Strengthening Immunity : How our Athletes stay healthy to win
Debbie McCormick threw on her Brewers baseball cap then ran her hands down her blouse and the front of her jeans before heading out to the game. “Feels good,” she thought, “to be at a happy weight where my clothes fit well, I have the energy to do the things I love, and maybe even catch a treat with friends after the game.”
For this four-time USA Team member (’98, ’06, ’10, ’14), one thing she loves is representing the USA in Curling, a sport she’s played for most of her life. But this Shaklee Pure Performance Team member faced a fitness challenge before the Sochi Games in 2014 that required her to get in better shape, shed a few pounds, and build up the energy required to grind through the grueling Team selection process and then compete on the world’s biggest stage.
“I set a goal to lose 30 pounds to get back to my comfortable ‘playing weight,’ or what I call my ‘happy weight.’ I met that goal, and more (losing a total of close to 35 pounds), I made the USA Team, and life was easy and great after that…right?”—Debbie McCormick
Debbie paused before answering her own question: “Not right! At least, not easy.”
Debbie had worked hard to align several positive influences on her fitness quest: A clear-cut goal, a personal trainer with a regular workout schedule, proper diet and fueling, and workout companion (in Debbie’s case, her husband Pete, who also lost 50 pounds), and the discipline to make small sacrifices to compliment her lifestyle change. All those factors came together as planned, and within 20 months she was at that happy weight.
But rarely do all circumstances remain perfectly aligned in a fitness quest.
“The past year has been challenging with a lot of changes in my life,” Debbie explained. “My personal trainer moved to a different job, so my whole workout routine changed dramatically. In addition, I started to travel more with my job (selling Curling equipment), so eating properly on the road became a challenge. Also, my husband was in a vocational training program where he was gone during the week, so I was cooking only for myself which meant that I was often cooking more than I needed.”
That happy weight was starting to slip away. Although still within a healthy weight range, Debbie realized she needed to deal directly with the challenges that cropped up to avoid the yo-yo dieting or fitness surges that rarely leads to life-long health.
“Life gets in the way, sometimes,” Debbie explained. “We’ll frequently face injuries or illness, career changes, personal struggles, and any number of setbacks. Or we’ll simply regress to an unhealthy lifestyle, maybe without even realizing it at first. When that happens, do something—now!”
That “something” usually starts with one thing: food.
“Start by limiting your food intake, and make sure you’re fueling properly. I still drink Life Energizing Shake™ once or twice a day, and I supplement with the Life-Strip™ Food intake is almost always the culprit in weight gain, so choose smaller portions, make better choices about healthy food with low carbs, low sugar, and higher protein. Salads instead of pasta, smaller meals are eaten frequently through the day. In essence, don’t pig out.”
Debbie added, “Of course, staying active is the key. I don’t have a personal trainer now, so I’m attending classes, and I also need to hold myself accountable for my workouts. I’ve also scheduled three sprint triathlons for this summer, so I have a fitness goal to shoot for to prepare for those.”
Debbie is no stranger to gym workouts, and her Shaklee workout routine is featured as part the Shaklee 180 Program provides you with the right nutrition and the right support tools you need to help you reach your healthy weight goal. Powered by Leucine®, our clinically tested products help you keep the muscle you have, burn fat you don’t need and lose inches you don’t want. Learn more.
While weight loss is usually an important part of fitness, the lifestyle change that leads to the weight loss is also an important goal.
“I remind myself that it’s about more than just losing weight – it’s about fitness, a healthy lifestyle, and being able to enjoy my passions. I feel better, I can do more, and I’m continuing to compete at pretty high levels in Curling.”
She added, “all of us have activities, interests, and people we love. Don’t let poor fitness hold you back—set your goals and enjoy the things you love. And summer is a great time to get things going!”
Results and experiences from the Shaklee 180® Program are unique for each person. So results may vary. People following the weight-loss portion of the Shaklee 180® Program can expect to lose 1-2 pounds a week.
A special thank you to Debbie McCormick, 2003 World Curling Champion, four-time Winter Games Curling Team Member and Shaklee Pure Performance Team member. Products from the Shaklee 180® line are Debbie’s favorite.
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