Michael is the other, not-so-public half of the team that is EcoVelo. She does a lot of the behind-the-scenes work and this site would not exist without her help. This is typical for Michael; she’s always eager to do the heavy lifting, but she’s more comfortable when the spotlight is on others.
There’s an interesting story about Michael that I’ve been wanting to share, a story she rarely talks about for fear of bringing too much attention to herself. Finally, after much convincing on my part, she’s reluctantly allowed me to tell it, with the hope that it might provide some encouragement and inspiration.
Not so long ago, Michael weighed 240 lbs. She wasn’t always this weight — in her 20′s she weighed approximately 160 lbs. — but kids, a job in the food industry, and a sedentary lifestyle eventually caught up with her. In 2005, at the age of 33, she decided she didn’t like where she was headed, so she embarked upon a program to get in shape.
In 2005, at the age of 33, she decided she didn’t like where she was headed, so she embarked upon a program to get in shape.
Having never been an athlete, she started slowly by joining the local “Curves” health club. Curves was a great introduction, and she religiously attended classes, but in just a couple of months she outgrew the program and moved over to a larger, full-service health club. There she dove into various classes, eventually working up to a point of exercising approximately 2 hours per day, 5 days a week, mixing three days of weight training with two days of high intensity cardio, all topped off with 45-60 minutes of low intensity cardio each day. During this same time period she discovered bicycling and started working active transportation into her lifestyle.
Along with the exercise, she also made big changes to her diet. She eliminated virtually all animal products, refined carbs, and processed food from her diet. Fast food was out, as was soda, alcohol, and “frappucinos”. She replaced her previously high-fat/sugar/salt diet with a healthy, plant-based diet centered around locally grown fruits and vegetables. During this time period she also turned herself into an accomplished vegetarian cook, using the internet to research nutrition and technique.
You’ve heard the old saying, “Showing up is half the battle.” Michael likes the saying, but she says it should read “Showing up is most of the battle.” She’s really good at showing up. Using the above self-designed program, she was able to lose 95 lbs. over a 21 month period using no drugs, surgeries, TV shows, or fad diets. She firmly believes anyone can do what she did with a simple program of diet and exercise if they’ll just stick to it (that’s a big “if”). She’s maintained her healthy weight for three years running and has since cut back to exercising 1.5 hours per day, 4 days a week while incorporating even more active transportation into her daily routine.
At this point, Michael’s new healthy lifestyle is the norm and she has no doubt it’s 100% sustainable for the rest of her life. And most importantly, she says she’s never felt better. Her tenacity and willingness to “show up” make her a daily inspiration to friends, family, and just about everyone who knows her.
