Sometimes You Just Need a Pacer - A Client Success Story

Such a fitting title created by this beautiful woman and my client Jennifer. 

So many things come to mind when I think about Jen - fighter, athlete, determined, accomplished, motivational, inspirational, and a strong woman who has recently celebrated five years cancer-free.

About Jennifer

Jennifer contacted me to be her accountability coach and help her get back on track with her overall health program. I was so honored to accept the role.  She was a woman of my peers as a registered dietitian and working in the fitness industry herself for many years.  I introduced her to my Stay Healthy Food Guide to be used during her program. Jen was very impressed by the simplicity of the presentation - this was an awesome compliment coming from Jennifer.

Jennifer and I made a good team armed with the best nutritional knowledge and reliable information to get her caloric intake back on track. We worked to gradually boost her metabolism into letting go of pounds that had accumulated over the years battling the preventative cancer medications that she had no control over. A fine balance was created of the nutrition needed to sustain the demands of her activity.

We also focused on ways to increase her energy levels also depleted through cancer treatments. It would be a long road but we were ready to go.

I was so excited every time Jennifer contacted me to share that she finished a walk. This was huge progress and each day seemed to move in a positive energy direction.

Working with Jen also taught me things about cancer only a survivor could share. I learned so much about what Jennifer had gone through as a cancer survivor. How treatments were administered, medications involved, and the adverse effects and toll it took on her body. I learned how it made Jen feel comparing it to an out of body experience. Like this was her body but it does not do what she wants it to do.

Each day is a guessing game with energy levels. One day can be completely depleted and in bed all day or having enough to muster a walk. This type of up down roller coaster ride becomes a cycle of frustration for many and especially extreme athletes such as Jennifer. 

I admire Jennifer for all her accomplishments and am so proud to have been and continue to be a part of her journey of healing through cancer.

Achieving Goals After Cancer

Jennifer celebrates her 60^th birthday tomorrow and so much more. She has also reached and exceeded her fitness goals and during the continuance of her cancer medications. We both are celebrating this victory together in a big way.

Jennifer continues her walk/jogs, eating healthy, involvement in running events and health conferences, and supports events for the fight against breast cancer.  She is one busy, beautiful lady who is a walking example that overcoming obstacles are things that indeed make us stronger. 

I am very proud to have been and continue to be a motivational pacer for Jennifer. 

Our Beginning

My Email Response to Jennifer (you will understand why I posted this here after reading her story):

Hi Jennifer,

First, let me congratulate you on all your successes and the biggest win - surviving cancer. Life takes us through journeys we do not always understand and fighters we must be to continue to be the BEST we can with the limitations handed to us.  I again applaud your determination and motivation to do just that.  I also understand the frustrations of not being or feeling “who you once were” as I also suffered an injury in 2008 and it strips the very soul from an athlete.  Most important, however, is taking what seems to be such an unfair journey and becoming even stronger, better, and wiser from the experience.  Acceptance of the NEW athlete that you are and will always be.  Does it take work and perseverance - a BIG YES - but I am reading that you have an inner strength that will carry you through.  The beautiful thing about our bodies is that we can work them in ways that are not as demanding, get fabulous results, with reduced risk of the negative side effects that always seem to rear their ugly heads if “old workout” philosophies are implemented.  A balance needs to be created that enables you to feel accomplished with your fitness, but at the same time preserves the quality of your life. I would love to meet with you for a consultation and yes, this is the first step when selecting the best fitness expert for you.  Thank you for reaching out, sharing your story, and I look forward to hearing from you.

Jennifer Today

Sometimes You Just Need a Pacer - Jen's Story

Here’s my story. It made all the difference in the world to have Darla by my side!

I am a registered dietitian, an aerobics instructor, and a marathon runner. I have had an active and healthy lifestyle for decades.

I am also a breast cancer survivor of 5 years and am currently finishing up a five-year course of therapy which helps to prevent a recurrence. One of the major side effects of this medicine for me has been fatigue. Enough fatigue that I had to stop running. Enough fatigue that I have spent a LOT of time resting on the couch.

Over the last five years, I have watched my formerly strong and active self become soft and tired. What’s more, I have watched my cholesterol increase to an unhealthy level – the first time I ever had to worry about such a thing. 

I certainly did not have surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation, just to die of a heart attack! 

And, in spite of my training and lifestyle, I could not seem to help myself.

In April 2011, I went online to research personal trainers in the Sacramento area. You all know how Google works, what comes up is what comes up, and that evening, Darla was the only trainer that popped up on the screen.

This is the message I sent to her….

Hi Darla

I found your Web site by chance through Google; I am not a referral.

