Here is what your neighbors have to say about Fitness Together.
It took two “incidents” to get me into Fitness Together. #1: My wife and I were looking at snorkeling pictures from our cruise when I called out… “Check out this shot of a Beluga whale. Oh, never mind.” Yeah…the big white floundering beast in the water was me! #2: In August, my wife walked up to her flabby out-of-shape husband and said, “I want you around for another 50 years. Go do what you gotta do what you gotta do to make that happen.” 24 hours later I was signed up at Fitness Together. The first thing I had to do, of course, was choose a goal. After all, the slogan of FT is One Client, One Trainer, One Goal. I needed a motivating outcome to pursue. Something that would be all inclusive and drive me to consistent sessions, cardio work at home, and a completely new way of eating. The goal turned out to be related to my work. I’m a professional corporate humorist. I’m on stage in front of corporate audiences speaking every week. It’s a documented fact that better looking speakers get paid more. That’s a problem. As a 45-year old bald, paunchy white guy…um…I look more like a CPA than the guy who makes jokes about the CPA. So…my FT one goal was simply this: look good in a tight shirt. Now, my training didn’t start out auspiciously. I think I shocked the trainer, Juliana, by only making it 15 minutes into my first workout session before literally collapsing. I saw her write something in my chart. I don’t know what it was but for the next few weeks all the trainers started me reeeeeeally sloooooowly with tiny little weights. Then…things began to change. For the first month the biggest shift was actually my diet. I discovered I truly could eat healthy. It costs a little more (have you SEEN the prices at Whole Foods?) but it’s worth it. Since August 29th, no junk food has touched my lips. And I don’t miss it. By month two my lazy dog Snickers discovered to her horror that it was possible for me to run 2-3 miles at a time with her in the morning. And by month three, I found out that all those sessions and cardio had caused me to drop 16 pounds! Now…the workouts…I’ll be candid. I still call them “Torture Sessions.” I don’t actually look forward to coming to FT. It’s exceedingly hard work. My FT nickname is “Lunge Boy” for a reason. Breeze, Berlin, Trace (what were their parents thinking when they named them?), the trainers squeeze out every molecule of effort and energy I posses. But that’s what I’m happily paying money for. Thanks to cool trainers, who I believe really care about me, I’m getting pushed to do things physically I would NEVER do on my own. Daily life is different now. I seek the most healthy things I can find to eat. My daughters playfully walk by me, yell “Flex”, and then punch me in the stomach to test my abs. I take the stairs instead of escalators. And I enjoy compliments from co-workers who ask me, “Have you been working out?” Duh! My wife believes I now will be around another 50 years. She’s happy. And at our house we believe in the old adage, “Happy wife, happy life.” Plus, she assures me that I do not at all resemble a Beluga whale anymore. I’m much closer to…a dolphin. As to the tight shirt goal…I’m getting there. Brian Walter |
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At age fifty, I broke my ankle, and for the last fifteen years I have really struggled to maintain a healthy weight. Before the broken ankle, I was extremely physically active hiking, skiing and working out at the gym. I loved to ride my bicycle and I had participated in The Ridge to River Race in Wenatchee five or six years in a row. When I broke my ankle, I put on fourty pounds because I was in a wheel chair and then on crutches for six months. I became very depressed since I was unable to do the physical things that I had learned to love. Over the years, arthritis has set into the ankle and that has also hampered my desire to do physical exercise. I became extremely discouraged and began to feel that I would never be able to ski again. This year, I realized that I was facing my sixty-fifth birthday and I needed to do something to release the weight. I set a goal to release the weight by making healthy choices with food and exercising five to six times per week. I began eating my food on a small plate. I cut out all sugar and carbo's such as white flour products. I completely stopped going to Starbucks which had been one of my biggest addictions. I stopped drinking diet cola or using anything with artificial sweeteners. I realized that the sweeteners were causing sugar cravings by stimulating the pancreas. I have now released thirty-four pounds and I have about fifteen more to go. I average loosing about two pounds per week and will continue that until I reach my goal weight. No matter what, I will continue to work out at Fitness Together. My trainers have been extremely supportive and I could not have done it without them. My greatest joy was last week-end to once again go skiing with my husband and daughter and several friends. As we sat there on the chair lift, I had tears running down my cheeks. I am so grateful because working out has given me my life and my youth back. And since releasing the weight, my ankle does not hurt as much as it did when I was thirty-four pounds heavier! Diane Zimberoff |
