FiftyFierce

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I hope visitors to this page will share their stories, thoughts and encouragement with Deanna. Just use the CONTACT form at the bottom. I will receive your comment for approval and then will allow submission to the site. I DO NOT use your contact email for anything other than a safety check. Please be supportive!

 

I first met Deanna 20 years ago. She began training with me and I really loved the determination and hard work ethics she brought to each session. She stayed with it for several years and when she stopped training, we still stayed in touch and I never observed her with a weight problem. As evidenced by the her photos above (6/3/2016), she still does not have a weight problem. It's more of what I call LIFE and aging, especially for women hitting their 50's, and the toll that a lack of attention to a healthy diet and regular fitness routine will take on our bodies. She doesn't need to lose much body fat. You can still see muscle tonus in her legs, arms and back. She hasn't been away from exercise too long and should regain tonus fairly quick-as long as she works hard and makes the necessary changes to her diet, practices patience and consistency, and keeps herself moving in a forward direction.

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It can be a real wake-up call to do these pictures and I applaud you whole-heartedly Deanna! You did a great job and I hope you will do them every 4-6 weeks, regardless of whether or not your forward-moving direction has been perfect. It can sometimes feel like one step forward, 2 steps back but as long as you stay consistent, you will make progress and you will succeed! If you are going to have cheat days, try to follow a calorie rule for the day-say 1,500 calories-and don't let a cheat day turn into a Throw-All-Progress-Out-The-Door day. Try to at least start with a healthy, nutritious, protein and fiber rich breakfast and then don't go over the allotted caloric amount for the day. It will be a lot easier to face yourself in the morning, you won't have the guilt, and you won't feel that all the time and money for a trainer has been a waste of time. Besides, it isn't all about looks!

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And now, in Deanna's own words, here's her current situation:

                                            

Well here I am on the verge of 51, bad exercise habits, that would be doing nothing and eating what I want, when I wanted it. Weighing my heaviest 152lb

 

Flash back 20 years after finding a thyroid condition and gaining 20lbs (135lb), my husband signed me up with a personal trainer.....Thank goodness it was  Ferrari Fitness and Stacey.  Not only did I learn a lot about eating healthy and drinking water, my body transformation was amazing, gaining muscle and shedding the fat was the most awesome experience ever.  Strong, full of energy and eating healthy was just what I needed.  Instead of starving myself and having no energy.

 

OK...back to my mid 40's.  I confess I may have only walked, which did give me some results in inches, no muscle strength to speak of though.  I was spoiled by my earlier experience  and could not find the same regime that I was accustom too.  Also I was care taking for 2 elderly parents and trying to sell real estate to boot.   I lost both my parents recently and that is when I decided to take care of myself, especially after seeing my weak mother, who could not rise from a low chair or couch.  Her stamina and walking was snail paced.  I always said I did not want to be a weak senior, but I was there already, no stamina and weak!

 

I finally found another trainer who offered a similar method and I am in my first month of training.  WOW, those feelings are coming back.  This trainer does have a lot to live up to and I let him know I would expect no less.  You see I tend to whine and cry when things get difficult, Stacey would only give me more reps and I wanted Andrew to be the same.  My mind does like to play tricks on my muscle fatigue and I am very verbal about it.

 

Stay tuned, I cant wait to get my bikini body back.  I am a little worried it wont be the same since 20 years have gone by.  I am re-learning to eat healthy and trying to get my water consumption up..  I believe with Fifty Fierce behind me, I will succeed and hope to be stronger than I was 20yrs ago!  Lets Do This!

Beginning Statistics:

 Age:50

 Height: 5' 5"

 Date: 4/22/16

 Bicep: 11 1/2"

 Chest: 39"

 Waist BB: 35 1/4"

 Hip: 40"

 Thigh: 21 1/4"

 Calf: 14"

 Body fat: 34.4%

 Weight: 152.4 lbs.

                                                                               Now, the transformation begins...

From: Stacey

Deanna-I got pretty choked up when I first read this. About your parents, who passed since I moved away and I wish I could have seen them once more, and for you, knowing the pain of losing parents, and as a friend, to support you. But also for wanting something more for yourself as you age and reading that you are feeling weak now in your early 50's. It DOES NOT have to be so! There are examples of women who actually became their best later in life-when the kids were gone, after retiring, when there were no longer parents to care for-because it provided more time for them to focus on themselves. You can find them by searching on the internet but why not become a real-life success story yourself? Don't let worry that your bikini body now may not be what it was 20 years ago. We can't ever go back! But you can still become the best you can be. Be courageous and chase your dream! Realize it may take a little longer-maybe even a lot longer-than it did back in the day so you can have your #1 ally with you at all times: PATIENCE. Do the work, make the necessary diet changes but try not to let it absorb you completely. To be continued...

