60 pound weight loss 8-2010

I started coming to Better Bodies a few months after I graduated from college. At a time where I should’ve been excited about conquering the world I was suffocating under a lifestyle of excess, self-doubt and over a hundred pounds of extra baggage. I consulted with a few surgeons about weight loss surgery but my inner warrior wanted a full on battle against the obstacles I had built for myself…..that and I also had watched “Pumping Iron” for the first time and wanted to manifest that buff dude gym atmosphere into my own life. So I did just that….I dawned my multicolored sweatbands, signed a contract, and made a pact with myself to fight hard and get stronger everyday. I sacrificed my party lifestyle and am now conscience of everything I take into my body. Now, a year later, I feel more rewarded than any degree could make me feel. I’ve shed about 60lbs and 28 inches and gained tons of energy and strength. I am literally a juggernaut of power and I’m confident that my body and mind are more in balance than ever.

Working out is so rad at Better Bodies, its like a clubhouse of really fun people and be it trainer or trainee everyone has the zaniest sense of humor. Exercising with my trainer Will is constant laughs and he’s more of a big brother than anything. We cross hurdles together and I’m confident that without his effort towards my transformation I would have given up a long time ago. Trainers don’t let you throw in the towel though, and it’s such a positive thing having someone by your side through the battle. No matter how far I come in this journey, Better Bodies will always be my foundation and with that I know whole-heartedly that I will triumph.

Dallas

Jessica less 100 pounds

Before and after with Jessica. Congratulations on the Better Body. Exercise, Diet, and cardio.

Stephanie Flagg

After talking with my awesome trainer last week he commented that I should do a before & after/testimonial of sorts for the gym... So Steve & Justin... this is for you, but also for me because seeing the actual changes really reinforces the amazing progress I've made.

My back story is similar to so many - I have struggled with my weight since my teenage years, and have lost and gained so many times I've lost track. My closet had sizes ranging from 12-18. I got exceptionally frustrated with myself and declared the battle cry of the weary and desperate: That Was Enough! That was about 3 years ago. In the time between 2006 & mid-2007 I grappled with my eating, depression and health issues.

Then I met the amazing man that would become my husband. He saw me for what I was, not my weight, and loved me no matter what. The only problem was that I didn't feel like the beautiful woman he saw me as. After the first few months of us living together, eating out frequently, and me trying to keep pace with his ice cream habit, my weight crept up to 203. When my engagement ring was too small fit on my finger, that's when I knew it was time to get back to work focusing on getting my weight under control.

So here we are now in April of 2009... and I happened across a photo from a year ago and was floored by the changes.



Here I am with my soon-to-be hubby at our friends wedding from last year. I was thrilled because the dress I was wearing was starting to get loose, and I was around 185. I was getting very consistent with exercising and eating better, but knew there was something I was missing...

I kept up the exercise and kept with eating well, because I had the motivation to look good in my wedding dress which kept me going as much as possible... and while I didn't quite hit my goal, I did pretty well.



After I got back from my awesome honeymoon, I decided to take a step back and evaluate where I was in my life and where I was going. My eating was under control, I was doing cardio consistently, but there still seemed like there was something missing.

Enter Better Bodies! Whoo hoo! I knew the value of strength training but had a really bad experience with personal training and was gun shy to say the least. After doing some of my own research, and seeing/hearing other people's great experiences, I decided to give it a go again.

Here I am, 6 months later, down about 15 more pounds, and all I can say is WOW!



I knew the physical benefits, but seeing the changes in my body have been wonderful. Even better, working with the awesome Steve has given my confidence a boost like I never imagined.

I walked through the door for my first session having made the decision to just do the workout - no whining about it, no complaining, just doing the work I needed to. Now, this wasn't about pushing myself past pain or into an injury. This was about pushing myself past my own limiting beliefs.

There were many sessions that I went in thinking that I wouldn't be able to make it all the way through, or be able to lift anything beyond 5 pounds. Those were the sessions that I broke personal records, that I was pushed past what I ever thought I would be able to do in a year, let alone a few short months.

That is the sign of a phenomenal coach - one who has more faith in you than you have in yourself, and knows your true potential and doesn't let you get away with anything less. Just when I think I can't go any further, I hear "two more" and some how I make it happen.

Before and After; Teri Bohr

I got on the scale one day and it topped 190. That was a little too close to 200 for me. I knew I had to do something. I went in to see the folks at better bodies on Campbell and Ft. Lowell and started working out with Will. At my heaviest I was 192 pounds and I am now at 155 pounds. I am a 35 years old and 5' 7" tall.


One of the first things I learned was that working out was not enough. I needed to get healthy and start eating right. Sticking primarily to protein (chicken, beef, seafood and eggs) and vegetables and cutting out sugar, breads and starchy vegetables was the general idea. I stuck to the program and lost 30 pounds in about 6 months.


