Team Transformation Challenge Success Stories – Part 3

We recently completed our Team Transformation Challenge

Now we need everyone to vote on the BEST Success Story.

Which is your favorite? Leave a comment below….

Also check out more testimonials here:

Part 1:  http://www.innovative-results.com/personal-fitness-training-blog/ttc-stories-1/

Part 2:  http://www.innovative-results.com/personal-fitness-training-blog/ttc-sucess-stories-2/

Kimberly Newnam

“In May 2010, I contacted Innovative Results through an advertisement on a wedding planning website. My plan was to get in shape for my upcoming wedding. What ended up happening was one month in I felt like I was in the best shape of my life! I was definitely nervous to begin the training, but by a stroke of luck, I was paired up with Jeff DeRitter who completely made me feel at ease and made the training fun. Honestly – I actually almost threw up the first couple of times! But it got easier as time went on and I was motivated to continue post wedding for the rest of my 6 month contract. The comments from friends and strangers on the transformation of my body didn’t hurt either!

I had continued working out on my own since I left IR, but it just didn’t feel the same.

Fast forward to a month ago.  I contacted Jeff and begged him to fit me into his schedule. I even agreed to come in for morning workouts. Which as Jeff will tell you I am NOT a morning person! This time around it is easier to be motivated because I have seen the results and I want it back!

A couple of sessions in to my return to the gym, I was asked to join the Transformation Challenge. What a way to jump back in !!!! It has been a great re-introduction to the IR team and it is nice to see all the changes that have happened over the past year in the gym. I hope that in the months to follow I can change as much as the gym itself has. The Transformation Challenge has definitely kick-started that change and I look forward to continuing it!”

Jenna Helton

My text to join the Transformation Challenge came from fellow Victorious Secret member, Jessica Ciske. All it took was the text to get me to join…and then I started asking the questions (silly me). I had no idea what I had just signed up for, or what I was getting myself into, but it was the right kind of kick in the ass that I needed to jump start my ACTIVE lifestyle.

I had hit an all time “high”, in weight that is, which in reality put me at an all time low of confidence, how I was looking, and how I felt about myself. Most people wouldn’t know it by meeting me, as I always have a smile on my face, but inside I was fighting a constant battle of low self esteem. I always talked the talk about how I wasn’t comfortable in my own skin, but jump starting the work out regime is not the easiest to do when you need to go for runs in the AM or PM, before or after work when it’s dark out. So I talked the talk, but wasn’t consistently walking the walk, if you know what I mean.

My first day of assessments came faster than I would have liked. I went running the day before, thinking that one extra day of exercise before I started was going to help me. I remember walking in to Innovative Results that first day, and I was scared. I had no idea what to expect. It made it so much easier because Jeff, “bestie” was there to train me, and everyone else was really nice, welcoming, and helpful. Jessica came in early that day to support me too =) great teammate! I joked around that first day, but mostly because I knew the weight was not where I wanted to be, the body fat, was way more than I had wanted recorded, and because I was nervous. I remember walking out that first day thinking, “Well, here goes nothing…”. It was time for me to change, and I’m glad I had this challenge to do that for me.

Every Tuesday and Thursday for the rest of February I woke my ass up at 4:23am and got ready to go and work out for an hour. Every morning I kind of dreaded it thinking, “what is the bestie going to do to me today” but after that 1-hour, leaving when it was still dark out, it was the best feeling in the world. I remember getting my first email from IR for the challenge, and extra support group I hadn’t anticipated. The challenge has helped me be more aware of what I eat. I’ve made some permanent changes in my life to a lot more veggies and protein and a lot less of fatty, sugary foods. My biggest problem was always portion control, or “emotional eating”. I’ve learned through this process that by eating the right portions, drinking lots of water, and feeling good about exercising makes me not want to eat all that other junk.

My Tuesday & Thursday 5AM class has been amazing to work with. It’s a whole other family that I really was not anticipating once I joined up in this. We all push each other, and it’s great having all the extra support. I remember whenever my wrist was still kind of gimpy, and I had to come back on the 40/40 week with the Versa Climber. Roger & Vashil (sp??) stayed and cheered me on the whole time until I finished. Every morning, I left IR smiling and ready for the rest of the day. I made it through the full work day without really being too tired, and just feeling more energized.

I’ve paid attention to my weight, and I may not have been like others and lost tons of pounds, but I have gained a ton of confidence. I used to hate getting up in the morning and trying to find something to wear. Always the bigger flowy tops, and jeans that I could wear a belt with to cover up the love handles. I missed my old job where I could literally wear sweats and leggings every day, instead of now I have to wear jeans and pants. I can look in the mirror now and finally be happy with what I’m wearing. I still have a ways to go, but I’m at least on the right track. I needed this jump start to my working out. I made a pact to myself that all throughout this challenge that I was going to work out Tuesday and Thursday with Jeff, then on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday I was going to run at least 30 minutes. On Sunday, I made myself go hiking (or another activity like snowboarding, where I then proceeded to sprain my wrist, and bruise my tailbone, so that whole plan didn’t work as well as I had hoped…oops!). Monday I took off. That was my consistent schedule of working out this month, and I can say that I stayed true to it.