6/16/2016

• From: Deanna

• Subject: Onward and Stronger

•  Hello, its been a whirl wind these last 2 weeks. My youngest son got married this past Sunday, preparations and family in town did not keep me from training. I actually have not missed one appointment, which always makes me feel better no matter how my mind wants to reschedule. And I tried....glad Andrew kept me going. Busy with rehearsal day and family. The wedding did not disappoint on Sunday. Unfortunately, I did not dance much, my handicapped brother fell and while getting him off the floor and to his chair, I wrenched my back. WOW, never having experienced back pain, I do have a new found respect for back injury. Andrew still would not let me miss a session, he actually did stretching with me and we worked arms/upper body My back is feeling much better, I am taking it easy though and will be out of town next week relaxing at the beach. I will be measuring again soon, so stay tuned! Looking forward to hearing from ya'll

• From: Stacey

• I am so glad to hear that you haven't missed a session yet! That is definitely the right direction. I hope you will consider posting your diet challenges-weddings are fun but also stressful and remember-this is about change for life. There will always be special occasions and daily stressors that will test our resolve. Sharing those issues now will help you prepare for them when they do arise so you can reach your goals without feeling lost or like it is too much of a struggle. It won't be easy, not always, but knowing the bumps will come and that you can ride them like a pro-surfer is quite empowering! Let your support group here help. You know I certainly understand diet woes! I hope you will take long walks on the beach, find lots of those heart-shaped pebbles and maybe even do some yoga. At any rate, have an excellent time and do some journaling on your support page!

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6/10/2016

From: Deanna

My weekly training is on going. Andrew has been a superb support, not only for weight training but also food intake. He has a fab scallop and brussels sprout recipe, I cant wait to try. I actually have been eating every 3 hrs, fruits, veggies and healthy options yogurt with granola etc. My journal has gone to the wayside, sorry I know what I need to eat. Life, work and being a caretaker takes it's toll. I am happy to be building my core strength and backside muscles. Have started on new muscle groups and machines included shoulder press....bicep curl and press. My weights and times have increased and energy. New pics and measurements coming soon. BTW headed to TX next week to celebrate Daniel's 27th Bday and his housewarming party! Woot woot.

• From: Tami Davis

• Subject: YOUR SUPPORT BUDDY

•  Hey Girl! Remember me? Lol...it seems like yesterday you and I were passing each other at Stacey's gym in Windermere, Where did the time go? First of all you STILL look Great!!! Secondly, I am SO sorry for the loss of your parents Lord knows I understand that one with losing my Dad, whom you & Dave knew & almost lost my Mom last July. She is doing better, but will always have to be on oxygen and what you said about your Mom, I can too relate with her frail body with literally no muscle tone. She, unlike me, is very thin, but watching her try to bend down & get back up is heart wrenching! The sad thing is, I am 51 & find it hard for me as well. Let!s do this together...AGAIN...LOL I blame this on Stacey for leaving us...BAHAHA...Just kidding Stacey

• From: Ann

• Subject: Don't Look back, you're not going that way!

•  Deanna, I applaud your effort. I too am just embarking on regaining the fitness level we used to have when we trained with Staci. I look forward to following your progress. I am very active, still referee soccer, ride my bike and walk a minimum of 10,000 steps a day, For me, toning is the issue. I'll see if I am as brave as you to have the pictures taken and post them. I wish you the absolute best with your fitness goals. ; )

• 6/11/2016

• From: Deanna

• Subject: Ty!

