Client Success: Greg and Barbara Overton
March 3rd, 2016 was a day that turned Barbara Overton’s life around forever. Barbara had planned 3 days of skiing in the Colorado mountains with her family... or so she thought.
Here Barbara was 56 years young, in good health and suddenly found herself in intensive care with a heart attack. This would be the first of two heart attacks she would experience in the same month. Barbara did not have a typical heart attack but a Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection (SCAD) heart attack, an emergency condition that occurs when a tear forms in a blood vessel in the heart.
After being released from the hospital, Barbara was told she had to go through cardiac rehab. She eagerly searched for somewhere that would not only get her heart back in shape but also the rest of her body. A good friend of the family had success from their time at Whole Body Fitness, and Barbara was impressed by their results. “I thought I would give it a try and convinced the hubby to go with me, he could use a little shaping up also!” said Barbara.
A Journey Back to Health
And so, Barbara and her husband Greg Overton began their journey back to health. They first met with Natalie their nutritionist and were blown away by the diet program. Barbara loved how encouraging Natalie was and all of the advice she gave along the way. The couple felt that the program was very easy to maneuver through and had everything they needed to keep on track. Greg loved that when he had questions about the different phases, Natalie was there to help him every step of the way. “For me, the plan incorporates the right amount of food intake, so you don’t feel like you’re always hungry,” said Greg.
Next, Barbara and Greg met with their trainer – Taylor C. “I have never had a personal trainer before, so I was not sure what to expect.” mentioned Barbara. Waking up at 4 am and going to exercise was not Barbara's idea of fun, let alone convincing her husband to get on board. Barbara soon became inspired by how Taylor went above and beyond to help her get where she is today. He convinced her that you are never “too old” to get in shape. “He is always concerned about my heart and not overdoing it. He is always telling me to do what I can but also pushing me at the same time. I absolutely love working with Taylor C!”
The couple also really enjoyed the group of people that they worked out with, and how the program was more personalized due to the size of the group.
“The best part about this program is getting a whole new wardrobe and the double take from people when they see my results! I even had one person ask me if I was terminally ill because of my weight loss! Love it!” – Barbara Overton
The Goals
Barbara is a manager at a very fast-paced processing facility that has a lot of ups and downs, and at times is a very stressful job. This program has helped her focus more on her health and realize that being healthy and taking care of herself will help her manage her everyday life much better. “I have a better attitude and as my kids put it. I have learned to just relax and take time for me,” says Barbara.
Greg is an Almond Farmer, and like all Farmers, he is up very early. He loved how the 5:30 am class gets your body ramped up for the day's job ahead. “I had seen first hand at how successful the program worked for two family friends. My goal of reducing body fat, and increasing mobility have come true not like other programs I have tried,” says Greg.
“I have recommended this program to my brother and his wife. In fact the whole family is now going to WBF and the MetPro program!” – Greg Overton
The Challenges
For Barbara, the most challenging part of this program was sticking to it. “I have to say my wife made me do this class with her! Without my support, she would not have done this program. She is famous for starting something and not finishing it.” says Greg.
Barbara can’t thank her husband enough for being her driving force in all of this.
The Results
Today, Barbara has lost a total of 20 lbs and feels great! “I would and have recommended this program to family and friends as now most of Greg’s family is in the program today. They have seen the awesome results that Greg and I have accomplished and now know that they can also get there! Family and friends are amazed at how better we look and feel!” exclaims Barbara.
For Greg, he has lost a total of 37 lbs, has increased his flexibility and also feels great!
“Working with Taylor C our trainer is great. He is so informative. He helps you with solutions to correct problems in your posture or old injuries that I had acquired. He makes the class fun and challenging at the same time, while you rediscover those lost muscle groups.” explains Greg.
We are so proud of Greg and Barbara's success, and can't wait to see them continue to work toward a healthier lifestyle! Keep up the good work Greg and Barbara!
Client Success Tips: Debbie
Debbie recently premiered her wonderful transformation at Whole Body Fitness. Previously gyms intimidated her, she hadn’t been successful at sticking to exercise. Initially coming to WBF, Debbie felt embarrassed by her weight and poor fitness level; she committed herself to 3 months of “sticking with it”. In talking to her trainer, Kevin, about goal setting she expressed her desire to be a healthy fit grandmother. What she quickly discovered was she was losing weight easily, getting noticeably stronger every week.
