Personal Training Success Stories

Julie before

April 15, 2011

Julie Andrews

I’ve been on a mission to get healthy and lose weight since Jan 2010 and have been working out at Fitness Together since April 2010.   The Fitness Together concept of working out one on one with a trainer is a huge part of why I’ve been successful.  Having an appointment means I show up because someone’s waiting for me and it makes me block out time on my schedule in advance so nothing else gets in the way.  Working out with Matt as my trainer has been excellent – he is encouraging and always pushes me to do more – often surprising myself at what I can do (yeah, real pushups!).   

After a little over a year with a healthier lifestyle & working out at Fitness Together, I am proud to say I have just hit a major milestone of losing 60 lbs!  I am stronger than I’ve ever been in my life and have the added bonus of better balance & flexibility.   Getting healthy is about more for me than losing weight & building muscles; I am happier, more positive and have an inner strength now that stays with me all the time.    

I would highly recommend Fitness Together to anyone as a key element in their fitness routine and healthy lifestyle.  The people are great and the results are beyond measure!

Kind Regards,

Julie Andrews

REALTOR®

375 Atlantic Blvd, Suite 1

Atlantic Beach, FL 32233

Office (904) 241-2417

Fax (904) 212-0657

www.jandrews.prudentialnetworkrealty.com

Chuck in ACTION

Showing the GUNS

Chuck Schoonmaker

Hey Wes-

Big THANK YOU to you and KC for what I was able to accomplish this past weekend.  Some friends/family and I ran the FL-ROC race.  3.3. miles of mud, obstacles, and more mud.  The high point came when I was about ½ way through. Starting in a waist high creek I was able to do a 12 ft rope climb.  I would have never thought that possible.  I am now newly inspired and have set some new goals for myself.

Thanks s again sir for the inspiration.

Chuck Schoonmaker, Ponte Vedra

Carol Lokietek February 2010

Carol Lokietek June 2010 (minus 50lbs!)

Carol Lokietek

January 2010 clicked by and I made myself the same promise I do every year. This is the year I am really going to loose weight. Hey, pass me those chips…..

I am 5’ 4 1/2” and was 218 pounds. I looked and felt awful. January was half over and I had not done anything regarding my resolution to change my weight and health. I heard a doctor I work with say he was in the best shape of his life so I joined the conversation to hear about his success. I told the doctor I wanted to exercise and feel better and he had a gift for me. Later that afternoon he gave me a gift certificate for three free visits at Fitness Together with a personal trainer.

I had only dreamed of having a personal trainer and given the opportunity to workout with one for free was not an option I would pass up! I met with Giles for my first session and when I left I knew I would be back.  I finally found the atmosphere I could be successful in. I love the privacy of working out in a studio with a trainer. I don’t have to worry or think about anything but just getting here. My trainer Matt has my whole routine planned out and I just have to do it. Even when I show up grouchy or tired he gets me to work and I leave feeling less stressed and happy that I completed another workout and I am moving forward to my goal of loosing weight and feeling better. I would never push myself as hard as I do working out with Matt and there are many days I would have made an excuse to not work out if he was not here waiting for me. Working out helps me manage my calorie intake too, because I am not squandering calories I just sweated off on overeating or junk food!

Today is June 28^th, 2010. My first Fitness Together session was about the third week of January. I have lost 50 pounds and gone from a size 18 plus to a size 10. I am a nurse and I see the price people pay every day for their unhealthy lifestyle. I realized that you can invest in your health now or pay later for medications, surgeries and the like. I know I made the right decision; I feel better than I have in 30 years and I never want to turn back.

Sincerely,

Carol A Lokietek RN

Erin Stehl of the Dr. Phil Show 1/17/10

Erin at the 'big reveal' show!

Erin Stehl

Wes Greer

Fitness Together

41 PGA Tour Boulevard

Ponte Vedra Beach, FL 32082-3081

May 10, 2010

Dear Wes,

Thank you so very much for helping me get motivated, get direction and get in shape! I could never have reached my fitness goals without working with you and your team at Fitness Together.