I was very happy with the weight loss and over time I started loosening up on my diet. A year and a half later I found that I had gained 15 pounds back! I knew I had to get back on track with my diet. I was still working out and Justin (manager) was sending out e-mails to keep in touch with the clients at the Campbell location. In one of these e-mails he told us about a 6-week contest for weight loss and overall change. It was perfect timing and great motivation to get me going again. In six weeks I lost 20 pounds (175 lbs at the start, 155 lbs at end), 14 inches and about 4% body fat. I am now at my lowest weight yet of 155 pounds.


Overall I lost 35 pounds, about 10% body fat and over 31 inches (10" in my waist and 6" in my hips!) since I started with Better Bodies. I did it by eating right, working out for an hour twice a week with Will and doing cardio on my own (about 3 hours a week). I feel great and I'm in better shape than I have been since I was in college.


Thanks to Justin and Will at Better Bodies Campbell location for keeping me going!


Teri Bohr

"I lost 40 pounds"

BETTER BODIES TESTIMONIAL


I recently celebrated my 65Th birthday, and was pleased to recognize that I’m in better shape today than I have been for the past 30 years. My husband and I committed to a healthier lifestyle three years ago, and joined Better Bodies on Campbell Avenue when it first opened. Our trainer, Will Rogers, is knowledgeable, personable and strong, and works to get the best results for each of us. I have lost 40 pounds, and now have really firm legs, a strong core and good balance. Will keeps track of the exercises and weights, so we can just show up and work hard. He has also motivated me to get more cardio exercise and find ways to avoid my worst weight-management bugaboo – after dinner snacking. We are both really pleased with our own better bodies.

Karen Phillips

Carrying My Son to Bed

This is one of the best testimonials I have received. I had my client come in one day after several months of training and told me that last nite she carried her son to bed for the first time in years. How cool is that? I am a parent myself so I can relate to bonding moments with our kids. She came in on another occation and told me that unexpectedly, her son jumped on her back. She told me that if it had not been for her working out, she knows she would have fallen and who knows what injuried would have been sustained.

This is living. This is what it is all about. Bettering our quality of life in many aspects.


Health for Life,

Justin List

Size 18 to a 2 In Eight Months

Starting at a size 18 and steadily working my way down to a small size 4-and sometimes size 2-is quite an accomplishment. And I thank my Personal Fitness Trainer, Justin List, for helping me reach this satisfying level of health and fitness. With my determination and cooperation and Justin's experience and knowledge, we made a good team that produced exceptional results for me. Not only did I drop close to forty pounds, but gained aesthetic muscle definition, shocked my wearied doctor with across-the-board normal blood panels, and regained my youthful energy and playfulness. And my strength continues to soar upward. I have hardly begun to explore my fitness limits.

A few weeks ago I expressed to Justin that I believed I could not have accomplished all this with anyone else. Justin is a remarkably gifted trainer, and I feel so very blessed to have had the privilege to work with him. Coming from a corporate executive background, simply put, I am not easily impressed. An unfortunate fact, but my expectations and instincts often make me a arduous to get along with and most fall short of my standards. Pretty smiles and nugatory flattery has never captured my attention in business; however, consistent quality performance, professionalism. and character earn my respect and admiration without question. I also appreciate that Justin is reliable and genuine with his clients. he cares and he pays attention, and this caring attentiveness and his unostentatious style I have noted quite often. Justin's affability and sincerity also make him so very special to work with and to learn from.

In closing, I'll just further inject that the world of fitness is a much better place with Justin in it. Should I ever find that I need a fitness tune-up in the months or years to come, Justin will remain the first person on my list to seek. I look forward to observing continued success and growth in his career as a dynamic personal fitness trainer.

B.A. Caldwell
September 21, 2006

Testimonials

I am starting a section on testimonials. To find these articles fastest, scroll to the end of the article and click on the label. This will give you all articles on the related subject such as "testimonials".

If you have a story or testimonial that you would like to share, email it to me at justinlist1@gmail.com and I will get it posted. List your trainer, Better Bodies location (Campbell, Oracle, or Tanque Verde), and time frame and fequency of workouts if possible.

There are so many clients that are getting such great results and benefits that I would like to share these with you. These are anywhere from lowering cholesterol to staying off of heart medication, to getting into those pants we thought would never fit again.

It is very positive and inspiring to hear someone reach a goal or have a better, more fulfilling life because of their time spent here at Better Bodies. We can be our own worst enemies when it comes to giving ourselves credit. If our goal is to lose 20lbs and we have lost 10 of those pounds, we may not give ourselves credit. So when we see someone posted that has lost 10lbs, I am wanting this to make us say, "hey, I lost 10 lbs."

If you are working out (exercising) regularly, you are getting healthier and you are doing a great job. Keep up the good work and don't give up.

Justin List-