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After two years of diet and exercise on my own I had hit a plateau; for the six months before I came to Fitness Together my weight had not budged. Finally in September of 2006 I decided that I needed help. I had worked with a personal trainer in the past with some success, but he was part of a large gym and I hadn't gotten very good results. So I was a little skeptical when I made my appointment with Juliana to see what Fitness Together had to offer. The program quickly impressed me: the attention to my specific goals and obstacles, the very pragmatic and scientific assessment of where I was and the outline of how to get where I wanted to be. By November I had broken my plateau and lost almost 10 pounds. That was good, but after the holidays I knew that I needed to do better. The trainers helped me refocus my efforts and held out the goal: lose a total of 20 pounds by the end of March. Bob, Sheldon, and Trace never let me slip and the day I broke the 20 pound mark was one of the happiest in recent memory (I even took a picture of the scale as proof!). In March, after coming for 6 months, I had a follow-up assessment and was not too surprised to see improvement across the board with some very dramatic improvements as highlights. I had to change most of my wardrobe and will have to do so again soon! I feel better than I have at any point in my life and am lighter than I have been in 10 years. Although the responsibility for my success or failure is still my own, the FT team is there to keep me honest and keep me accountable and focused on what I can and will achieve. Jeffrey Sewell |
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I held a demanding job that required me to travel Monday to Friday every week. With the constant eating out, the long hours and the social drinking in the evenings, it wasn’t long before I gained weight. I hated how I looked, hated how I felt and everything stressed me out. My husband had heard about Fitness Together and thought it might be a good match for me. No need to be embarrassed working out in front of anyone else. Fitness Together offered the opportunity to have someone keep tabs on me, ensuring my goal was always in mind, and that I would stick with the program. Now that was an idea worth considering. It’s now been just about a year from when I took that first step into Fitness Together, and I have lost a third of me. I went from 195 pounds to 132 pounds. I look great, feel great, and I couldn’t have done it without the constant support and help that Amy provided. Fitness Together has been a life saver. I recommend it to everyone and anyone, no matter what obstacles or challenges they face. Marika McLean |
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Just wanted to say that before I came in, I couldn't get below 155 lbs. on my own. When I did, it was for a day and back up again. I felt lousy all the time, was suffering from acid reflux and was even starting to develop asthma. My knees were so stressed that I had given up hiking for years. I was 163lbs when I came in and was 165 plus, shortly before that. I am proud to say that I now have a new plateau at 145! I have only been on the program for 2 months. I have very little signs of asthma or acid reflux. I have taken short hikes with no problems and actually hiked my girlfriend into the ground. I am starting to feel a little like my old self and looking a bit like a girl instead of an alien blob creature. From the day I first came to Fitness Together, all the staff made me feel comfortable and taken care of. They know just when to push me and when to lay off. I feel that, not only are they taking care of me, but that I have a bunch of new friends. It just doesn't get better than this. I doubt anyone can join the program and not get some benefit that far outweighs the money spent. All I can say is.... You Rock, Fitness Together!!!! Melanie |
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I weighed just 102 pounds when I got married. Three kids and 28 years later I weighed 143. The reality of how overweight I looked didn’t sink in until I saw this photo (taken in Fall of ’07). That’s when I decided to try Fitness Together. Since then, I’ve lost 12 pounds and have dropped from a size 12 to a size 8. All this has been accomplished in 24 training sessions, going twice a week. Prior to Fitness Together I had tried dieting, namely the Atkins diet. And while I lost 10 pounds, I gained it all back again for two reasons: I didn’t like what I was eating and I could not eat the same food as the rest of my family. Plus, I just didn’t have any energy. And while I was thinner, I looked “emaciated”, rather than well-toned. Fitness Together has been a completely different story for me for 4 reasons. #1: To begin with, I actually enjoy my training sessions. While I went into my first session feeling intimidated about being able to keep up, I immediately felt at ease when the trainer told me “You’re always in control—if it’s too much weight to lift, just say so.” Yet, just as importantly, the trainers are great motivators and pushed me harder than I would ever do on my own. In the past, I just didn’t think I could do much without getting injured. So I didn’t. But because I trust the trainers to make sure I’m doing the exercise right, I just keep going until I hear them say “One more. You’re done. Great job.” #2: Having a personal trainer keeps me on track and accountable for my success. Before, I would workout if I had time. Once I started Fitness Together my workouts became definite appointments on my