Bruce Lehtman gives his wife Nancy credit for pushing him down the path of healthy living. The couple, who own Distinctions boutique in Creve Coeur, eat out every night since neither likes to cook, a routine that offers countless temptations to veer off a healthy course. But at this stage, Lehtman says he has become very regimented.
“I’ve lost 60 pounds since I started watching what I eat and exercising regularly again eight months ago,” he says. Lehtman has always stayed physically active (he used to run 3 to 4 miles a day), but a leg injury brought everything to a halt. He has had multiple surgeries throughout the past five to six years. Although he tried to get back into his routine during the course of treatment, his injury prevented him from doing the things he used to. Lehtman eventually understood his exercise schedule would have to change. “I realized that was it, I couldn’t run anymore,” he says.
He admits that he saw a definite change in his body when he stopped working out. “I got a lot heavier, so Nancy decided to make an appointment for me at e3 Performance & Fitness,” he says. “The cross-training is great! My trainer, Brett, says that while you can lose weight with cardio, you don’t lose fat, so we do only about 10 minutes of cardio each hour-long session. And I’ve changed my diet quite a bit.” Lehtman drinks a protein shake in the morning, usually eats a salad for lunch and has protein for dinner. “I cheat sometimes, but my trainer says it’s a 90-10 deal,” Lehtman explains. “If you stay on track 90 percent of the time, you can cheat the other 10 percent. Otherwise it would be too difficult.”
When asked about his future fitness goals, he says he wants to maintain where he is now. “We just had a fun two-week contest at the gym to see who could lose the most body fat, and even though I’m the old man of the group, I lost 1 ½ inches,” he says. The natural high that comes from exercise is addictive, Lehtman adds. “I really enjoy it. It boosts my endorphins. And I’m doing things now physically that I wasn’t able to do even in high school. It relieves a lot of tension and pressure, and it affects my everyday life in a positive way.”
[the routine]
I started my current workout plan about eight months ago. I meet with my trainer, Brett Henderson, for an hour three times a week at the gym he owns in Creve Coeur, e3 Performance & Fitness. Our sessions don’t involve much cardio; instead, we focus on cross-training, which includes breathing exercises, lifting weights and pushing sleds.
Photo: Charles Barnes