PACE:  THE 12 ‐

MINUTE FITNESS 
REVOLUTION  
  45 Pounds in 45 Seconds 
 
One Woman’s Journey to Miraculous Weight Loss
By: Al Sears, MD 
 

 
 

 Wellness Research & Consulting   © Copyright 2010 All Rights Reserved | Al Sears, MD
 45 Pounds in 45 Seconds
One Woman’s Journey to Miraculous Weight Loss

By Al Sears, M.D.

When Terri first came into my office, she thought losing weight was hopeless.

Terri had begun her weight-loss journey several years ago, when her weight started creeping
toward the 200-pound mark. But instead of losing weight, she just kept packing on the pounds.
By the time she made it to my office, she weighed 250 pounds.

During her first visit, she ran down a list of routines and diets she had tried: pilates classes, gym
memberships, cycling, swimming, fast walking, colon cleansing, weight-loss supplements, high-
carb diets, low-carb diets, cabbage soup diets… all with no results.

So I told Terri, she didn’t need to exercise for more than 12 minutes.

In fact, she could ease into it by walking at her own pace, then resting for as long as she needed
… then repeating the routine three more times.

To help her burn fat more effectively, I also suggested she limit her carbohydrate intake and
increase the amount of protein in her diet.

Needless to say, Terri was skeptical. After spending countless hours in the gym … miles on her
bicycle … and years of on-again, off-again dieting, she didn’t believe that 12 minutes of exercise
each day could have much effect on her weight.

That was on January 16, 2009.

Today, Terri weighs 195 and has gone from a size 20 to a size 16.

“The crazy thing about it is that it’s not hard,” she said. “If you just do it and stick with it, you’ll
start seeing a difference in two weeks.”

Here’s Terri’s story…

A Visible Change in Only One Month

“Before discovering PACE,” Terri said, “Everything took so much effort. Just the simple things
– like getting up and down from sitting, or stooping to pick something up – were a chore.”

When Terri went to her local mall, the extra walking would trigger lower back pain and leave her
fatigued. When she went to the beach, she would feel exhausted just from carrying her beach

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chair a quarter mile from the parking lot to the shoreline. When she got out of the car or off the
couch, she would strain and hold her breath as she rallied to get up.

“Something had to change, so I followed Dr. Sears’ advice. And I can’t tell you how surprised I
was! Within just a few weeks, I started seeing a difference… I felt stronger and had more pep in
my step,” she shared.

When Terri returned to my office for her second visit on February 18, 2009, the changes in her
were already evident.

In only four weeks, Terri had lost 14 pounds of body fat. Plus, she was bursting with energy and
excitement.

“I’m ecstatic,” she gushed. “Finally, something is working! It’s only the second week, and my
clothes are already getting looser… the inches just seem to be melting off. I’ve never seen
anything work like this in my life.”

Not only was Terri shedding pounds and inches, she also noticed that she was moving around
more easily, her energy levels had skyrocketed, and she was sleeping much better.

Once Terri saw the results, she agreed to participate in a long-term PACE study. So I brought in
one of my PACE-certified trainers, Coach Scott Wood, to work with her.

Discover a New Body by Walking 45 Seconds

When Scott started working with Terri, he added the progressive element of PACE by
challenging her to increase her exertion levels. So, he began by having her walk quickly uphill
for 45 seconds, then rest.

“At first” she shared, “I had absolutely no control over my breathing. I know 45 seconds doesn’t
sound like a very long time, but by the time I stopped to rest, I would be panting like crazy. And
it would take forever to recover.”

After her first week of walking for 45 seconds followed by rest, we progressively increased the
challenge even further by incorporating a 1-minute uphill run.

We also added alternating lunges to her routine, and she would do 10 of them on her way back
down the hill. The lunges are important, because they build muscle mass in your largest muscle
groups, particularly the leg muscles. When these muscles are strong, they make performing
every-day, physical activities less challenging. Plus, the more muscle you have, the more fat your
body burns.

On Terri’s next weigh-in, she was thrilled once again. She had lost a total of 27 pounds of body
fat since her first visit to my office in January.

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“But it’s not the pounds,” she reiterates. “It’s the inches. All of my clothes are hanging on me,
and I’m starting to see some curves. Who ever would have thought a 45-second walk would
change my life so much?”

“That’s the nice thing about PACE,” she says now. “It’s not intimidating. It’s not scary. You
only have to exercise for a minute or so at a time… it’s just so doable!”

New Hope for a Long and Healthy Life

When Terri first came into my office, we did a round of blood work. At the time, her HDL
cholesterol – the good cholesterol – measured 40, and her triglycerides were running high at 276.

These were big concerns for Terri, because her mother had begun having cardiovascular
problems at an early age. And with years of smoking behind her, that was just one more health
concern that caused her worry.

“Between the extra weight, the blood pressure pills, and all that other stuff, I knew I was walking
down a path I didn’t want to be on. I just didn’t know how to get off of it.”