• Ladies-Thanks for the support, I can't wait to feel and see my results. Tami, smart fitness on Maguire Rd...lets Do this. Andrew def motivates and is nutritional informed. Yes Stace, we do miss you

• 6/28/2016

• From: Deanna

• Subject: Back to reality

• Hello again All, Well vacation was great! But I'm back to reality, work and more importantly my food intake. This is something I try to do healthy, but I'm bored! I now have a food journal and am keeping track of meals, liquids and how i feel afterwards. I went to my first workout after vacation Tuesday and had just half a meal bar, 120cal. Or so. I felt weak, with no energy and my brain was telling me to quit. It sucked, hence my food journal which will help teach me proper sustenance intake. I either starve myself or do the sumo wrestler diet....not good for my fitness goals. New measurements/pics are coming end of July, stay tuned, stay on track and try, try again until success. I know it will happen. Stacey Thank You, for the support and always your guiding light.From

• From: Stacey

• Welcome back Deanna! The diet part is the most challenging. I hope you felt better after your workout? I can't say I've ever had a workout I regretted but I can say I've had meals/snacks that I did! Says a lot, right? The food journal works so give yourself credit for doing this, even if the entries aren't exactly what you'd like them to be. It's a process! Try using bars for between meal snacks but have something more sustaining before your workout. Try a half banana with a tablespoon of almond butter. Find what works best for you in the energy department. But the biggest mistake people make when dieting: NOT EATING ENOUGH. Remember-this is going to take time and you have got to be patient. It's better to find a way to take in 100 calories less per day, for a total of 700 calories a week or a 1 lb. loss per month than to starve, slow your metabolism even further and not encourage muscle growth this way. Sumo wrestler diets will undo all your progress in a single binge. Patience is the key. Time will pass one way or the other-you can make small changes that will be easier to stay with and will hardly be painful. When you have one full week of diet journal, scan it and email it to me. I will help you make better choices. Trust me: This is so important to make the changes now-before menopause-because if you think it's hard to lose body fat now? OMG...nature is cruel to women! If you don't learn healthier eating now, you will suffer the consequences then. Try to stay away from processed foods and watch the added sugar in things as well, no sodas, no diet sodas, no sweet tea. Water, water, water! Add lemon slices, make your own sweet tea, add stevia. Make little changes that will total big results. But do eat meals, don't starve. I have 1/4 cup steel-cut organic oats, cooked in 3/4 cup water with a chopped small organic apple or pear, one tsp. cinnamon and 1 teaspoon coconut oil. When it's cooked, I add 1 scoop vanilla whey protein powder and 1 tablespoon walnuts. This will hold me for a good 2 1/2 hours. Give this a try. You can cook extra so you have it ready made if you are in a hurry but at least you are starting with a very good breakfast. Try some of my recipes. My favorite is the Massaged Kale with Quinoa salad. Just keep putting one foot in front of the other and make the changes you need to that will last.

