success stories

Laurie White, President Providence Chamber of Commerce

Laurie White

 I had always "worked out" and "eaten right."  Or at least I thought so until I met the team at Fitness Together! During my first visit, Aaron and I talked about my exercise regimen and my diet.  He asked a lot of good questions and was very precise in seeking to understand my specific goals and health status.

 As it turns out, I was doing a few things wrong, which probably explains why I never saw any results on my own. For instance, I wasn't eating frequently enough.  I wasn't working out hard enough. And I wasn't taking my physical fitness seriously enough. By recording my daily food intake and activities in my journal, I gained a clear and measurable picture of what I was doing and how I could improve.

 Almost from day one I started to feel better.  I immediately had more energy and the digits on the scale began to track downward. My training sessions with Aaron have been rigorous and enjoyable.  He makes sure that I am doing the exercises correctly so as to avoid pain and injury.  One of my biggest accomplishments has been the ability to do a side plank!!!  (Phew, I never thought I would say that.) I have also enjoyed the camaraderie of the fitness studio.  I have been motivated by Amy and Susan's disciplined routines and enjoy seeing them having fun.

 By training with Aaron on a consistent basis, I am stronger, more flexible and more cognizant of my diet.  I understand the metabolic significance of eating five small meals a day and making sure I get enough protein. I also have greater endurance on the cardio equipment.

 At the end of the day, it is all about being healthier. There's no "one size fits all solution."  Aaron and his team deliver personalized solutions in an upbeat, non-threatening way. And the solutions work!

Amy Palmisciano, Nurse

Amy Palmisciano

Years ago I decided the world was made up of two groups of people: those who exercised and those who did not.  I firmly believed I was a member of the latter.  Over the years I had tried every diet on the planet without permanent results.  My weight and unhealthy lifestyle had left me feeling tired all the time with no energy.  I knew I could no longer deny the need to incorporate exercise into my life.  But the reason I had decided I was a member of that "non-exercising" group was because the typical gym setting was completely intimidating to me.  I was so self-conscious about my weight that the idea of working out in a gym in front of other people horrified me.  After discussing this with my doctor, she recommended I check out Fitness Together.  That turned out to be the best advice I have ever been given.

 After my first training session with Aaron my fears were all laid to rest and I knew I had made the right decision.  Fitness Together provides a positive, encouraging, non-judgmental environment in which to get into shape. Aaron and the other trainers are so supportive and invested in your success.  I am already amazed by what I have accomplished and I have no doubt that at Fitness Together I will achieve and even exceed all of my fitness goals!

Melissa Crisafulli

Mellissa Crissafulli

I was one of those people who everyone hated. You know the one who could eat pancakes for breakfast, followed by a mid morning snack of oreos, a lunch that consisted  of a loaded sandwich on “white” bread, potato chips on the side and maybe a few cookies to top it off.  For dinner I would have a cheeseburger with “extra cheese” smothered in onions.  The onions would be sautéed in real butter, of course, which is something even to this day I refuse to substitute.  I ate like that pretty much every day without ever gaining a pound.  All of that changed when I hit my mid thirties.  One day about five years ago while standing in front of the mirror I realized that I did not recognize the body  looking back at me.  This was a devastating moment.  I did not gain a ton of weight, but enough to make me reevaluate the way I was eating. In addition to cutting out the unhealthy snacks and fattening meals I chose to run and within a few months I lost the weight.  

A few years later my family and I moved to Providence and I got wrapped up in renovating out house .  During that time running took a back seat. I started to feel the weight creeping back and my level of energy starting to plunge.  Overall, I didn’t feel that healthy.  My husband Marc was working out at Fitness Together and loved it.  He kept telling me to check it out, but I resisted.  To be quite honest, I was intimidated.  I had never formally “worked out” and didn’t feel like I was strong enough.  Little did I know at the time that it would become an obsession.  I have been training with Aaron for almost two years and am thrilled with the results.  He challenges me every week and pushes me to my potential.  

While running was a great way to jump start the weight loss, I never realized that lifting weights and circuit training would have such an impact.  I have never felt better or more fit in my life. 

Susan Farmer, Former Rhode Island Secretary of State

Susan Farmer

  "The idea of working out always seemed to me to be, well, work. It was always easy to decide to go the next day instead. I never wanted to go to a gym...I wanted something lower key, and didn't have the self discipline to work out at home.
 
Then came a day when I realized I need to be stronger and more physically fit...my health depended on it. I'd often walked by Fitness Together, and one day in January stopped in to sign up. Setting goals with a coach and trainer (Aaron), scheduling a regimen and learning techniques were much easier than I thought it would be. The privacy of being one-on-one in a studio with a coach who seems to really care how I am progressing has made all the difference. The only competition is myself. Our sessions are fun as well as productive.
 
My goals of getting stronger and fit are being met. It is great to have such a super team of trainers available in such a convenient location. Now, if they can only make me look like Jennifer Anniston...."