Jenny – 7 Week Transformer

I was a walking disaster waiting to happen. I was doing all the wrong things. With a family history of stroke, the only thing I was doing to help myself was taking Blood pressure pills. I was not exercising, not watching what or how much I ate. And I know better.   I had to be careful at work not to hurt my back and I couldn’t lift my grandchildren.   I knew I needed to change, but lacked the incentive to start. Andy gave me that incentive. I was watching a poster being printed for him at Staples-the 6 week Challenge of before and after pictures for that group and remarking that it looked like something I should doing. I didn’t realize that Andy was standing at the counter and I heard his voice saying ‘You should do it’. Yes, yes, I should do it. It had the incentive that I know I needed…the carrot of getting my money back if I was successful (I hate losing money) and it offered the support and commitment that I knew I needed to pull it off. What was I waiting for??? Nothing….there was no reason not to join in. So I did.

I’m not going to say it was easy. I haven’t been in a gym since high school….I couldn’t do anything. Dear Christina….she had to coach me through each exercise way more than the others. Those first squats, planks, pull-ins, chest presses, etc. were abysmal. I could hardly lift the 10 lb weights. At the end, we were using 20 and 25lb weights…I’m impressed with myself. And Jennifer had her hands full in her MuscleMix and Spin classes whenever I would join. Again, I was way behind everyone else’s ability but I felt it was making a difference in me. She was very patient and I’m sure the class loved the comic relief…I can’t believe they all can balance on those giant balls! Slowly, well it seemed slowly, my pants got less tight, my stomach area smaller, my legs slimmer and the fat started to come off. Each week the exercises grew more challenging (who thinks up this stuff….really…put your feet on a ball, a weight on your stomach, now lift your bum). There were words we grew to hate…rainbows, burpees, frog jumps…but we were all in it together and together we got through it. Thank you to my lovely compatriots, Julie, Jodi, Michelle and the ever bubbly Sarah.   If you could do it, I could try too. And it wasn’t all exercise….there is the meal plan of plain eating. It is something everyone should do every once in awhile. Stop the bad stuff, sugar, flour, fats and let our bodies work at processing food, not gumming it up with crap. That wasn’t easy, trying to stick to the schedule in my life had it’s challenges. I spent hours portioning foods, counting carrots and almonds, but I think it has all paid off.

My weigh in is tonight and I hope I made it. Not so much for the money but to say ‘I did it! I pursued a goal and made it.’   I AM stronger now, I AM carrying less fat, my body IS working better, I CAN lift my grandkids, I DON’T have a back that hurts, my Blood Pressure IS down and I AM HAPPY about all that. As a bonus, I made some new friends along the way. And I want and need to continue this journey. I am setting a new goal: to get down another 15 lbs. by September.   Thanks to this program and the team at BodyFit, I am well on my way.

Don – 7 Week Transformer

I have never been much of a gym person.  Physical activity has always been something that happened to other people. The birth of my first child a little over a year ago inspired me to make a change, however.  When I heard about the program at Body Fit I decided I would give it a try.  I have never been one for quick solutions and have never bought in to fad diets.  Body Fit’s 7 week challenge sounded like something I could get into and the results from previous rounds spoke for themselves.

The first few days of the program were not easy.  I cut out coffee and alcohol completely and drastically changed my diet.  While I was enthusiastic about starting the program, I found the water consumption particularly challenging and by the end of each day I had headaches that just wouldn’t quite.  I remember thinking, “I can’t take much more of this!” But I could, and after three days or so the headaches cleared up and I found myself full of energy.

What was most surprising to me was how much I enjoyed the work-out portion of the challenge.  The small group work outs were fun as we all banded together to help the time pass enjoyably.  Our trainer was superb, quickly identifying our strengths and challenges and working with each of us to help get us the most effective workout possible.  She also took plenty of time to help explain the individual work outs to us so we felt comfortable coming back on our own for the other days of the program.

The program itself was excellent.  Very little thing was completely spelled out, so there were no questions or worries.  Whenever I needed support the whole team was available through Facebook.  My workout group was especially helpful when I got stuck or faced stress in my everyday life.  I think this support is what surprised me the most.  I remember my first few days on my own in the gym having random strangers encourage me, help me with an exercise, or support me through a difficulty.  Not only where the staff and trainers on board with the program, it seemed all of the other people at the gym wanted to see us succeed.  It also amazed me how well I felt I fit in at Body Fit; never having been in a gym before I was worried that I would stick out.  Over the course of seven weeks I never once felt out of place, no matter what exercise I was doing, or what machine I needed to use.

In truth, I cannot believe how quickly the program passed by.  The first few weeks may have passed slowly, but after the mid-point weigh-in the time has gone by like a flash.  New workouts every week or two kept the process interesting and helped to keep me motivated.  The series of extra challenges were also fun to try and made it clear how easy it was to work physical fitness into my everyday routine.

On a whim I decided to give this program a try.  Seven weeks later I am in better shape that I have been since university, I have lost over 30 lbs, and I have more energy to play with my daughter.  I am so grateful to the team at Body Fit for everything they did to contribute to my success.

Samantha – 7 Week Transformer

I signed up for the Body Fit 7 week weight loss challenge because I needed to make a change in my lifestyle. Over the past few years eating healthy and taking care of my body became less of a priority. I focused more time on other aspects of life and seemed to forget what was really important, my health.

After committing to the program I was both excited and nervous. My nervousness was short lived, after our first personal training session with Christina. Everyone in the group was so friendly, and Christina was so motivating. Each week was an exciting challenge and I could feel myself getting stronger. The group sessions were by far my favourite part of the program. As a group, we worked hard, pushed each other, shared our complaints and tips about the food and had a lot of laughs.

The diet change was the toughest part of the challenge. I am a person who loves to cook, however I found the dietary restrictions very limiting and I quickly became board with the bland taste of the food. The first week was the most challenging. I seemed to always feel hungry and I was craving the forbidden foods such as coffee, salt, and sweets. I eventually adapted and began to enjoy some of the meal plan. I loved the breakfast and snack options, so much so that I will continue to eat these when the challenge is over. The lunch and dinner options were the most difficult part of the diet. Fortunately my husband provided me with enough support to help me get thought the meals (he even ate some with me). I found that towards the end of the challenge we became more creative with the spices to help make the meals more exciting.

I can honestly say that having the support of my husband provided added encouragement towards my progress, as we would often go to the gym together. The Boy Fit 7 week challenge was an educational experience and has taught both my husband and I about healthy eating and the importance of regular exercise. We both have decided to take what we have learned and continue this healthier lifestyle. We have made this commitment to each other and it is a lifestyle we want to continue to live.

I am so happy that I signed up for the 7 week challenge and completed it even though it seemed so daunting at the beginning. I am extremely pleased with the results. I feel stronger, I have more energy, and I am so happy with the way my body looks and feels.

I would like to thank all of the staff at Body Fit for their support throughout the 7-weeks. Thank you to Andy for creating this program and for pushing us every week to challenge ourselves. Thank you to Christina for being such a positive and motivating trainer. I am really going to miss the group workout session and especially my workout buddies. You all made this experience so enjoyable!

Samantha Hall