• 7/13/2016

• From: Stacey          
• OMG! Daniel is 27 and lives in Texas?!! I mean-we have serious catching up to do! I still remember chasing both boys in the backyard while playing on the trampoline, LOL...Now, on to serious business. There are NO excuses for not doing a food journal! It doesn't have to be lengthy, just keep a little journal book somewhere convenient where you can at least mention what you ate. Like by the TV clicker-do it on commercial breaks. It's easy to ride the high when the going feels smooth but you know life isn't always like that. This is a tool to help you stay focused and learn to make lasting changes and hopefully-when a binge happens, and you KNOW it will-it will help you to not go too far off track, especially if you can include more details for the binge. Like-how were you feeling before the binge? Where were you? What did you choose to binge on? How did you feel after? This IS SO IMPORTANT! To make lasting changes, so you don't do the dieting/fitness yo-yoing for the rest of your life, it is important to understand what sets you off to the dark side. People ask me all the time now-"What is more important: diet or exercise?" While they are both extremely important, I always say diet, first and foremost! And, if you find that you are not achieving the goals you have set, the journal is a great way to see what you've been doing so you can make changes that will work better for you. Maybe there's too much added sugar in the yogurt/granola you're eating. Could you make healthier substitutions? Like low-fat plain greek yogurt with 2 tbls raw nuts and a serving of freshly sliced fruit? It is also easier to track your macros this way and this is a very important part of reaching your goal. Deanna-how long have you known me? Have you ever seen me in the shape of the last photos (from blog 'And The Winner Is...') and was I ever 56 yrs. old before? No and no! It has been attention to diet in a way that I never have given the attention. Of course, I've been attacking the gym with a new-found passion and have been doing some exercises I've never done, changing my routine all the time and getting a bit of help from an awesome training partner who is a pro. But none of that would show if I hadn't finally taken the diet part seriously and did the work necessary to make sure it was going to help me reach my goals. The goal was, and IS, to be FIERCE. No more mediocrity! I've done that long enough! I want to discover my true potential before I die and 56 is NOT too late to do that. In fact, it's never too late. And-if you know what to eat, go back and read some of the above entries. Be careful about getting cocky cuz it could very easily deliver a dose of bitch-slap when you least expect it, LOL. Even though I am riding a huge high with my new-found physique, I remind myself to stay humble, learn more everyday about fitness, diet and nutrition, continue to check-in with myself and do the daily work of reminding myself why I am doing this. It's a lot easier to stay strong when an old binge food tries to stare me down because now I barely even glance its way-but if I do glance, I love to be able to deliver my mental speech about how the dark side has no power over me anymore, that I am a total Jedi champion and that has kept my binge episodes at a total count of 10 over the last 9 months. The last binge was on protein bars, yogurt and trail mix but not all at the same time or on the same day, the calorie count was not off the scoreboard and the food choice was pretty decent. And, I know exactly why it happened. I over-trained at the gym while doing trade shows and I was exhausted. I know not to train 4 days in a row again while working and getting zero sleep at night. It was just too much. While I wish I hadn't binged, I didn't beat myself up over it and just kept moving forward. That's such a huge change in binge behavior for me. So, journal is important and writing things down makes it all more serious and real. I hope you will start. Stay focused woman and rock on!
• 9/28/2016
•  From: Deanna
•  Hello to all you 50+ and Fabulous! Well this month I made it to 51 and I have stayed with my workout routine and plan on posting pics this week! Cant wait to see how this compares. I feel more energy, although I suffered through a bug that had me a good 2 weeks, before antibiotics finally kicked it. I do feel changes in my body, clothes are getting loose. Arms, legs and tummy are firmer and boy do I love it when hubby mentions it too! My meals still leave something to be desired, just can't seem to get into fitness food this go around. I admit I do not eat candy per say, but trying to eat 5 ingredient or less food is a challenge. My goal is to be a strong senior citizen and I feel I am working towards that goal every time I make my training appointment. Speaking of workout, I am out the door for my Monday kick jump to stronger, fitter, leaner days ahead! Get out there and just do it :)
• 9/28/2016
• From Stacey: Good to hear from you again Deanna. It's a step at a time and as long as you keep forward momentum, the direction is a positive one. Always keep your focus on what you are doing right. The diet part is the biggest challenge and a small step forward would be to start with what you are eating and agree to aim for 1,500 to 1,600 calories per day for the next two weeks, for example. It will help you to think in terms of portion size, and once you have portion size under control, it will also show you that you can eat almost anything and still stay on track while dropping some lbs. Then you can start looking at carb/protein/fat ratios for every meal and try to balance them perhaps to a 40% carb, 30% protein and 30% fat for every meal. See how you feel on this ratio and if it doesn't satisfy you, then look at perhaps increasing protein intake. It doesn't have to be perfect to work. I know for me, the goal at the beginning was just to not buy any binge food for one year. I'm almost at the end of the first year and have done extremely well, only having bought binge food on 4 occasions. Made me also rethink those binge purchases and as I have been blogging about the journey, made me feel much more accountable for my actions. Notice I didn't say I stopped bingeing but this entire process has made me more mindful of my actions so I feel pretty darn good about it. Not perfection but definitely the right direction. Looking forward to your next photos!
• 12/26/2016: Response to your current photo update  WOW!!! DeAnna, I see more space between your thighs, definition coming into the upper part of your abs, your face is thinner and also looks younger, and your stomach is getting flatter! The 4 1/2+ inches lost definitely shows and while you know I don't like to focus on weight, you've also done really well there too! Good work, keep it up. I hope you will take a moment and tell us how you're feeling with your diet, what changes you've made, have they been difficult, what keeps you motivated, how your strength levels feel (in the beginning, you mentioned difficulty getting up from seated position)-how you feel about the progress you've made and what keeps you focused and moving ahead.
• 2/22/2017
• Measurement Update: 

• Date: 4/22/16                                Date: 2/20/2017

•  Bicep: 11 1/2"                               Bicep: 11"

•  Chest: 39"                                     Chest: 38"

•  Waist BB: 35 1/4"                        Waist: 33"

•  Hip: 40"                                         Hip: 37 1/2"

•  Thigh: 21 1/4"                              Thigh: 20 1/2"

