My Weight Loss Testimonial

Below is a testimonial I wrote for our gym. It explains where I was at with my health last year and how far I have come with the help of our trainer. I still have 20-30 pounds to lose, but I am sure not where I was last year. Praise God!

Before:

After:

My name is Ross Wiseman and I was severely over weight. I am 35 years old and for the majority of my life very athletic. Five years ago I destroyed my shoulder in a dirt bike accident. I ballooned from 175 pounds to 230 pounds in a short period of time. When I finally started to get back into shape I tore my ACL in a soccer match. I began to gain weight again and quickly reached 230 pounds again.

If you don’t take control of life, life will take control of you. That is exactly what happened. Three years ago my family moved to Woodstock, GA to begin Embassy Metro Church. As lead pastor of a new and growing church I put the family and church before my own needs and quickly got into a routine of work and “low impact” family time. I didn’t do anything physical for two years. Oh, I bought a gym membership to another place, but I did not have the motivation or guidance to even reach the smallest goals.

This brings us to the part of the story where my life was given back to me. Last fall I met Debbie Roness. She is a personal trainer at Body Plex in Woodstock, GA. Our boys were on the same soccer team. As we made friends with Debbie and her husband Phil they began to attend our church. Debbie says she remembers seeing me perspire and get winded so easily as I preached and moved around on stage. As much as I hate to hear that…she’s probably right.

I had blown up to 270 pounds and at 5’8” felt miserable. My family means everything to me, but I was in a cycle where I had no energy. I would fall asleep within minutes of sitting in my recliner. I would avoid putting my girls to sleep at night because frankly my chest hurt when I walked up the stairs to their room. I always prayed for an all American boy and God gave me just that. Now I was wasting that gift by being so out of shape I didn’t even want to kick a ball around with him or wrestle on the living room floor. Ridiculous! An athlete who was on his way to diabetes, hypertension, destroyed joints, and the stress that comes to a marriage when a man wont be a man. Not only was there a strain on my personal life, it was affecting me as a leader as well. I had lost my confidence, and leadership edge. You can’t lead people if you don’t lead yourself.
It still hurts to even think about that because that wasn’t me. Deep inside I was the confident and disciplined leader with an athletic edge who owned the respect and admiration of his family. I needed someone to help reach in and pull that back out of me.

Debbie Roness was that someone. She put me on a healthy eating plan, trained me for three days a week, and got me doing cardio 5 days a week. Debbie has been a source of encouragement, education, and discipline. With out her help I would not have lost 60lbs in five months (from 270 to 210). I would not have developed the strength and stamina I now have. I am mountain biking with 20 year olds and holding my own. I would not see the pride my wife and children have when they look at me and we do “high impact” family activities. I would not be the leader that my staff and church need me to be. And I would not be the man that I knew I was, but needed someone to help me find again.

Debbie you helped me find me and for that I will forever be grateful!

Thank you!
-The Wiseman’s (Ross, Amie, Adalee, Aubrynn, & Grant)