REAL LIFE
FABULOUS AT FIFTY
By: Maria Kang
Paula Fuller, 51, had all the warning signs. She was stressed. She wasn’t exercising or watching her diet. She had a mini-stroke. She had no stamina…and as a result – she was taking a lot of medication.
So, she decided to make a choice. She quit it all cold turkey. Instead of taking five different pills for cholesterol, blood thinners and pre-diabetes, she decided to take a chance and create a life without medication.
Born in Palmdale, California, Paula was considered a skinny kid who enjoyed dance, acrobatics, softball, basketball and track. She married young and had three kids before the age of 30. “I didn’t lose the baby weight,” confides Paula. “I gained more weight after each pregnancy.” While she was active as a child, she admits becoming more of a spectator than a participant as she raised her kids and worked as an elementary school teacher. Eventually, her weight ballooned to 202 pounds, a heavy load on her 5-foot-5 frame.
Paula experienced a small taste of success three years ago when she dieted her way down to 160 pounds, but eventually she gained her weight back because she lacked exercise, supplementation and motivation. Frustrated, she turned to her best friend, Debbie Prosser, a woman she met at church five years ago. While they didn’t have much in common, their personalities instantly clicked. They moved in together and decided to start a fitness plan together.
The duo called upon Paula’s daughter, Nicole, to get them in contact with her best friend and personal trainer, Danny-J. Danny-J recommended they enter the Max Muscle MaxFormation contest beginning in January 2009. They registered as members on www.maxmuscle.com and began blogging about their journey, connecting with other participants and sharing their favorite recipes and Max Muscle supplements.
In addition to her general health, Paula was motivated by other variables including her grandchildren, her trainer Danny-J, NBC’s “The Biggest Loser” show, Max Muscle’s MaxFormation Web site and by her best friend and roommate, Debbie. Debbie delightfully recalls her journey with Paula: “It was so cool having Paula to cook and prepare food with. Days that I didn’t want to go to the gym, Paula motivated me. When we watched ‘The Biggest Loser’ we would get up and exercise during commercials!”
For the contest, Paula and Debbie became connected with Jennifer Lee, the Max Muscle store owner in Durango, Las Vegas. Jennifer recommended Paula sup-plement her diet and exercise with B-Complex, Glucosamine, Max EFAs, Max Women’s 45+ multi-vitamin, glutamine and protein powder. To-gether, these supplements would assist Paula’s caloric deficit, strenuous workout routine and overall general health.
Paula needed all she could get with the demanding workout sche-dule Danny-J created for her. She went from not working out at all to performing 30 to 40 minutes of cardio five days a week and circuit training with Danny-J three times a week. Danny-J also set up a diet that Paula strictly followed for six months without any cheat days. She forfeited her favorite past-time foods including chocolate, bread, cake and cookies for fresh fruit, chicken breast, brown rice and vegetables.
Soon after starting the program, Paula began losing an average of 5 to 15 pounds per month. When the MaxFormation Life Challenge ended on June 30, she was a svelte and strong 145 pounds, losing 12 inches off her waist and dropping 7 percent body fat. “I feel like I can breathe! I can wear clothes without them hurting me. My hot flashes have gone away, I feel more confident and I just feel better about myself,” Paula proudly exclaims.
Paula walked away as one of the Top 10 Finalists of the MaxFormation contest. While achieving a strong physique, internal confidence and outward praise satisfies her, it’s the ability to be active with her grandchildren, ages 1, 2 and 5, that satisfies her most. MS&F
SAMPLE DIET FOR PAULA
Breakfast
5.5 oz fruit (cantaloupe, melon, blueberries)
1/2 cup (before cooking) oatmeal
1/2 cup egg whites
Green tea
AM Snack
8 oz. Protein Shake
3.9 oz. fruit-apple
Lunch
3.2 oz. green vegetables
6.9 oz. brown rice
4 oz. chicken, turkey, or 5 oz fish
PM Snack 1
2 rice cakes
15 almonds
PM Snack 2
4 oz. Jennie-O turkey slices
3.9 oz vegetables (snap green beans)
Dinner
4 oz. chicken, turkey, or 5 oz. fish
1 cup salad-no dressing (used balsamic vinegar or salsa)
2.1 oz green vegetables
Bedtime Snack
Protein shake with glutamine powder
2 tsp. peanut butter
WANT MORE? Visit Paula’s blog page at http://www.maxmuscle.com/maxformation/paulafuller/
