Although Durham resident Ekiti Lowe is running late for a workout, she says she remains steadfast about her newest change - living well - despite the challenges.

"I'm committed to this. I'm not doing it for nothing," she says.

No need to worry. Her trainer Brad Calhoun quickly makes up for lost time, setting out weights while she completes three sets of warm-up squats.

Lowe and two other winners of the2010 Durham Fitness Challenge are getting help setting fitness goals, and planning workouts and meals over the next three months.

The challenge is sponsored by the David Turner Lymphoma Foundation, named for a Durham resident who was diagnosed at 24 with Stage IV lymphoma, a cancer of the immune system. The Durham News will report on the participants' progress over the next three months.

Lowe says her story has already inspired one person to start a fitness plan, and that motivates her even more.

If she starts to slack off, Calhoun gives her a push. There's no yelling, just soft-spoken encouragement. It will be over soon, he says.

"It works for me. When I know that I'm almost done with a set, and he tells me that, it's like OK," Lowe says. "It doesn't make it any easier. It's just psychological."

The pace is fast - six repetitions with heavy weights; then 15 more with light weights - moving from one exercise to the next with just a short rest in between.

The rapid pace gets her heart rate up and increases the aerobic benefit, Calhoun says.

"You've got to build muscles to burn fat," he says.

After three sets, Lowe switches to resistance cords for stretching her muscles and an extra-large exercise ball for crunches to build her core.

"I like [the ball] because it helps the lower back, and it's easier for people just starting out," Calhoun says. "You can do the full range of crunches, as opposed to sitting on the ground, which is a lot harder on the body."

The workouts will be more challenging as she progresses, he said, although that's only part of the plan. "Nutrition is 70 to 80 percent of your success," Move It Be Fit founder John Hinkle told an August boot camp class.

Lowe has cut red meat from her diet, although not much else has changed. The biggest challenge is trying to eat six small meals a day.

Two weeks into the challenge, however, she's noticed the difference.

"I feel tighter in my muscles. I can definitely feel muscle," she says. "I've got to stay in my zone and just get through it."