DumBell Success Stories: April Davis

Today's Success Story is a very special one! Not only is April Davis a long-time recruit, she is also a valuable part of the Ford Island childcare staff. We are thrilled to feature her Success Story today! 

April began taking class in October 2010. "I had stalled in losing weight on my own, and a friend of mine was willing to sign up for classes, too. I had originally started my weight loss journey at a whopping 197 pounds in August 2009, and had managed to lose about 20 pounds taking a nutrition class through Bloch Arena. I finished the class feeling happier and motivated to hit my goal of 160 pounds. That week after I finished the class, I tore a chunk of cartilage out from behind my kneecap. During the long process of getting military doctors to fix my knee and not just treat the pain, it was also discovered that I have two other painful issues with my knee: osteoarthritis that was greatly exacerbated by the injury and chronic tendinitis. During the rest and physical therapy I had tried to eat carefully to maintain my weight loss, but with barely even being able to walk 1/2 a mile without excruciating pain it was difficult to burn the calories to lose. At my first Boot Camp weigh in, I weighed 184 pounds. I was restricted to activities with little to no impact I had to modify a lot of the exercises. I pushed through every class and pound by pound dropped my weight. It took just over a year to reach my goal of 160 and I have maintained within a few pounds ever since December of 2011."

April in 2010 

"I love to run and Boot Camp has given me the muscle strength in my leg to withstand the hard impact to my knee," says April. "I run as often as possible, typically two days a week, and I try to take one cardio class a week as well. Lately, I've really come to enjoy a particular Spin class on Saturday mornings!"  

April doesn't subscribe to a particular diet, but follows Christina's suggestion of having carbs, fruit, and protein in the morning, and then tapering her carbs through the rest of the day. "I have a huge sweet tooth so I do allow myself one serving of dessert a week. I try to make even my desserts at home so that I can control the sugar and fats. I have had to teach myself to cook for small portions. It helps me and my family to resist the urge to overeat. And if I am satisfied, it's ok to not finish my plate." 

"I love the strong, supportive women in class and the healthy competition," says April. "We all can run against each other, determined to be first, and still say 'great job!' and mean it afterwards. That competition and support has brought me from an 11:30-12 minute mile to an 8:30-9 minute mile pace, even on my long runs that are 7-8 miles." 

April's second favorite part of Boot Camp? "I can't get enough Christina-isms! It's incredibly difficult to workout and laugh at the same time, but it would never be the same without Christina's sense of humor. She herself is motivating, I know she wants us to discover the best in ourselves and that her pushing in class shows me I am capable of being stronger. I have changed my entire way of thinking from 'I'm just trying to get through this to burn calories' to 'I need to make this harder so I can become more.'"

Trainer Christina Landry loves that April never lets anything get in her way. "In the beginning I could tell she wanted change because she had steady and gradual weight loss. Even with a painful, previous knee injury, she made as-needed modifications in every single class.
She even traveled all the way from Wahiawa every morning to participate with us! She maintained her weight loss for about a year, and then she went through another amazing transformation when her husband deployed. It wasn't just about losing weight anymore; she wanted to live a healthier lifestyle. It was like the light bulb went off in her head: she wanted to be healthy, not just thin. The change is also evident in her family. Just last month her husband won our Biggest Loser competition for the Halsey Terrace PM class! April is an amazingly strong woman, and she's a wonderful example of what can be achieved once you finally lay down the excuses and put forth genuine efforts." 

"I am thrilled to watch DumBell Fitness grow," says April. "When we do eventually PCS off-island, I will leave class with a heavy heart, but I am a changed woman and will take this knowledge, strength, and motivation with me. I will be anxiously waiting for DBF to go global!" 

April in March 2012

April in August 2012--looking great!