When Terri first started her PACE exercises, the out-of-control breathing she experienced
showed just how out-of-shape she was. Using a heart rate monitor, Terri’s ideal heart rate during
exercise is right around 150. But once she got there, it was all she could do to breathe. Then, it
would take her 5 to 10 minutes to regain control.

That’s why she was exceptionally pleased when she came for another office visit in April. I had
good news all the way around.

Not only had she lost another 11 pounds of body fat – now totaling 38 – but she showed a
marked improvement in important health markers. In only three months, her good HDL
cholesterol had gone up by 5 points, and her triglycerides dropped by almost 30%… from 276 to
194. Today the numbers are even more astounding. (See charts on page 6.)

Lowering triglycerides is especially helpful for Terri, as triglycerides are more of a risk factor for
cardiovascular disease in women than in men.

Terri’s lungpower is on the rise, too. Terri’s office is on the second floor. Before she started
PACE, she would always take the elevator. Now she bounds up the 25 steps three or four times a
day without thinking about it.

She also noticed she hasn’t been retaining excess fluids any longer.

“My ankles used to swell up all the time. I even bought a little foot pedal to use at work to keep
the blood flowing through them… but it didn’t help much. Now, I don’t even have to think about
it, because they never swell up anymore.”

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 “The Difference Is So Amazing…”

Once Terri started dropping the pounds, we were able to add even more to her PACE routine.
Initially, her weight wouldn’t allow her to do certain types of exercise… no jumping rope, jump
squats, or jumping jacks… and no pull-ups or push-ups.

Now, 68 pounds lighter and sporting 14 more pounds of lean muscle, Terri can participate in all
of these exercises.

Just imagine that: When Terri started, she couldn’t even walk for more than a few seconds.
Today, she’s doing jump squats with 20 lb. kettleballs.

She’s also noticed a huge improvement in her breathing rate and recovery time.

“The difference is so amazing,” she told me. “Now, when I get the heart rate monitor up to 150, I
can breathe! Sure… I’m breathing hard, but it’s not all erratic and out of control like it used to
be. Plus, my recovery time is just a couple minutes.”

On Terri’s most recent visit to my office, I asked her what the hardest part of her journey has
been… and got a good laugh out of her response:

“Getting up at 4:45 in the morning to meet Scott… Oh! And keeping myself in clothes that fit.
That’s definitely been the hardest part,” she chuckled.

Then she continued. “Seriously, there’s nothing hard about it. It’s easy. It works. And you can do
it on your own.”

She’s right about that. PACE doesn’t require anything except commitment on your part to
dedicate a few minutes a day toward it. There’s no equipment to buy. No gym memberships to
get locked into. Just you and your commitment.

“If you work for it,” Terri said, “it will work for you. And you don’t even have to leave your
living room. You can do jumping jacks, squats, running in place… Just do it!”

Terri speaks from experience. Over the past 11 months Terri has:

• Lost 68 pounds of fat

• Built 14 pounds of new muscle

• Raised HDL (good cholesterol) by over 33%

• Lowered triglycerides (blood fat) by over 36%

Today, Terri is living a new, healthier, and more active life than she has in years, and is well on
her way to achieving the body of her dreams.

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 Body Fat (lbs) Lean Body Mass (lbs)

HDL (mg/dL) Triglycerides (mg/dL)

Terri’s Workout With Coach Scott Wood

When Terri started working with my PACE-certified trainer, Scott Wood, he created a 6-day-a-
week plan. She would work with Coach Scott three days a week, and would do PACE on her
own three days a week.

Here’s what the first two months looked like:

Terri’s Program, Part 1: February 20 to April 20, 2009

Day Program Time Exercise
Monday* PACE #1 5:30am to 6:00am Elliptical
Tuesday PACE #2 Anytime Bike
Wednesday* PACE #1 5:30am to 6:00am Elliptical
Thursday PACE #2 Anytime Bike
Friday* PACE #1 5:30pm to 6:15pm Hill Walks, Sprints
Saturday PACE #2 Anytime Walk
Sunday Off
* With Trainer

With Coach Scott, Terri would get up early and meet him either at the gym or at the park. During
their gym routines, Terri would use the elliptical machine, always starting off at a moderate level

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of difficulty and then slightly increasing the resistance after each set. On Fridays they met at the
park and either walked or ran up a hill.

On Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, Terri would bike or walk by herself. On these days, it
was her job to give herself a challenge without pushing herself so hard that she couldn’t sustain
the activity.

Here’s what the PACE #1 and #2 programs looked like:

PACE #1:

Warm-Up Set 1 Set 2 Set 3

Exertion Recovery Exertion Recovery Exertion Recovery

3 to 5 min 45 sec X min 45 sec X min 45 sec X min

Set 4 Set 5

Exertion Recovery Exertion Recovery

60 sec X min 60 sec X min

PACE #2:

Warm-Up Set 1 Set 2 Set 3

Exertion Recovery Exertion Recovery Exertion Recovery

3 to 5 min 3 min X min 3 min X min 3 min X min

Set 4 Set 5

Exertion Recovery Exertion Recovery

3 min X min 3 min X min

After two months, Coach Scott made some variations to Terri’s routine. In addition to changing
the instrument she used in the gym, Coach Scott introduced a few calisthenics and strength-
training exercises.