I was an aerobics instructor when aerobics first came on the scene in the early '80s and taught aerobics for about 15 years.

I have also been a runner since 1983 - my last marathon was in 2000 and my last half marathon was in October 2008.

I am a registered dietitian. I retired from the California Department of Education in health education in 2009.

I will be 60 years old in October. I am a breast cancer survivor, beginning my last year of a five-year follow up hormonal treatment.

The major side effect of my follow-up treatment for cancer is fatigue. Each year that passes I have become more tired.  I have to be fairly careful about how much I work out or I have to spend the next day or so resting on the couch. I have learned the hard way that I can no longer "muscle" my way through a workout - mind over matter is not an option these days.  It is very frustrating, but it is what it is.

The other side effect is losing muscle and gaining fat. Although I weigh approximately as much as I did when I was diagnosed in 2006, my body composition is decidedly different. I was running about 25 - 30 miles a week at the time of diagnosis.  Now I can amble (17-minute miles) about 15 - 18 miles a week. What's more, if I try to cut calories much below 1800 calories a day (and I have tried), my fatigue increases, and I become a screaming maniac. : - ) and, a lower calorie intake seems not to make a bit of difference to the amount I weigh.

Where do you come in?

I noticed that one of your services is Limited Physical/Injury. Believe me, it is not a lack of motivation or self-discipline that is keeping me from being as active as I want to be, but I think I might find it helpful to work with someone to help me do the best I CAN do, whatever it may be.

I'm told that when I stop taking the medication, I still start feeling more like my "old" self again - be able to get out of first gear. For my last year on the medication, I would like to be in the best place I can be, so when I get off the medication, I have the most momentum possible.

What I think would be useful would be a consultation and, more importantly, follow up appointments at least once a month maybe?

What do you think?

Darla sent a loving, supportive e-mail back, and we began our journey together! My focus was always to get healthier – not simply to lose weight or get stronger.

I really appreciated Darla’s Stay Healthy Fitness Food Choice Eating Guide, which we discussed at my initial assessment. I could see that this simple plan focused on getting the very best nutrition. As a dietitian, I am often skeptical about food plans, but I was happy to see that this plan was based on current research.  In fact, I suggested that Darla should publish this plan in a book!

Even with my background in healthy eating, Darla’s eating plan helped me focus my food choices.  Because my calorie intake was lower than I was used to, I needed to get the best nutrition out of each and every little calorie.

My sustained work with Darla was more her supporting me with visits every two weeks, rather than her educating me. I kept a food diary (and I do to this day – every day) and she reviewed my daily intake. There was not much emphasis put on building muscles or increasing aerobic capacity, because that was just not possible. Instead, bi-weekly monitoring of my activity simply helped me refine and improve what I was able to do – walk.

Fast forward six months.  Gradually, very gradually, I began to lose some weight. Because I was accountable to Darla through my food records, I focused on eating the very best I could, and remarkably, I was able to lower my calorie level without the physical meltdowns I had experienced on my own.

Gradually, slowly, I began to add a few more minutes of walking to my daily walk and pick up the pace a bit. The overall fatigue has not gone away, but I made physical activity a priority to the extent that I gave up some of my volunteer activities so that I would have the energy to walk.

Now I am 30+ pounds lighter and my recent cholesterol measurement showed a 70 mg drop! I couldn’t ask for a better result!!

Right now, I have decreased my visits to Darla to once a month. I have developed good habits and I do not need the bi-weekly accountability check. For the future, Darla and I are looking forward to the time when I’m off the medication and the side effects have been minimized. At that time, we will start on some minimal strength work – while the weight I lost was mostly fat, it turns out I have lost serious muscle in the past five years.

For me, it was all about Darla being my “pacer.” Pacer is a word that occurs in the world of running. When you are running in a long event – like the marathon – you often ask someone to help you out as a “pacer.” Near the end of the run, your pacer joins you fresh as a daisy while you are ready to curl up in a ball by the curb. When I ran my marathons and my pacer joined me at mile 20, I always felt that I could now stop thinking and just put one foot ahead of the other. The important decisions would now be made by my pacer.

This is exactly how it worked for Darla and me. Darla took over the thinking and I just did what I was supposed to until I could do it on my own.  Success!!

Progress Photos - Jen

Jennifer Before                                                                         Jennifer Today

4-26-11, 157lbs                                                       Follow-up 9-13-11, 130lbs

BMI 25.5, BF 26.7%                                          BMI:21, BF 21.1%, Lost 10 more lbs

Jennifer continues to maintain herself through good nutrition, walks, and jogs on her great days. I look forward to our continued journey together as we work toward new goals and adventures.

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