“When Debbie was training to ride the 50 mile race up mountains (a bike race over table mountain) in September” says Kevin, “ Debbie has consistently impressed me with her ability to take things one step at a time and held true to one of the first things she said ‘I’m a worker bee’ and she does everything and anything I ask of her. She is willing to do whatever it takes to reach her next step. Takes things one step at a time willing to work towards her goals.”
She made a true lifestyle change from couch.
When I caught up with Debbie she was thankful she held true to her goal and was grateful her trainer gave her the knowledge to exceed her own expectations. I asked Debbie to share what guided her along her journey. Here are some tips that she found helpful!
Thank you for sharing, we are all so proud of you Debbie!
• Positive Self Talk I would tell myself both in training and bike riding“every time I do this I get stronger” Because of the expertise of my trainer, it was the truth. I'm lifting weights I would never have dreamed I could lift.
• Give Yourself Permission When I was training to ride the 50 mile race up mountains I would give myself permission to stop. I would tell myself " just get to that tree, or to that stop sign etc. and I can turn around if I need to". Well I never turned around and every time I rode I got better.
• Make it a Lifestyle I had previously dieted many times and had a pattern of gaining the weight back. The difference for me was viewing MetPro was a lifestyle change, which meant it took some adjusting. Which leads to my next tip….
• Lose the ALL or NOTHING Mentality At first when I struggled staying on the diet my trainer would tell me it doesn't matter if I cheated and to just get back on track. That really helped me reset my all or nothing way of thinking. Funny but once I wasn't so worried about never cheating I found I didn't really want to cheat as often. Now when I do eat something I shouldn't it’s easy for me to go back to eating right.
• Be Prepared I always pack my food for the weekdays. I have every meal and snacks planned out and take it to work on Monday for the whole week. Most of it is stored in my office with just a few things that need to be refrigerated
• Never Let Yourself Get Hungry Always have a backup plan in your car, gym bag, or at work. I never let myself get hungry because that's when I make bad decisions about what to eat. I have prepackaged snacks that I can grab and go if I have to.
• Don’t Lose Sight of Your Goal Remember why you began in the first place. When I wanted to quit I thought about my goal to be a healthy, strong grandmother. Because of the expertise of my trainer Kevin, I'm lifting weights I would never have dreamed I could lift.
• Trust Your Team Surrounding myself with a positive support system and, most importantly, people who have the expertise to help me reach my goals was great. But I found success because I truly trusted my team; my trainer, my nutritionist and following the plan led to results that surpassed my expectations.
Client Success Tips: Alex
I love Whole Body Fitness clients because they understand it is not simply a diet, or a shape up 6 week bootcamp. It is a lifestyle change and they are committed to it.
Who better to give us the keys to finding success than those among us who have accomplished their goals and continued to thrive? I’ve been reaching out to clients who have found success to see if they’d have any advice, or tips for the WBF family that could enable us to find our success.
It’s been 3 years since Alex was rolling on the floor in agony. At 33 he was in unbearable pain caused by herniated discs in his lumbar spine. Work, sleep, and even holding his children became impossible without heavy medication. He was determined to get back his life and made an appointment at Whole Body Fitness. Focusing on posture, core strength, and a personalized nutrition plan in 3 months he lost 20lbs and 6in on his waistline.
Today Alex works 10-14 hours at his physically demanding job, holding his children pain free, and living an active life. With his postural and nutritional re-education he now understands what his body needs to maintain this physical level.
Tips from Alex:
I hope anyone who reads this understands with the right guidance, and motivation you can accomplish whatever you set out to do.- Alex
1.Work hard, you'll only get out what you put in, but don't push so hard you injure yourself.
2. Keep good form you'll get more out of clean full reps with lighter weight than ugly reps with heavier weight.
3. Don't get discouraged if you're not getting the results you want you just have to work a little harder.
We love hearing about ongoing client success.
Keep an eye out for Alex in our group classes and say hello!