Adele McDaniel, 60, a lifelong Cincinnati resident, is one of Central Athlete’s remote clients. For the past 20 years, she has worked as an accountant at Macy’s. She and her husband Dennis recently celebrated their 36th wedding anniversary. They have two grown children: Jesseca, who lives in Chicago, and Jeremy, in Boston. So far, they have no grandchildren but, says Adele, they’re “not giving up hope!” Besides working out, Adele has many interests: tennis/pickleball, hiking, line dancing, traveling, church activities and spending time with family and friends. She says her workouts through Central Athlete enable her to sustain such an active schedule—and the regimen has also supported her in losing a good deal of weight. When she signed on with Coach Jesse at CA in March 2021, she weighed 220 pounds, down from 265; recently the scale registered an impressive 149.9.
How has your experience at Central Athlete helped you reach and maintain your fitness goals?
My goals were to lose weight and increase muscle strength. I have yoyo-dieted all my life. I would go on a diet and then, once I achieved my goal, I would get back to "normal" and gain the weight back. I had been relatively active all my life, but not on a consistent basis, and that activity mostly involved cardio, Jazzercise, hiking, and biking. I had never pursued strength training. When I came to Central Athlete I had almost given up. I turned 60 this year, which was difficult. My mother died when she was 60 and my mother-in-law lost her husband when she was close to 60. Last year, I felt hopeless as I saw myself gaining weight. I was resigning myself to the fact that I was shortening my life through unhealthy habits, but I didn't know what to do. I didn't want to lose weight just to gain it back again. Central Athlete/Jesse has helped me to develop a nutrition and exercise program that is a lifestyle change. It is my new normal! I have learned to incorporate a high protein/vegetable/whole food diet that is healthy, but also enjoyable and satisfying. In addition to that, I have developed a strength and exercise program that has challenged but not overwhelmed me. I never thought I would be comfortable at the gym, let alone enjoy it, and I am doing things I never thought were possible! I was able to enjoy turning 60 since I feel better than I did when I was 45!
What has your biggest accomplishment been since starting at CA?
Certainly losing close to 70 pounds has been a great accomplishment, but recently maintaining that loss as I prepare to lose my next 5 to 10 pounds has been the best feeling! I've never "maintained" before, so that has been a completely new experience. Also, seeing my progress in terms of feeling comfortable at the gym and steady progress in my abilities has been very amazing. My ability to jog/run has been my biggest surprise. I NEVER in my life enjoyed jogging, and last year when Jesse instructed me to jog 2 miles, I shook my head and thought "no way!” But I tried, and I did it. And since then I have done a 5K and recently increased to 5 miles.
Have you been working towards a specific goal? If so, what?
My initial goal was to lose weight from 220lbs to 165. I have since changed that goal to losing more and maintaining a weight between 140 to 150, which would put me at a healthy BMI. I want to continue a strength program to increase muscle and hopefully my metabolism.
What's your relationship with your coach like?
Jesse is great! I checked out and interviewed a few options before I settled on Jesse at Central Athlete. I chose Jesse/Central Athlete because I felt that he really sought to know me, where I was in my fitness journey, and what my goals were when developing my program. I felt with other organizations there was a "box for success" that I needed to fit into. Jesse is extremely knowledgeable, and I feel that he takes the time to understand me—where I am—and my challenges, and he uses that knowledge to develop a program for my success. I couldn't have done it without him. I also enjoyed a trip to Austin in February to meet Jesse personally so he could assess my progress and give me some tips. That was a great trip and so helpful. I was able to come back to Cincinnati with new confidence to push forward.
Is there anything else you'd like to share?
I have to give a shoutout to my daughter, Jesseca McDaniel. She is the one who introduced me to the importance of tracking calories with emphasis on protein, and the importance of strength training. She encouraged me to find a personal trainer and recommended I look into Central Athlete, based on Rachel's recommendation, a school/work friend who was a part of Central Athlete. I love you, Jesseca! You were an answer to my prayers in so many ways. You have opened up a whole new world to me. I have to say it is never too late. Sometimes I am frustrated that it took me so long to figure this out, but all we have is today and our tomorrows and I'm just thankful that I finally did.