You helped me set realistic goals, held me accountable and taught me how to properly work my body.  No magic bullet! Your Fitness Together Personal Trainers encourage me to reach just a little farther. The energy I experience from a well trained, leaner, more efficient body is amazing!

At 49 years old, 30 pounds crept up on me and slowed me down. I was miserable! I had no idea how poorly I felt until I lost over 25 pounds of fat and gained lean muscle mass. I could hardly walk ½ mile without being out of breath. My cardio fitness went from horrible to incredible. My waistline went from 37 inches to 32 inches. Everyday tasks no longer cause pain and I am able to keep up with my energetic grandchildren.

As a result of the Fitness Together Personal Trainers coordinating my exercise plan for my individual maximum benefit, I no longer have back pain.

No back pain is priceless!

I am very thankful Dr. Phillip McGraw arranged for me to work with you and the Fitness Together Personal Trainers. Dr. Phil talks about “getting real” and you made it happen!

Thank you for helping me change my life.

Sincerely,

Erin Stehl

Jill Belcher of Jacksonville Before 11.26.08

Jill After 3.18.09

Jill Belcher

Jill Belcher, RN

Wes, I know it sounds cliché, but fitness together has changed my life.  Having a personal trainer has meant the difference between giving up and pushing through.  Not only has (Chris) the trainer been encouraging and supportive, but he also sees potential where I would have seen failure.  He believed and knew that I was capable of doing things before I did.  When I started seeing results, it began to click that I really needed to trust him and myself.  Now I have confidence, and it shows.  I believe in myself, and I will not say the words, "I can't" in the gym.  Thank you for bringing out a more confident, stronger, and leaner me! 

Celeste September 2008

Celeste April 2009

Celeste Mercer

Ponte Vedra Beach

I am so glad that my son talked me into joining Fitness Together. I was very skeptical whether this would work for me; after all I am sixty three years old and have tried every diet and joined several gyms over the past 35 years, all to no avail.  I love the one on one experience that is central to Fitness Together.   It is personal, someone to whom I am accountable, someone who knows me and what I am capable of, even though quite often I question them on that topic, they are always right.  I can’t believe some of the exercises I have done. But with the guidance and encouragement of Wes and Michael, I have lost over 20 lbs, gone from a size 14 to an 8, gained muscle and balance and best of all I am confident that I still have many years in which to enjoy the things I love most, hiking in the mountains, snow skiing, horseback riding, playing ball with the grandkids, dancing etc.  I still have 15 lbs to lose and I am certain I will be able to reach my goal.  God gave us these wonderful bodies; it is up to us to take care of them.  Fitness together is one of the best things I have ever done for myself and I highly recommend it for anyone at any age.  It will do you good mentally as well as physically.

Laura January 8, 2008

Laura May 12, 2008

Laura Wright

Jacksonville

Let’s face it, we live in a fast paced, high tech, competitive and sometimes troubled society.  Often the result is chronic stress.  Too much stress can causes serious problems. Researchers have found that the people most likely to be stressed are two to three times more likely to die from coronary heart disease.  Second, and related, stress can actually make you fat.

Fitness Together’s ‘Win and Get Thin’ Winner Laura Wright of Mandarin knew that fact all too well.  The stress in Laura’s life was one of the major drivers for her unhealthy lifestyle.  She explains it best.

“I think the biggest benefit coming from my Fitness Together workouts is STRESS RELIEF ....  I have had so many stressful situations going on in my life for the last several years and I resorted to FOOD to find relief and/or comfort.   Food comfort wasn't working for me - actually it made it so much worse, but it was hard to see beyond that moment…” 

So why is exercise an antidote for stress?  The fact is our bodies cannot tell the difference between stress caused by a physical threat, one we must physically fight or run away from, and the chronic, emotional stress we are most likely to face everyday.  The body therefore releases the hormones adrenaline, cortisol, and insulin. The result is 5 – 10 minutes of quick energy due to the release of stored fuel in the body (fat and glucose).  That’s great if you must fight or run away from a physical threat, but when was the last time you did that?

