearly in tent
dresses, to a size 10. She has a very healthy BMI of 23 now, does not
use a walker, and is able to do just about anything in the gym that she
wants. She still has a goal to get to a size 6.
5. How did you do it?
-Agnes began eating a lot of salads, fruits, and vegetables. She cut
sweets out of her diet and does not even have them in her house. She
said she can’t rest if she knows they are there so she simply does not
have them in the house at all. She also said the employees of Champions
have helped her greatly, especially Patty. She said she always feels
better when she leaves than when she comes to the gym.
6. What differences have you noticed in your everyday life or in general?
-Agnes said she can open her eyes more, literally. She said she had
so much fat on her eyelids that doctors had considered surgery to lift
the corners of her eyes to improve her vision. After losing weight, she
has no vision problems. She can now walk 4 miles on the elliptical
machine.
7. What is your favorite workout?
-Using the elliptical machine is Agnes’ favorite workout right now.
8. What are some of your favorite healthy foods or snacks?
-Agnes loves fresh fruit, vegetables, salad, and chicken. She takes
a vitamin D and calcium supplement as well. Agnes also eats kids menu
portion sizes when she eats out.
9. Looking to the future, what are your current goals?
-Agnes was very quick to insist that you always need a goal. With a
tiny waist and being very fit now, she still has a goal to make her hips
smaller and wear size 6 clothing. She said it will take her a long time
to get there, but she will do it slowly and steady, one day at a time.
10. What advice would you give someone who is starting out from a similar
situation as you?
-Agnes suggests always having a goal. She said that people make
time to do what they want to do. Being healthy has to be a priority. She
is an inspiration to all, making it a priority in her life at age 71.
She is normally in the gym 6 days a week. She believes it is NEVER too
late to change and says she truly wishes she had back all the time when
life passed her by because she was “fat.” She said she is having the
best time of her life right now because she is much healthier. She
encourages young people to make time for themselves right now so that
they can do all the things they want instead of just wishing they could.