•  Calf: 14"                                        Calf: 13 1/2"

•  Body fat: 34.4%                           Body fat: 34%

•  Weight: 152.4 lbs.                      Weight: 141 lbs                                                                                                                                                             This is an awesome update on your progress DeAnna! I see the greatest changes on your waist, thighs, upper back and biceps. I am curious how your body fat is measured; keep in mind that there is only a couple of methods that are fairly precise: underwater weighing and DEXA scans, neither of which are practical for the average gym or PT studio. Based on your current weight of 140 4/5 (I rounded up to 141) with a BF % of 34, this means that 47.94 lbs are being calculated as BF. I don't think this is accurate! What I'd love to know more about is how your strength and energy are progressing. I would also suggest some target glute exercises. There are several good ones I can suggest but for sake of ease and ability to do a couple sets on your own, I like Flutter kicks; these can easily be done on a flat bench-either one leg at a time, alternating legs or both legs together. Do not arch your back at the top of the move, lift slowly and squeeze the glutes HARD at the top position, holding it for a 2-3 second count. Once you feel comfortable with this move, you can position a DB between your feet and lift both legs at the same time so you add resistance and get those glutes to start rounding out. You could probably get a couple sets in on your own as a warm-up before your work out, or after you wrap up. Here's a link to watch a demo: https://www.bodybuilding.com/exercises/detail/view/name/flutter-kicks

• Feb 2017 blog

• Happy 2017! Sorry for delay with verbiage, but I do hope you got to see my latest pics. Well I am super stoked with my progress, albeit some injuries and aches which are beyond me. I guess 50+ is trying to tell me something! Minor back strains, mostly from picking my 135lb paralyzed bro off the floor as he's been falling a lot. Hemorrhoids recurring - I'm leg pressing 200lb+! But not anymore, Andrew is very aware and depending on my body/feelings has been good by doing beneficial stretching etc....ok now back to my story, its been under a year. I am down 12.5 lbs and have gained muscle! Still working hard to continue building muscle and decreasing body fat, feeling fab! Thanks again Stacey for my re-intro into training and to Andrew for getting me back to tone and energy. Still working for my beach body. And I can't wait to buy a new bathing suit! Stay strong Ladies!

• Stacey: I always believe in you DeAnna and I know you have the ability to stick with this-for life. You know what the alternatives are: poor quality of life, poor health, inability to enjoy life/retirement/grandchildren, etc. For the investment of time 3X a week (we're talking 3 hours max!), the payoffs are so incredibly worth it. Just continue to focus like a champion when you train - no whining or whimping out if you can push one more rep out - that's how you continue to make progress and become stronger. It all starts in your mind so train it too! And yes, please get a new swim suit, LOL!

• 6/29/2017: DeAnna - Sorry for delays with an update on my fitness journey, life keeps happening. My workouts continue, thanks to that weekly appointment. I continue to see changes and improvements with weight, inches and tone. I must admit I've been struggling with motivation, I keep blaming this on my Mother's passing. I actually stopped menstruation at her passing, it will be 2 years August, I know I made my peace. So what's wrong with me....depressed, no motivation, isolating and just recently not being able to control my body temperature. It's also affecting my appetite now, which sucks while trying to build muscle. But I finally had that 'Ah-ha' moment and now after speaking with several women and seeing my doc, I know I will push thru and survive. Enjoy the pics, it felt good on the beach this year for sure!

• 7/02/2017: Stacey- Better late on pictures than never! What a change DeAnna, so proud of you for staying with this. While you may be feeling a bit blue, imagine how you would feel if you weren't doing this for yourself...It's just menopause, hits every woman in different ways and it will pass. I am going to come and see you soon and give you lots of love and attention. Can't have my girl feeling depressed and definitely NO isolating! It WILL pass my friend, please keep your chin up. You are such a wonderful woman with so many talents and special gifts. Maybe start walking more - when depression hits, one of the best cures is physical exertion. I hope you are still doing the routine I gave you for home? I see big changes in your body - please note the direction of the book between your legs for the next shoot though - it would show even more of a difference if it had been facing the same way as last time. Also, keep in mind the amazing progress on your measurements since you started:

• Total Weight lost: 12 lbs.

• Total Inches lost: 10 1/4" This is awesome!!! 3 1/4" off your waist and 3" off your hips are the biggest changes. The waist loss reduces your risk of heart disease as well!