So what happens to all that fat and glucose in our blood stream that was supposed to give us quick energy?  The job of insulin in the body is to get the fat and glucose out of the blood stream and store it for future use.  The insulin often does this so well that we feel hungry.  So the insulin stores the fat and glucose as fat, most of it saved in the middle section of the body.  We eat more because we are hungry, and that gets stored too.  If we face prolonged or chronic stress, this cycle is repeated over and over, storing more and more fat on our midriffs (and possibly leading to other physical problems)!

Exercise is the cure, plain and simple.  Physically, exercise burns fat and glucose, reduces cholesterol and triglycerides, improves all cardiovascular functions, and keeps hormones balanced.  It helps our bodies work efficiently and well. Mentally, exercise calms our negative emotions and actually stimulates positive biochemical changes that improve mood and relieve pain.  A fit person can deal with stress much better than people who are sedentary.  Ask Laura Wright!

Valerie May 28 2008

Valerie October 6, 2008

Valerie Phillips

Ponte Vedra

Valerie Phillips of Ponte Vedra lost 48 pounds in four months at Fitness Together!

Sue Phillips August 8, 2009

Sue Phillips February 8, 2010

Sue Phillips

Mandarin

Dear Joe-

I was working out on my own 5 days a week with no results.  Fitness Together helped me make my workouts more intensive and efficient while also helping with an approach to changing my eating habits.  My workouts now take less time but are much more focused and efficient and I have changed my eating habits.  The results are in the numbers!  43 pounds and 22.75 inches lost so far!

Steve Younkin, M.D., Ph.D.

Ponte Vedra Beach

Dear Wes,

Linda and I are delighted with the progress we have made in the two months since joining Fitness Together. The layout of your facility and your comprehensive, individualized approach to physical fitness have been perfect for us. The weight loss of 2.2 lbs per week that I averaged over the past two months while doubling the number of pushups I can do is something I would not have accomplished without your help. You and the other trainers we work with are knowledgeable and have a good sense of when to push and when to restrain us. This allows us to work far harder than we would on our own but in an enjoyable way that gets results and minimizes the risk of injury. I especially want to thank you for the flexibility and skill everyone showed in getting me rapidly back on track after the injury I sustained outside my workouts. I am optimistic that I will rapidly achieve the physical fitness goals we have worked out together, and I look forward to working with you to secure and then to maintain them.

Steve Younkin, M.D., Ph. D.

Pete Chesney 12.24.09

Pete Chesney 3.19.10

Pete Chesney

Pete Chesney of Jacksonville has lost nearly 40lbs. in three months at Fitness Together!

Skip Elliott

Ponte Vedra Beach

Mr. Wes Greer

Fitness Together

41 PGA Tour Blvd.

Ponte Vedra Beach, FL  32082

Dear Wes,

I wanted to take this opportunity to let you know how pleased I am after eight weeks of sessions.  This is without a doubt one of the best investments I’ve made in a very long time.

I wasn’t really sure what to expect at first, but I think it’s fair to say that your team’s commitment to client satisfaction has really exceeded my expectations.  I looked at a number of the more traditional options before I signed on with you several months ago.  Without the motivation, encouragement and positive reinforcement I receive during each of my sessions, the results would have not been nearly as good.  I also enjoy the less crowded atmosphere at Fitness Together, as well as the camaraderie with your other clients. 

Congratulations on a well-run and first-class operation that delivers on its “1 Client, 1 Trainer, 1 Goal” promise.  The improvement in my overall fitness and health would not have been possible without the personal concern of you and your staff.

Regards,

Skip Elliott

Mary Boushie

Ponte Vedra Beach

I joined Fitness Together in June 2005 after reading about Wes and the organization in a local newspaper. I’d been working with personal trainers for approximately 5 years, most recently in Jax Beach, but felt I was ready for a more disciplined and intense experience. I have found that with Fitness Together.

My training routine is three days a week, supplemented with 4-mile walks 3 days a week and a good, low-fat diet. 

My trainer pushes me to my fullest potential and is constantly changing my routine to include challenge and excitement. He also encourages me with emotional support to ensure my personal drive to succeed in the program. My workouts, though intense, leave me energized and mentally sharp for the day, which typically ends around 11:30 p.m.

After 4 years with Fitness Together, I believe my body is in great shape for my age. I have lost weight, added muscle and redefined my measurements.

- Mary Boushie