Rusty Loses 13lbs in HIS FIRST WEEK!

Russell (Rusty) hails from Ead, Tennessee. He is a pilot at heart but due to his life-changing circumstances, is on disability, with the possibility of returning.

Rusty came to Live in Fitness on a mission.

He has lost 13 pounds his first week! This hard-working machine has been sweating bullets, trying to achieve a goal he never thought he could. Rusty learned about Live in Fitness through his primary doctor, giving him solutions on how to lead a healthier lifestyle and change his direction in life.

“One of my doctors gave me places to go to and said, ‘these places will change your life and you have to change, or you’ll be dead in about five years.’ While my wife was in the doctor’s office with me, she was the one who called. 

I waited four to five weeks, and I knew talking with Sarah would be a long conversation and hearing the expenses of the program. To be honest, I was being selfish, I wanted a tractor instead, but my wife thought coming out here was more important than a tractor so here I am. 

My wife will be here on Saturday, to join the program, and it will help lower the temptations and risks when we go back home, knowing we will receive the same information on how to lead a more successful lifestyle when we go back home.”

Although many are here for different reasons, Rusty shares the experiences leading up to finally make his way to Live in Fitness. 

“In 2012, I injured my back. The doctor went to see prescribed me a heavy dose of hormones. The weight was coming on. My doctor said it was normal. I ended up with a 245 pound weight gain. 

I went back to him and described this wasn’t working. He communicated that I would need to see a specialist. I went to the specialist, got a spinal tab, he misses the nerve and hits my sciatic nerve. 

He told me I would eventually be back to normal and that if it didn’t, then surgery would be the solution. I didn’t want surgery, that was the last thing I wanted to do. I ended up finding an orthopedic, she worked with me for six to seven years. 

Got rid of the sciatica and she urged me to be healthy and to fly again. My highest weight was 490 pounds. With the help of my wife, Janet, I lost 100 pounds, always fluctuated, but never seemed to get lower than that. 

I did programs like this, but I always ended up injury myself because no one guided me to do it correctly. With the help of the staff here, the risk of injury has gone down.” 

With this extreme weight gain, Rusty fell into a depression. 

“It made flying hard. I became self-conscious. I would be standing in line at the grocery store, and you see people trying to hurry up at checkout because they see me, a huge monster, struggling to breathe and being heavy, which made them uncomfortable.”

As Live in Fitness, is a result-based program, Rusty shared some expectations from before and after. 

“I watched the videos of what they do here. I knew that I would have to change the way I thought, acted, put forth the effort, and protect myself from injury. The work out atmosphere is positively contagious. 

Everyone here I nothing shot of wonderful, instructors and my co-teammates. The food, I can’t eat all of it, but I do it, is incredible. I didn’t know I could eat this good with such little food. I am not hungry at all after each meal. The fact that my blood sugar is stable and that I am losing weight is amazing!” 

Rusty has made great progress here at Live in Fitness. When asked about how he felt about his progress, he states,

“I have mixed emotions because I am so sore and tired but I see that I am able to do more and life more, kind of like the old Rusty, Today I climbed the steps to the pool, which were about 20 steps. 

That has been the first time in five years that I could do that. So, I see the progress and I am loving it! I am also able to tie my shoe and now I have the greatest issue of buying smaller clothes. 

I eventually want to go on the hikes in the morning before I go back home. My ultimate goal is to walk without pain, but to be at 250 pounds…210 would be wonderful.”

Rusty has been having a delightful time here at this fitness retreat. He shared that his favorite time at the hangar are his personal training with the coaches.

“I love it, hands down. Every coach is great. They are fair and they push you! I also love the mash-up with Jermaine in the morning, he is hardcore.”

Rusty also shared some great dishes he has enjoyed while being here, 

“The breakfast burrito this morning was fantastic. I also love the lox, the salmon, he makes it perfectly.”

Overall, Rusty is excited to continue the program for a couple more weeks. He is eager to see how this week will compare to last week. As he was also skeptical about coming to Live in Fitness, here is his advice to those that are contemplating the program,

“Realistically, it is only money. Get off your a** and come do it.”