Leaving the challenge now I have the confidence to get dressed and be happy with what I’m wearing in the morning. I have the motivation to continue on my exercise regime and better myself. I have the knowledge of eating healthy and continue to be aware of what I’m eating, calorie intake, and portion control. I have also left with more friends than I started with. It’s a support system, and a family to help you every morning when you want to quit, on the weekends when you want to eat junk, and that little voice in the back of your head that says “Yes, you CAN do this”. That’s what I’m walking away with. I know the weight, and the inches and the percentage of body fat will eventually fall off, even if I didn’t lose as much as I had wanted to this month. It’s about the baby steps for me, and the first step is always the hardest. One month is done, now I just need to continue on the path of a healthy lifestyle, and I will always bug Jess & Jeff for support if I need it =).

Absolutely loved every second of this challenge. Thank you for letting me be a part of it.
I will be dreaming versa climber until Thursday is over. Thanks =)

Marianne Mabie

To begin with, I do not enjoy taking on challenges… too much pressure, stress and frustration.  Therefore, to contain my sanity and stress level, I prefer to stay clear from competitions.  Speaking of this particular 29 day IR challenge, however, I liked the aspect of “team and length of time (somewhat!).  Being part of a team held me accountable for a portion of the outcome and we had 29 days to train, prepare and improve.  Although I was burned out and bored by the third week into it, understandably,  a considerable length of time is necessary to transform.

Initially, my goal and biggest challenge was to defeat the stupid VersaClimber.  I needed to increase my personal record of 223 in one minute and place somewhere close to the top contenders at 230 and above. Three hundred would be awesome!!  I had to make a mental game of it and think about what I was doing and not just “doing it”.

My preparation consisted of a five day a week training schedule under the guidance and a ton of encouragement from Jeff.  Jeff increased the team’s cardio intensity by using a variety of ideas (the stupid VersaClimber was most horrendous) and covered all of the elements involved in the challenge, along with strength training.  I cut out refined white sugar but did not alter the rest of my daily diet.  I am usually conscientious regarding quality of food and intake.  Did this lack of white sugar benefit me throughout the training?  Possibly.  I have been feeling more awake and energized throughout the day and I have been sleeping quite well.  I noticed on stupid “VersaClimber training days” that I have been rather hungry later in the afternoon, a result of burning more calories.  At times, my body failed me, which I attribute to fatigue.  I would get low times on the dead hangs, tire too quickly doing tsunamis or low stupid VersaClimber numbers.

Overall, I feel good and I believe the cardio work improved my endurance.  The stupid VersaClimber is still difficult; however, I’m not as afraid of it as I once was.  For me, this alone is my little personal success.  I feel as though improvement has taken place both inside and out.  Participating in this was about pushing myself further and further and many thanks to Jeff and my team, I did it!

Victorious Secret Video
http://sharing.theflip.com/session/d7069779a564d9c59be3fb1a34784747/video/133943591

John Crowell

I moved down toSouthern Californiafor work and began to lose my workout routine and drive to stay in shape. I found IR on Yelp.com and thought it would be worthwhile to visit the facilities. After a quick workup and workout I knew I could make advances in my physical condition and strength with Corey’s training.

Over the past month, I have gained back a tremendous amount of energy and strength. I look forward to my workout days and getting to see all the other people looking to get back in shape. It’s proven to be a conducive environment for staying healthy and meeting other great people with similar aspirations.

I am back playing all the sports I love and excelling at them compared to my counter parts. Many thanks to IR and Corey for making getting back in peak shape enjoyable and challenging at the same time.

Nicole Kamai

As a Foodie, lover of food, or whatever you want to call me, I find it hard to turn down food when it is around. I was healthy, but fell victim to sweets and eating out. I had time on my side in high school and college though. I could run for an hour three times a week, take yoga classes whenever they were offered, and I walked two miles from the parking lot to my classes at Cal State Long Beach twice a week. So I didn’t worry about it. I was that girl who could eat anything and not gain weight.

And then, the reality of a forty hour desk job hit and my hour long runs became shorter and sometimes non existent, yoga classes were all at the wrong times, and my two mile walk to class ended when I received my diploma. I should have adjusted my eating habits but they just got worse. My world was filled with donuts brought for breakfast, pizza lunches, and happy hours. The worse thing about it is that I knew I was eating horrible but didn’t really do anything about it.

In October, I stepped on a scale. I don’t know why I did, but I did. The girl that had been between 125 and 130 pounds in high school and college  was now 145 pounds. Six months of eating and drinking were instantly regretted and I decided I needed structure and a schedule for my workouts. So, I tagged along with Brady on Monday nights to work out. Except, my eating still needed work and while I worked on it a little, I didn’t commit.

After 3 months of working out every Monday night with Aaron, I hadn’t lost any weight. I didn’t know why, the workouts kicked my butt every week and I felt like I was getting stronger with every passing week. But if I listened I could hear the little voice in my head was screaming at me “you’re still eating like crap!” I finally listened right around the same time the Transformation Challenge started.

