PITTSTON — Looking to lose some weight in the new year? These Greater Pittston residents have been working on their fitness and share their stories to motivate others on their journeys to better health.
‘You’ll be fine’
Last May, Diane Morris wasn’t happy with what she saw in the mirror.
That wasn’t always the case.
“I was always, not super skinny, but on the skinnier side,” said the Pittston resident. “Once I got married, I started putting on weight. I’ve only been married for five years.”
She said her clothes became too small, and she wasn’t feeling good about herself. So Morris decided to make a change.
She joined a gym. But Morris said she still hadn’t changed her eating habits, and she wasn’t happy with the atmosphere at the fitness facility.
It was a month or two before she decided to join Chiseled Fitness Studio on East Street in Pittston, which had just opened.
“I called Ashley (Faraday, owner), not knowing her at all,” said Morris, 51. “She told me to come down and take a look, see it for (myself).”
After that, everything changed.
Morris is currently down 30 pounds and looks forward to continuing her success. She said the classes at Chiseled and the support from Faraday and other members made a huge difference in her pursuit of health and happiness.
She said a phrase Faraday says during class is what keeps her going whether or not she’s in the gym.
“She always says, ‘You’ll be fine,’” said Morris. “You know, there are times when I’m, not struggling, but working out hard, and she always says, ‘You’ll be fine,’ and she’s right.”
Morris said those three words are important for beginners to keep in mind when they decide to make the change and need to take the first step. She said she used to go through “every excuse in the book” not to go to the gym, but once she started feeling better, she kept exercise as part of her weekly routine.
“Just give it a try,” she said. “You have to push yourself in the beginning, but then you’ll want more.”
Morris also has severe asthma, the symptoms of which have improved greatly since she began exercising regularly.
“I can’t tell you how long it’s been since I’ve used my inhaler,” she said.
Morris said she sticks to a diet of lean meats and vegetables, but said she won’t give up one of her loves — pizza.
“Pizza is my guilty pleasure,” she said.
‘So much happier’
When Ryann Loftus moved back to the area in 2015, she realized she needed to alter her lifestyle.
Five years of law school and working in Philadelphia left little time for the now-28-year-old to exercise.
“I was well over 200 pounds, and I was eating a lot of fast food,” she said.
Her aunt, a trainer at CrossFit Blarney Stone in Duryea, told Loftus to join her for a workout. After that, Loftus was hooked. She’s lost 65 pounds since she started CrossFit training, a high intensity workout.
“I remember last year, (my family and I) were looking at venues for my cousin’s wedding in South Carolina,” said Loftus. “It was New Year’s Eve. I said, ‘I’m going to lose 65 pounds by Liz’s wedding,’ and this is the first year I set a New Year’s Resolution and achieved it.”
It wasn’t the first time Loftus tried to lose weight, but she said it was the first time she stuck with a program. She said learning to be patient was a big part of her success.
“At first I wanted it all off,” she said. “The first 10 to 15 pounds didn’t hit me. …Fifty pounds was really big for me. I was like, ‘Oh, that’s like a small person.’”
Loftus said the most important aspect of her success was finding a support system at the gym, which kept her accountable. She said many people ask her about beginning with CrossFit as a fitness regimen.
“People always say, ‘Oh I have to get in shape first (before I try CrossFit),’” she said. “That’s not true. What’s really great about it is (trainers) will scale (workouts) for you and modify it. Everything we do there can be infinitely harder or easier. On the first day I was intimidated, because I hadn’t worked out in five years, but if you get yourself in the door, people are there to help you.”
Loftus said she dabbled in several different eating plans before choosing one based on what would be appropriate for a CrossFit athlete. Now she eats a diet mostly of lean meats and vegetables, but she didn’t cut out everything at once, and didn’t give up her favorite foods.
“It’s about patience and balance,” she said. “You have to be consistent.”
Besides the weight loss, Loftus said getting in shape has affected her life in other ways.
“I’m honestly so much happier,” she said. “I used to get anxious and easily upset over little things. I feel like I learned…how to deal with (stress) better.”
Keeping health in sight
Recently retired from his job at Pride Mobility, Carl Ruschel, of West Pittston, found himself going “stir crazy” in early 2014. He also saw his blood pressure was increasing, which caused him to be prescribed medication.
So, at 230 pounds, Ruschel decided to join the Greater Pittston YMCA. But his weight wasn’t the only challenge he faced when beginning his journey to health.
Ruschel has an eye disease called retinitis pigmentosa, or degeneration of the retina, which caused him to lose much of his sight by age 14. Ruschel, now blind, uses a white cane to get around. He said learning the layout of the Greater Pittston YMCA’s facilities was difficult at first, but the staff and other members helped him along the way.
“Everyone has been really great,” said Ruschel. “I’ve made quite a bit of friends. I was sick for a week in December and when I came back people kept asking me, ‘Where were you?’”
Ruschel started working out four times a week and changed his eating habits. He was eating “a lot of junk” before, but now says his appetite has actually decreased, despite working out for as much as four hours a day.
“I think my stomach shrunk,” he said.
His favorite exercise machine is the stationary bike, but he also enjoys spending time in the pool at the YMCA, doing water aerobics and other exercises.
So far he’s lost 60 pounds, though he admits he’s been “up and down” during the holiday season.
“Too many cookies,” he said.
He’s still on the medication for blood pressure, but said his numbers are drastically down from what they were. He goes to the doctor frequently for check-ups.
“My doctor said, ‘Whatever you’re doing, keeping doing it,’” said Ruschel.
In addition to his workouts, Ruschel keeps active through various other activities like water skiing, hiking, tandem biking, walking and others.
“I’m going cross country skiing in Colorado in February,” he said. “I’ve tried everything.”
Ruschel said in addition to the health benefits, the interaction with members and staff has really been an important aspect of his weight loss success.
His advice to beginners? Check out a fitness facility before joining to see if it’s the right fit for you.
“Come and talk to the staff, walk around, see if it meets your needs,” said Ruschel.
