Janet Bergeron - Lost 30 pounds and 23-1/2 inches!
“I have been on blood pressure and cholesterol medicines for the last 2 – 3 years and have been over weight for more than 45 years – it is time to take care of my heart health. My mother suffered a stroke in 1984 and was handicapped until her death in 1998. She died of a heart attack in recovery following cancer surgery. My goal is to get off of the blood pressure and cholesterol medicines.
“The past four months have simply been amazing! With the help and encouragement from the staff at Personally Fit, I have lost almost 30 pounds and 23-1/2 inches and have learned that, yes, I can jog, squat, lunge, do push ups, planks and even burpies! Most importantly, my cholesterol level went from 216 to 160!
“I have not been this “light” and so full of energy in decades!! I feel refreshed and energized – like my joints have all been oiled and I’m ready to move!
I do have to admit, though, that I will never, really, really like exercising. But the Personally Fit Weight Loss Workouts have become so much fun, with a great group of gals, that it feels more like a social activity and less like the drudgery of exercise– and that is what keeps me coming back!
“My Cholesterol went from 216 to 160!”
The menu part of the program has been the easiest I have ever tried. It has not required any special products or preparation – just good healthy power foods keeping me satisfied. The weekly nutritional session that Dawn teaches have given me the “whys” and “hows” of nutrition and exercise and it all makes so
much sense!
I can’t wait until my next doctor visit – to see the look on my Doctors face when I step on the scale and the results of my blood work.
“My Cholesterol went from 216 to 160!”
I want to be there when my daughters graduate college, I want to be there when they get married, I want to be there when my grandchildren are born, I want to be there with my husband to enjoy retirement, I WANT TO LIVE A LONG AND HEALTHIER LIFE!
Thanks! Personally Fit – for empowering me to take charge of my heart health!
Kathy Lejeune - Busy Executive from Iota lost over 30 pounds and 25 inches!
“I have been amazed by my reaction to joining Personally Fit. Something had to be done to reverse years of poor diet and lack of exercise. I had been very hesitant to join a gym because I am not self-motivated when it comes to exercise and felt certain I would not stick with it.
"I was so lucky to have a friend sign up with me–it made me show up for classes those first few weeks. But I quickly made friends in my weight loss workout classes and have been showing up even without my original workout partner.
"Having support and constant encouragement is what has made the difference for me. Not only are my family and coworkers very supportive and eager to compliment me on any small improvement, but the ladies in my classes are a great bunch. We all celebrate each other’s successes and provide encouragement when there are slips-ups along the way. I have been rewarded by the weight I’ve lost but also rewarded by what I have gained - better health, better sleep, more confidence in my appearance, and new friends.
“I was hesitant to join because I didnʼt think Iʼd stick with it”
"I am looking forward to continued success in my health improvement efforts. Please know that your staff of instructors are wonderful. They provide encouragement, detailed instruction and are always willing to demonstrate an exercise or offer a modification. The variety of classes taught by each of them and their obvious enthusiasm not only for exercise, but for helping your clients, makes Personally Fit a success.”
Michelle Fontenot - lost 30 pounds and 29 inches
I am a divorced 39 year old mother of one amazing daughter - Chloe. She is my life. I have the typical 8-5 sit behind a desk job and I have to wriggle my schedule like a contortionist to make it to the gym each day.
My father died at the age of 38 after a two year battle with heart disease due to poor health habits. I will do anything and everything in my power to keep myself healthy & prevent Chloe from having to grow up without her mother.
I got really serious about my health after I turned 38 and was chosen for Personally Fit’s Go Red for Women Challenge. A light bulb went off that I had to give my all and not stop - No More Excuses. I was the same age as my father when he had his second heart attack and died.
I woke up one day with this bright idea that I should start running - I never ran a day in my life. So I signed up for Sole Sisters (Personally Fit’s running group). Within 8 weeks I completed the Cajun Cup 10K road race - that’s 6.2 miles running without stopping. The proudest moment through my entire weight loss journey was when my mother, best friend & daughter met me at the finish line. My daughter looked up at me, wrapped her arms around my waist and told me she was So Proud of Me that was all I needed to hear that day.
Since then I did something I never in my wildest dreams imagined I’d do - I ran a ½ marathon (13.1 miles). This topped everything I’d ever done before. I’m hooked and will never go back to the unhealthy lifestyle I once thought was ok.
“No More Excuses - I had to give my all and not stop. I donʼt want my daughter to grow up without her mother.”
To sum it up - I’m now eating for heart health and to support my energy level for all of the demands on my life. I’ve started challenging my body physically as I never thought I could. And I’ve become a stronger person inside and out because of it. I’m down 27 pounds and 26 inches.
No More Excuses - This is My Time to Shine!
Pam Burzynski - 40 year-old teacher and mother lost 31 pounds and 28-1/2 inches
“Before I began my journey at PF, I asked God, ‘Is this the right place?’ Obviously, yes was the right answer. The ladies here are so positive and encouraging. I feel blessed to be here. I began my weight loss journey in 2010. I lost 20 pounds through the FUEL program. I kept it up for a year. At that point, I knew I needed to do something different. I began the Weight Loss classes. I have lost 8 inches and 5 pounds in 8 weeks. With a few pounds in between, I have lost a total of 31 pounds! Group training is a necessity, along with meal and exercise planning. PF is fully designed for women.
