FEATURED MEMBER: Lisa S.

This week's featured member is Lisa.  She is a member of the morning crew, and she is pretty dedicated to getting there every morning, especially considering how far she has to travel to get here!  I've seen her there for years, but I only recently introduced myself.  I'm glad I did - she's super fun to talk to in the morning when we're getting ready to head to work!  She's very funny in person, and as you'll read below, equally as entertaining in print.

Tell us a little about yourself.

My name is Lisa Sikkema.  I am married and have a 7 year old son, Jackson who is the love of my life.  We live in Decatur and enjoy camping, boating/watersports, playing tennis and just spending time together.  I am a digital media consultant at the MLive Media Group (Kalamazoo Gazette) and LOVE it!  I get paid to get to know people and their business, and I love seeing the results I’ve been able to bring to my customers using digital media to help grow their business.

 

What is your usual weekly workout routine? 
I try to make it a minimum of 4 times per week.  I work with a trainer Tues & Fri., Wed. Body Pump w/CX and Mon and Thursday, my own thing- I start with 20-30 min. on the Arc or the elliptical at a level of 4-5…ok, sometimes 2 or 3!...it’s really hard sometimes!  I try to burn somewhere close to 300 calories to feel good about it, and afterwards I work with weights -1 of the days I will  do drills – I like to go into the yoga room and do the side running thing where you’re squatting a bit and holding 8lb weights and you kind of shuffle sideways (like football), really fast step ups on the bench with 3 risers (I count to 30 for each leg) then work my biceps/triceps and core.  On the other day I will work legs; I like walking lunges with shoulder presses, LOVE the sled and try everything in my power not to do squats because I HATE them!

What are your go-to snacks and meals?
I like to snack on cheese sticks, carrots…sometimes reduced fat kettle chips, I’m not really a big snacker during the week because I’m really busy during the day.  At home, I will find myself having a handful of kettle chips.  I’m not a “sweets” person; I prefer crunchy, salty things!

I LOVE food, it’s my biggest downfall, but I can’t help it!  I like to think about what I am going to have for lunch, then dinner and when I talk to people (people I know, not strangers),  I like to find out what they had for lunch and dinner.is that weird?  Actually, I eat pretty healthy during the week because I am a planner – usually, chicken, fish or pork chops with veggies (try to curtail the carbs during the week), or spaghetti w/ lean beef, etc.  I’ve been a member of Weight Watchers forever and it’s a great program (if you follow it).  I am conscious about fat content, points and serving sizes – what kills me are the weekends.  I sometimes get this “anything goes” attitude – Friday is usually pizza night and I like to make a big Sunday dinner, usually some kind of delicious red meat accompanied by mashed potatoes and gravy (my first Love!).
 
How do you balance being active with the demands of your daily life?
I come to the gym between 5:30 and 6 am- I am a morning person and love to work out first thing, it really gets my day going!  I live 40 minutes away, and at the end of the day, I just want to go home.  I don’t like coming back to Kalamazoo on the weekends either; my priority is my family, so it’s really important to me to make sure I get those 4-5 days in during the week.
 
What is a fitness or healthy living goal you have for yourself?
My goal …..well, my goal is to lose this fatness I have around my belly and behind, BUT because I haven’t been willing so far to break things off with my food boyfriend, my goal is to just be healthy and I know that exercise is a HUGE factor.  My job can be really busy and stressful at times, and I know the toll that stress can take on your body, so that being said, I make sure that I eat healthy more than I eat badly, exercise regularly, and I have my HDL, triglycerides, and cholesterol checked every year...they are fantastic by the way, very low! My blood pressure is always low too, and I know it is a direct result of exercising consistently.

What do you like about being a member at SWAT?
The staff for sure!  The trainers are fabulous – Carol, Jeff, Marta, in particular, they are so motivating and make you feel like you are family.  It’s not really that they are trying, it’s just who they are!  When you do Body Pump with Marta (Jason too) she is constantly looking around the room to make sure your form is correct.  She always throws in this funny banter also –so you’re always engaged, she makes you WANT to work hard, and you always feel great after.  The personal trainers I have worked with (Carol and Jeff) are so educated about diet, physical fitness etc.  They are so very skilled at making me work harder than I really thought I could or even wanted to.  We always talk about what we put in our mouths and how one day of eating badly can throw away 2 days of a great workout, making sure I have the correct form so I don’t hurt myself, and finding creative workouts that are fun, like drills or boxing or boot camp type of stuff. 

I should also mention the members, I see the same people every morning –they are like family to me….all in all, working out at SWAT is just a really great start to my day!

What is your favorite class at SWAT?  Why?
My favorite class is Body Pump/CX on Wednesday – I love the mix of big muscles and core.   When I’m done with that class I have that all- over- tired- body feeling, like I worked all of my muscles.  It really works my core where I need it the most.

Do you have a person who is your healthy living/fitness inspiration?  Who and why?
My trainers – between Jeff and Carol, they really helped me turn a corner with being healthy – I have so much admiration for those two.  Jeff is over 50 and can do pullups like nobody’s business – even more than Greg Brady!  And Carol…..have you SEEN her? She looks like a million bucks and can outwork anybody!   While I still eat a little too much on the weekends sometimes, I am a lot more mindful of what I put in my mouth and am more conscious about making healthier choices.

Anything else you’d like to say?
I LOVE SWAT!  Between the staff (and that goes for the girls at the front desk as well the trainers), and the members, I feel like I have a second family.  Everybody is kind of cut out of the same cloth: we have kids, stressful jobs sometimes, husbands that irritate us, we like drinking wine …really, they are just like me, not perfect but just good people who have found the balance between having a good time and being healthy.  I look forward to coming in every day and can’t imagine not starting my day out there.