The eating plan helped me focus on eating well again. Not only was I eating better, but I was feeling better, less tired, and more alert through the day. I wasn’t perfect but when I messed up, I knew it mentally and could feel the difference physically.

I haven’t weighed myself, so I can’t say I’m down 5 pounds thanks to IR and the Transformation Challenge. But I can say this, the motivation and support that came from IR and the Transformation Challenge, I can now say that my clothes fit better, I am feeling better, and I am more committed to changing my eating habits then I have ever been in the past.  I even tried eating a chocolate chip cookie and it took me an hour to eat half of it because even though it looked good with chunks of chocolate, subconsciously, I really didn’t want it. And the other half of the cookie found a new home at the bottom of the trash can.

Shane Galitski

Being an avid and loyal IR client, I was enlisted to join and participate in the 29-Day Transformation Challenge.  I’m not saying I found myself forced into this, or did not have any knowledge of the challenge prior as I did try and bring in a few co-worker and associates, but the because of timing and other commitments they could not join.  It was just a little chaotic when I was just placed into the fold.  I feel, for myself – my growth both in physical and mental being is most attributed by visually seeing and doing by example. So getting materials and emails, and reading them – it could create residence in the back of my mind and or on the subconscious level, but nothing gets to motivating me like in-person interaction.  I find coming into the environment and seeing all the hard work everyone does on a daily basis as clients and trainers alike, to be the powerful life coaches that inspire my growth.  Having only completed the initial assessments (February 4, 2012), I know I can improve in all aspects – maybe more in some areas than others, but with whatever the outcome does confirm at the final assessment, I believe I will still feel positive.  So, in conclusion taking part in this challenge may not have benefited me as much as others but I still find that IR did make a great impact overall in their commitment to the clients and improving lives. Also, if for nothing else for me to continue to tout how incredible this place is. To the entire IR team keep doing what you do.

Bryan Kyes

As a firefighter in training I need to stay in shape and in top condition. Thanks to the Innovative Results, and their 3 week challenge, I was able take off 10 more pounds towards my goal of losing 50lbs. Over the 3 weeks I cracked down on my diet and worked hard. My stamina, endurance, strength, and balance all noticeably increased by the end of the challenge. During the challenge (and still currently) I switched to an all vegan diet, I carefully chose my foods as not to leave out important nutrients. I will never go back to a non-vegan diet. I feel healthier, have more energy, and heal faster. At the end of the 3 weeks I thought I would let myself have a cheat day; I found that I no longer found my old diets food to be as tasty, and sweets were so sweet that I was unable to eat them.

A few months ago when I first started training at Innovative Results I weighed 205lbs, I immediately started shedding the weight. My goal since the beginning has been to drop to 155lbs.  Coming into the challenge I weighed 186; leaving the challenge I weighed 176! At this rate I hope to lose the last 20pounds in the next two to three months and be able to have my first amateur MMA fight. Even having been through a fire academy, and having trained at different MMA gyms, Innovative Results has topped them all. Innovative Results has raised my strength and conditioning to a whole new level. I am so impressed with Corey and the rest of the trainers at Innovative, they have found a way to turn going to the bothersome task of going to the gym into having a fun time. IR is not like your ordinary gym where you do your own thing and keep to yourself, it’s being part of a family, everyone knows each other, cheers on one another, and everybody’s friendly. Whether you just want to get in shape, or want to train as a professional athlete and want to raise your game, come check out Innovative Results and meet the family.

Georgie Schwarz

I’ve been thinking about my own testimony and where I have come from in the last 3 months. It’s been good for me to reflect and see how far I’ve come!

“I’ve been working out with Aaron for about 3 months. I wanted Aaron to be my trainer because I knew his passion would not let me get away with being undisciplined. I knew his passion for a healthy mind, body and soul would inspire me to make life long decisions rather than temporary ones. Through this process, I knew I would relearn how to respect the body that was given to me.

My goals at the very beginning was to have a clearer mind, more energy, better sleeping, and of course, get in shape.

First of all, I wish I took a before picture cause I know my body went from flabby to firm. I feel more confident about my self and my strong core has given me my posture back. I feel more like a lady rather than a slouch.

As for having a clearer mind, more energy and sleeping, I didn’t realize it was more than just working out. I didn’t want to face the fact that I needed to change my eating habits. Aaron did not give up on my stubbornness. He continued to point out that Gods produce is much better than mans processed quick meals! Which is what I lived on cause I hate cooking!! 3 months ago I was on 2 anti-anxiety and anti depression prescriptions, and now I am down to one. I have taken about 75% sugar out of my diet, processed food in exchange for whole wheat, not fat milk, natural fruit juices, oatmeal, more protein, nuts, salads, veggies, fruit, etc.  And I can tell, little by little, I have more energy, less stress and more positive thinking. I am now passing this life style on to my boys so they too can have more energy and clearer minds. Especially when it comes to school. I hope to discontinue my 1st prescription. I will keep you posted.

I have so much more respect for my body and I want to continue to treat it the way God intended.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 ‘Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, that you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies’. Being in better health helps me to better conduit for God!!”  Thanks Aaron for caring!! God Bless Your Passion!!

Pretty amazing stories, right!?
Leave us a comment about which story was the best!