schedule. While I knew I could reschedule appointments, I just felt like I wasn’t keeping up my end of the bargain if I called and cancelled. #3. I got quick results. I had a personal “Aha!” the night I realized I could cross my legs underneath the dining room table. I haven’t been able to do that for years because my thighs were too big. At that point I had only lost about 3 pounds, but I had lost more than that in inches because my clothes were loser, plus people at work were telling me I looked thinner, and (the real telltale sign) even my face was getting thinner. #4. The final reason Fitness Together is working for me is the diet: I’m don’t feel like I’m on one. I don’t count calories. I can have a glass of wine (or a bottle of beer) without feeling guilty. And I even have dessert some nights. This is not to say I haven’t made changes in what I eat. But it’s been an easy change. Based on the nutritional recommendations in the initial assessment, I saw I needed to eat more protein, take in less carbs, and (the biggest change) greatly reduce my portion size—I never realized I was over eating until I saw the true size of a single portion serving! But again, I’m not a calorie counter. So I use what I call the “eyeball test.” If what I put on my plate looks more than a “single portion” I cut it in half, wrap it up and put it in the fridge. As long as I take it off my plate before sitting down at the table, I never miss it. And, most important of all, I’m eating what the same food as the rest of my family—just not as much! Now that I’m 2/3 of the way through my sessions I’m looking at how I can maintain my weight loss once my sessions are complete. And this is another reason why I think Fitness Together will continue to work for me—because I can duplicate the workouts at home with weights, a Bosu ball, a mat, and stretch bands. I’ve heard that it takes 21 days for something to become a habit. Now into my 24th training session, I know that when I do go more than a few days without working out, I actually miss it. Why? Because I look forward to feeling good about myself. And that’s what Fitness Together has done for me. It’s made me feel great about the way I look, and also about the way I feel—which is younger and more energetic. Working out is no longer something I do if I have time, it’s something I do—period. Nancy A |
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I've been trying to lose weight for a year now. One day, I decided to try Fitness Together. 8 weeks ago I did my first physical assessment. I strictly followed it. Since then I lost 15 pound. I got my body shape back. I feel so much better. I am happier and stronger. I cannot imagine my life now without working out. Fitness Together is not only a great concept but also a great place to go. It is also a tremendous team. Their competency, their patience and their smiles made the difference. I would like to personally thank Juliana the owner, for her great support. I would like to thank all the trainers for their outstanding job. THANK YOU ALL!!! Nora |
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Thanks to Fitness Together I am finally at my lowest weight since having twins 10 years ago. Since getting married and having kids I have put myself at the bottom of my priority list. After talking to friends who had personal trainer at one point or another and hearing about what a difference it made for them, I finally decided it was time for me to do something for myself. Since coming to Fitness Together I have lost 20 lbs. But I have gained so much more. When I first started (as with many women) I was concerned about my lower body. My biggest surprise has been how strong my upper body has become. I love my new found strength and my new slimmer arms. This summer I am doing the Danskin Triathalon and with Fitness Together helping me I know that I will be strong enough to finish. Sheila Mallula |
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It’s now 6 months since I first came in, and several things have changed in that time. I have lost over 22lbs and three dress sizes, toned up and discovered muscles I didn’t even know I had (plus, the effects of having two 10lb babies on my stomach muscles are finally being reversed!). My aerobic fitness has improved dramatically – at 34 I’d never really given much thought to my heart, but I am delighted to discover that I’ve saved it 9 beats a minute (that’s 12960 a day – wow!) which should stand me in good stead to see the kids grow up. I’ve become a ‘competent exerciser’. Even though I used to make occasional attempts to go for a jog or do a few sit-ups, my exercise regime was sporadic and haphazard. Being given a plan that told me exactly what I needed to do in order to achieve my goal was empowering. I stuck to it because I felt I was accountable to the trainers as well as to myself, and now I eat sensibly out of habit, exercise because I get a kick out if it, and am loving the results! I love the sessions with the trainers, and the variety of exercises and difference in training styles has kept things interesting. I’m branching out on my own more now, and am determined to build upon the fantastic start I’ve made. I can’t see me running marathons anytime this century, but I made it to 40 minutes running on the treadmill last week for the first time ever. If I can achieve all that in 6 months then who knows…… Thank you all! Vanessa McNiven |
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