Parker County Today April 2016 | Page 57

our health: EXCERCISE Lost the Weight, Found a Family Losing half her body weight in the process BY MELISSA MOORMAN Nicole Farrar (right) with her mother and son Continued on Page 62 PA R K E R C O U N T Y T O D AY But then Nicole realized that she not only found the healthier body she had been working so hard for, she had found a family with Kerry Tate and his staff. “He’s been instrumental, he and Jenny, they truly changed my life,” she said. She also appreciates the strong male role models that her young son Nate has found at Tate’s. “Kerry and my son love each other. Kerry and another trainer named Mayland are some really good strong male influences in his life. It makes me happy to see that,” she continued. When I spoke with her she was just getting over a two-and-a-half-week hiatus from the gym. She admitted that she kept up with her workouts event though she was sick until Kerry finally sent her home. “Kerry has taught me a lot about rest. I just started back on Monday. I’m doing half of what I’m doing but I feel so much better,” said Nicole. While she was away from the gym she received messages from Jenny, Kerry, some of the other women in the classes she attends, even from Barbara, the caregiver in the kid’s area. “Almost everyone checked on me. ‘Where have you been? We’ve missed you.’ He has an amazing group of people,” said Nicole. I asked her what she would tell someone who thinks they can’t accomplish what she has. “Yes, you can. If I could do it, anybody could. I weighed 406 pounds when I had surgery. Surgery isn’t a fix, it’s a tool. I drove from Fort Worth to Weatherford five days a week for the better part APRIL 2016 Nicole Farrar is a single mom who knows a bit about hard work. She has lost 204 pounds in 18 months and can now see the end of her journey back to health. She began that journey 18 months ago with weight loss surgery. In the six months following the surgery she saw the scale dip an incredible 120 pounds. But then her weight loss slowed down and she knew she needed to try something different. Her future sister-in-law had trained at Tate’s Total Training in Weatherford and lost 100 pounds. She recommended the gym to Nicole and that’s when her hard work really started. She liked the gym and owner Kerry Tate’s philosophy that is “grounded in health,” said Nicole. She began going to the gym three times a week and training for thirty minutes each session with JennyLynn Smith. “She tapped into what I needed and it clicked. We talked every single day. It was amazing. I had someone investing in me,” said Nicole. She continued to train for the next few months and then Jenny suggested that Nicole take some of the classes that the gym offered. In the classes, Nicole was really able to increase her weight loss and get the muscle definition and tone she was looking for. “She (Jenny) was able to peak that interest and competitive streak in me. She challenges me,” said Nicole. “She’s done exceptionally well, and it hasn’t been easy. Losing a little bit is hard and losing an extreme amount takes a lot of diligence and a lot of patience,” said Kerry Tate. 55