At first, Terri did lunges as she came down the hill on her Friday afternoon workouts. Then
gradually, Coach Scott introduced some wall push-ups, dips, toe touches, and crunches. For her
Saturday walk, Terri went to the beach, as walking or running in the sand provides a better
challenge.

Here’s what the next two months looked like:

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 Terri’s Program, Part 2: April 21 to June 20, 2009
Day Program Time Exercise
Monday* PACE #3 5:30am to 6:00am Treadmill
Tuesday PACE #4 Anytime Walk/Bike
Wednesday* PACE #3 5:30am to 6:00am Treadmill
Thursday PACE #4 Anytime Walk/Bike
Friday* PACE #3 5:30pm to 6:15pm Hill Walks, Sprints
– Strength Training
Saturday PACE #4 Anytime Walk/Run
Sunday Off
* With Trainer

Here’s what the PACE #3 and #4 programs looked like:

PACE #3:

Warm-Up Set 1 Set 2 Set 3

Exertion Recovery Exertion Recovery Exertion Recovery

3 to 5 min 45 sec X min 60 sec X min 75 sec X min

Set 4 Set 5

Exertion Recovery Exertion Recovery

60 sec X min 45 sec X min

PACE #4:

Warm-Up Set 1 Set 2 Set 3

Exertion Recovery Exertion Recovery Exertion Recovery

3 to 5 min 2 min X min 2 min X min 2 min X min

Set 4 Set 5

Exertion Recovery Exertion Recovery

2 min X min 2 min X min

After another two months, Coach Scott turned up the challenge further by adding strength
training and calisthenics four times a week:

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 Terri’s Program, Part 3: June 21 to September 20, 2009
Day Program Time Exercise
Monday* PACE #1 5:30am to 6:00am Treadmill
Calisthenics #1
Tuesday PACE #4 Anytime Walk/Bike
Calisthenics #1
Wednesday* PACE #1 5:30am to 6:00am Treadmill
Calisthenics #2
Thursday PACE #4 Anytime Walk/Bike
Calisthenics #2
Friday* PACE #1 5:30pm to 6:15pm Hill Walks, Sprints
Saturday PACE #4 Anytime Walk/Run
Sunday Off
* With Trainer

Here are the two calisthenics workouts:

Calisthenics #1:

Exercise Sets Reps Rest

Wall Push-Ups 2 12 to 15 60 seconds
Dips 2 12 to 15 60 seconds
Pull-Ups 2 2 to 3 60 seconds
Lunges 2 12 to 15 60 seconds

Calisthenics #2:

Exercise Sets Reps Rest

Crunches 2 12 to 15 60 seconds
Toe Touches 2 12 to 15 60 seconds
Scissors 2 12 to 15 60 seconds
Leg Levers 2 12 to 15 60 seconds

After 7 months, Coach Scott took Terri’s routine in a new direction. PACE #5 features increased
intensity as the duration decreases after each set. And PACE #6 introduces a circuit-training
pattern, whereby Terri did a series of five calisthenics followed by a run up the hill, all in rapid
succession with no rest. That sequence being one set with full recovery afterwards. Then it was
repeated to make two sets.

Here’s what it looks like:

Terri’s Program, Part 4: September 21 to December 22, 2009

Day Program Time Exercise
Monday* PACE #6 5:30am to 6:00am Circuit Pattern
Tuesday PACE #5 Anytime Walk/Bike

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 Wednesday* PACE #6 5:30am to 6:00am Circuit Pattern
Thursday PACE #5 Anytime Walk/Bike
Friday* PACE #6 5:30pm to 6:15pm Circuit Pattern
Saturday PACE #5 Anytime Walk/Run
Sunday Off
* With Trainer

PACE #5:

Warm-Up Set 1 Set 2 Set 3

Exertion Recovery Exertion Recovery Exertion Recovery

3 min 2 min X min 2 min X min 90 sec X min

Set 4 Set 5 Set 6

Exertion Recovery Exertion Recovery Exertion Recovery

90 sec X min 60 sec X min 60 sec X min

PACE #6:

Exercise Reps
Push-Ups 10
Crunches 10
Dips 10
Hindu Squats 10
Jump Pull-Ups 10
Hill Run 45 sec.

This sequence is done twice with full recovery in between.

In just 11 months, Terri went from walking 45 seconds to running up hills and doing full sets of
calisthenics. And at no time during the process did she ever feel overwhelmed.

By starting at a place that’s comfortable and following the PACE principle of progressivity, Terri
transformed her body.

You can too. This routine is simply one way to do it. There are infinite possibilities.

If you don’t know where to start, refer back to Chapter 5 in PACE: The 12-Minute Fitness
Revolution, then add new challenges over time. It doesn’t matter where you start. Only that you
get started.

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