“Losing over 30 pounds has changed my energy level and outlook on life. My mind, as well as my body, is being transformed. I am thinking differently about food. Little Black Dress and group training classes has made me realize exercising with other women is so much better than by myself. I am enjoying making new friends, sharing my success, failures, recipes, etc. Wow! This is quite a change for me, since I am a very shy person! Thank you Lord for PF!
“Losing over 30 pounds has changed my energy level and my outlook on life.”
“If considering joining Personally Fit - Just Do it! Where else can you get a Registered Dietitian and highly qualified staff who are dedicated to seeing you succeed? Little Black Dress, group training, Nutrition classes make such a tremendous difference in my life!
“‘I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me,’ Phil 4:13. Plan, plan, plan! God time, meal plan and exercise plan. Review and complete your plan daily.”
Sandy Mouton - 57 year old Registered Nurse lost 30 pounds and 21-1/2 inches
I was a cheerleader and an athlete in junior high and high school. I played many sports well into my young adult life. I have a degree in exercise science and I worked in the physical therapy field prior to becoming a nurse. I was very active in the physical therapy environment until I went back to school for my nursing degree. I traded the stress relief of exercise and health for working nights, being a full time mom and getting my nursing degree.
I had all of the knowledge and education I needed to make the right decisions. I knew exactly what I needed to do, but it seems as if nothing was sticking.
I wasn't planning ahead of time for my meals. I was eating on the fly. It was especially bad when my son was younger. He was very active in sports and after school activities; it was easier to grab food or order pizza after baseball, hockey or soccer practice instead of cooking after a long day. I was going with convenience instead of better choices.
I had been to other health clubs in the past, but I never stuck it out. When I worked in the physical therapy field I was in a pool from eight to 12 hours per day as well as working out, so I got a lot of exercise in during that time. One of my friends was a member here at Personally Fit and she was successful with her program. She was always posting on facebook so I finally private messaged her, "Hey you look great you seem like you feel good and are happy with your results. What are you doing?". She told me about Personally Fit because it was helping her to overcome the cardiac disease that struck her family; she needed to workout and lose weight for her and her child. She started by inviting me to the It Works Wrap Party and the first one I could not make. She kept insisting that I come and informing me of the parties. Finally, at the end of August, I was able to come and I was excited. I like it being only women because it's not a competitive environment. I can workout in a group or on my own and be comfortable.
Whenever you started had you initially started with the Little Black Dress program training three days per week with a group. How many days per week do you workout right now?
I workout six days per week and I still stick with the three days per week of Little Black Dress weight loss workouts. When I first started I only did 30 minutes on the elliptical or 30 minutes on the treadmill with the weight loss classes. Now, I am up to running six miles on the treadmill or an hour with 30 minutes on the elliptical on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. On Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays I do a weight loss class and either 60 minutes on the elliptical or another class like Zumba, Tabata, etc.
I get a little frustrated and aggravated when I miss a day. I start looking at the time and if I'm still at work I tell them I really need to go to get to the gym because that is my time. Usually I either dress at work for the gym or I have my bag with me. Co-workers make excuses that they can't because their kid has to go here and there. I tell them that time is what they owe to themselves. That 30 minutes per day or that hour, you have to make it work. Say you start out with 30 minutes, then work up to 45 minutes or longer, but no matter what, you owe it to yourself. If a child has baseball practice instead of sitting in a chair or in the bleachers, walk the park. You do not have to sit and watch the whole practice, make use of your time. I wish I would have done that when my son was younger.
All women like to lose weight, it's almost like our mindset to think I want to lose a few pounds here or a couple pounds there. Some days you wake up and you think where did I gain that 20 pounds, almost like the "freshman fifteen" then you just never lose it. When I joined Personally Fit, a lot of my co-workers were doing different things like the HCG drops, Medifast, Nutrisystem, etc. I'd see them drop anywhere from 5 to 15 pounds. Yet, as soon as they went back to eating fast food or normal food for them they would gain the weight back with extra. They were just dieting; they weren't working out at all. They would ask me if I wanted to join in with them and I would research the products. Some of the diets you were restricted to only 500 calories per day without clearance from a doctor; that’s not healthy.
I chose Personally Fit because I saw women lose at a gradual decline, not all at once - it's healthy. Besides I don't like the word diet; I like lifestyle change. Even now when we have gumbo cook-offs or other events, I bring my food. Co-workers may say things and laugh, but this is what I do to make the changes. I really stick with my meal plan. I may swap a meal from lunch to dinner or vice versa, but I stick to my meal plan without any alterations.
If you’re looking to make a change, consider all of your options and see what lifestyle is going to work for you. If you're married and have children, if you're a single parent, or if you're single you just have to look and see what is going to fit into your lifestyle. The main thing is to keep yourself first. Make time for yourself from 30 minutes to an hour everyday for that lifestyle change.
This is not just a diet where after you stop the diet you gain all the weight back with more. This is something long term that you can live with.
If you’re struggling, stick with the meal plan and do not give up. You are going to have slip-ups especially around holidays or special occasions. You just have to get back at it the next day; get back on your meal plan and put forth the extra work. Plan for the week ahead and stick to it. You should treat yourself and put yourself first for one hour every day. You deserve it.
