Rose Tavares-Finson, Contributor

Nora May Desnoes working out at Shakti Mind, Body, Fitness centre under the guidance of personal trainer Rose Tavares-Finson. - photos by Colin Hamilton/Freelance Photographer

As the human resources director of Trade Winds Citrus Ltd, Nora May Desnoes is constantly juggling her career of being a mother and finding time to attain her desired fitness level.

She faces the challenge of finding time during the week to incorporate the necessary workout.

While group classes gave her some success, she decided to hit it full force with semi-private classes to maximise her weight loss.

Over the last 10 years, Nora May has had three children and has gained an excess of 50 pounds. Playing the yo-yo game with her weight, she was never able to go below 180 pounds.

"In July 2007, I decided this was it. I weighed 194 pounds and I had to do something about it. My goal was to get back to my 1998 weight of 150 pounds so I had 44 pounds to lose," Desnoes told Flair.

She was on a mission, working out twice a day and going in to Shakti Mind, Body, Fitness centre on Bedford Park Avenue every weekend.

She changed her food intake to no carbohydrates after 6:00 p.m., lots of water, and choosing healthier foods, such as fruits and vegetables.

Through personal training sessions, she learned the value of her heart-rate monitor and how she could control the amount of intensity during indoor cycling sessions, as well as weight training sessions. Her heart-rate monitor kept her in the zone and worked out just for her.

New tool

She added this new tool to every single workout and again, maximised the time she spent in her workout ensuring her success.

By December, the fat seemed to melt off and continues to melt off. January through March, Nora May was enjoying morning workouts focusing on both cardiovascular and weight training with free weights to keep the metabolism and the fat-burning machine revving, and again enjoying her family every evening, except Tuesdays and Fridays when she worked out with her personal trainer.

Now Nora May has every reason to be happy. She is at her goal of 150, leaving her weight behind as a memory.

"I am definitely the fittest I have ever been in my life and I feel great," she notes.

Nora May has now become the source of inspiration to everyone who sees her. She has become a fine example of success as a career woman, mother and wife; someone who has achieved her fitness goal while maintaining a regular schedule to boot!

Do you have a successful weight-loss story? Share it with us at: Lifestyle@gleanerjm.com.

Rose Tavares-Finson is a personal fitness trainer.

Left: Nora May Desnoes in February 2007. Right: Nora May in April, 44 pounds lighter. - Contributed