Fitness Friday Spotlight: Anthony Bingham
When we begin our fitness journey, whether we want to lose weight, gain weight, build muscle, etc. we each have different reasons on why we jump on board. Over the next few months, I will be checking in with people on why they started their journey and with those that are helping people to live a healthier lifestyle. Be sure to follow along with me on my journey as well in the coming weeks.
Our first Fitness Friday Spotlight person is Anthony Bingham. I got to sit down with Anthony as he shared his journey.
If you would like to share your story, email me at Chris.Leonard@bbgi.com.
Q: What got you started on your weight loss and fitness journey?
A: As silly as it sounds… I truly owe a lot to my Apple Watch. And what I mean by that is the taunting than it does on the daily is what really kicked my butt into gear LOL.
When I got my Apple Watch back in November of last year it would alert me randomly as to my progress on closing their fitness rings – an Apple health feature. My phone would continuously tell me it was time to stand or that I was close to reaching my calorie goal if i moved a bit more… and with me.. I’m extremely competitive so when something like that is presented I see it as a challenge and will not let myself fail. So from there I found myself going for a walk each day simply to close my rings and to feel better about doing so. That quickly snowballed into wanting to take things a step further. The New Year was right around the corner and I made a promise to myself that at the start of 2021 I was going to set a goal and lose at least 35 pounds before the end of the year. Never did I ever think I’d do that in the first 3 months and then some!!
Q: What was your goal on this new journey?
A: I weighed-in at 230 pounds at the beginning of january. 230 pounds of unhappiness. My birthday is New Year’s Day so I gave myself until January 3rd before I got to work on these goals. I signed up for Weight watchers that day, and decided to quit smoking the same day as well. (still no cigarettes over 6 months later!) It was a lot of changes at once but I knew I could do it. I was determined to improve my overall health!
Signing up for Weight Watchers was one of the best things that I decided to do. It really opened my eyes to all of the unhealthy eating habits that I had and has slowly taught me a lot about portion control, and healthier alternatives to the foods I already loved. With Weight Watchers it’s very unique in that you can pretty much eat whatever you want… but ultimately the goal was to stay within their “smart points“. I made it a point to track EVERYTHING. Good or bad. If I had a cheat day – I’d still count all foods so I could hold myself accountable and see where changes need to be made. When I first started Weight Watchers I would couple that with light at home exercises (jumping jacks, squats, run in place) and I’d try to walk at least 2-3 miles a day. In the first 3 months of changing my diet with WW and doing light exercise – I lost over 40 lbs!
Q: You are doing amazing, Anthony. Congrats on your success so far. You mentioned that you were doing light exercises at home. With being as completive as you are, did you stop there?
A: From there I decided it was time to take it a step further and what I mean by that is I was finally happy with how I was starting to look but then needed to tone up a bit. So at the beginning of March I went with a friend and took my first Orangetheory fitness class. I instantly fell in love and became a member the same day. That same day I also signed myself up further transformation challenge that was currently happening. I went into the transformation challenge during week three so I was already a bit behind everybody else but when all was said and done a few weeks later I actually ended up winning the transformation challenge for the men. Which came with a nice little cash prize. I told you I love a good challenge. It’s the competitor in me. Since signing up I have been going to Orange theory classes 3 to 5 times a week.
Q: How do you feel with where you are now?
A: Now 7 months into my journey I am so super happy at the 180 pounds that I’m down to! With going to the gym now I’ve seen that while I’ve not lost much more weight, I’m doing just what I intended and am toning up, losing belly fat, and gaining muscle. I’ve learned that it’s more than just about the numbers on the scale. You’ll see my first body scan results from my first class at orange theory below in the pictures, and then the scan that was done just today in July.
Q: If there were any words of advice to give to someone on the fence about starting their fitness journey, what would it be?
A: Here is a quote my coach always says to me: “No pressure – No diamonds”. It’s Short, sweet and to the point but it speaks volumes. I repeat this to myself almost every day. Also just remember your body is stronger than you think! The journey itself can be a slow process, but quitting won’t speed it up. And if ever you feel like quitting, just think about why you started in the first place.
