A couple of years ago, Candie’s life was full of respiratory issues, heart problems, high blood pressure — and she was diagnosed with diabetes. She reached her highest weight of 458 pounds at the height of the pandemic. “It was a really scary time,” Candie recalls. “I felt hopeless that it wasn’t going to get better.”
Candie’s wife, Lorena, grew increasingly concerned. “Getting to the car was too much of a walk for her. I was always worrying about what can happen to her, being how she was.” They both knew that Candie needed to make a change.
“The hardest part is walking in the door”
Candie joined Anytime Fitness after she underwent weight-loss surgery in 2022. As part of the healing process, her doctors told her to begin exercising and focus on strength training.
For Candie, the idea was daunting. “I’ve never been a gym person,” she admits. “I’ve always gotten memberships and literally never have gone.”
Luckily, the owner of Anytime Fitness in Sausalito, California, Mike, proved to be just the support she needed.
“There’s no need to feel alone or ashamed or worried about whether you can do it or not,” he says. “The hardest part is walking in the door and then we’ve got you from there.”
“Mike is is very motivating and energetic,” says Candie. “He’s always smiling. He definitely pushes me. He’s constantly reminding me, ‘This time last year, you couldn’t bend down or squat that low. Look how much you’re deadlifting now!’ It’s just amazing.”
Candie adds: “He has me doing things I never, ever thought that I would feel comfortable doing in a gym. I ended up doing this deadlift of 170 pounds.” Though she was happy with her newfound strength, a startling thought hit her. “I realized, okay, this is what was on my body a year ago and … that’s what I had been carrying and walking around with.”
Just getting started
Candie’s wife, Lorena, has noticed significant changes and says that Candie is like a completely different person. “She has a smile on her face all day. It’s something that I missed.”
Candie’s progress has been nothing short of astounding, but that doesn’t mean she’s anywhere close to stopping.
“I think my biggest goal right now is I have about 100 more pounds to lose to get to my goal weight,” Candie says.
Candie and Lorena have stayed strong throughout the ups and downs of Candie’s chronic health concerns. Now that Candie is stronger and moving easier, it has made daily life, especially parenting, much easier for them both. “We are in a better place and our relationship is actually even stronger now than it was before,” says Candie. “I’ve been working and just getting out there and living my life.”
