Success stories
Karie

I’ve struggled with weight my whole life.  Andrea knows this because most of our family has the same affliction.  We’re generally heavy. Many of us have our ups and downs but we are mostly fat.  During this scourge of Covid19, when everyone started baking bread and flour and yeast were nowhere to be found, Andrea suggested that we start training together.  I was reluctant at first but boy oh boy, did it work! Her training style is firm but also so encouraging.  I’m 50 pounds down now (in just 9 months- star pupil) and don’t feel like crap climbing the stairs anymore. But more importantly, I actually make conscious choices now about food.  Oddly, it never occurred to me that what I put in, I’d get out.  Stupid, right?  And it isn’t as hard as I thought it would be. Apps really do work.  I feel the best I have in my life – even with 50 around the corner. I owe it all to Andrea. She really is the best.

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Sarah

I have had two very different pregnancies. During my first pregnancy, I was not in shape before or during. I had excessive weight gain, back pain, general mobility issues and was very lethargic, which I am sure is quite common for many pregnant women. After my first, I decided to get into shape through an outdoor boot camp. A short few months later I found out I was pregnant with twins. I did not want to lose all of my progress and decided to sign up with Andrea. She helped me to not only maintain, but build onto what I had already worked on. She set up a brilliant program that helped relieve the stress and strain on my body as well as strengthen my stamina.

Andrea helped keep my eating on track through a food journal. Surprisingly, although I was carrying twins, I gained less weight than with my first, felt energized and motivated, more mobile and comfortable in my body both physically and emotionally. I recovered quickly after my C-section as a result and was back at the gym six weeks later. My doctor had told me to expect to lose half a pound per week and instead I have begun to lose two or three pounds per week.

Going to the gym not only helps me get the much needed time to myself, but has helped me be a better mother. Not only am I modelling good behaviour for my kids by eating right and exercising, but I am refreshed and renewed by having and accomplishing my own goals. I could not have done it without my trainer Andrea and the rest of the staff and clients at the gym . The support has been outstanding. I just can’t wait to see the final results!

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Darquise

Following my first pregnancy, my body changed in a way that I didn’t like. My self-esteem was affected and I knew that I needed help. At first, I tried to train by myself, but I quickly realized that I was lacking motivation.

My personal trainer, Andrea, was the boost I needed. She listened to the goals I wanted to achieve: losing weight, dropping inches, gaining energy and feeling better about myself. She pushed me beyond what I thought I was capable of.

Through a mix of cardio exercises and weight lifting, she challenged me everyday. She kept me accountable to my training and goals. Even when new challenges occurred (i.e. my return to work), she was flexible, but adamant that I did not give up my training.

Because of my earlier decision to go with a personal trainer, not only have I reached the goals I set, but I gained a new appreciation for training and exercise.

Now, I don’t mind at all to have my picture taken!

 

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Susie

I am an active person and consider myself fit. I enjoy a challenging workout and I like to sweat! Although I exercise regularly. I have had about 15-20lbs to lose ever since I can remember. I would lose some of it and then gain it back. Then I had my two daughters, in 2005 and 2009. Needless to say, I gained more weight.

I have plenty of experience with working out on my own: participating in group exercise classes, kickboxing classes, and even Weight Watchers. I needed a new challenge because what I was used to wasn’t working for me. I needed to try something new.

Last January, when my youngest was 5 months, I decided to hire a personal trainer. I wanted to lose weight and lower my body fat percentage. I wanted to feel fit and firm! I needed to push my limit! Andrea is what I was looking for! She is always ready with a tough workout and makes sure I walk out of the gym feeling triumphant! She is good at making me do those extra few reps! I love it when she demonstrates an exercise that looks impossible for me to do and then being able to do it! No matter what exercise Andrea has in store for me, I am game to give it a try (even if I feel silly!). She would vary my workouts every few weeks and made sure my muscles were constantly challenged.

For me, the advantage to having a personal trainer is having that appointment at the gym that I can’t miss and having a workout planned ahead for me. Having someone push my limits, make me do those extra reps or that silly exercise that works wonders (burpees, mountain climbers, I still hate them!!). I learned to make the most of my workout in under an hour and to design my own workouts regularly to keep my body guessing. I am now ready for the challenge of working out on my own and getting the same results I had with Andrea.

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Natalie

After getting married, the honeymoon and subsequent new job left me stressed out and gaining weight. I joined a gym and that was when I met my trainer, Andrea. Not only did she have a positive attitude and supported me in my needs, but she had a great personality that really complimented the way I thought. It’s been like working out with a friend rather than a stranger and it has made all of the difference in my desire to come to the gym and work out — you have to love what you do, and that includes going to the gym!

Having worked out in the past with a personal trainer, I was worried I would be bored or not challenged enough — that wasn’t the case. Andrea kept me engaged the entire time and always came up with new and interesting routines. She pushed me when she knew I could handle it and let me take things easier when I needed that too. She’s patient when I need more instruction and keep an ever-watchful eye on my posture to make sure I’m getting the most out of every workout I do.

I am not one who easily loses weight. My weight has always been an issue with me and losing weight is an uphill battle. Andrea has been there fighting alongside me since day one. She offered advice and support and didn’t judge me when I took a wrong turn, but rather provided me positive motivation to get back on track. On days when I felt particularly discouraged, she would be there to keep me going. I never felt as if she were leaving me behind.

Since working out with Andrea, I’ve gotten a lot stronger, I’ve lost weight, and I’ve lost inches. The results are palpable and manageable and everyone around me has noticed and commented. It feels great to be able to fit into my old clothes post-honeymoon again and my confidence levels have soared. Without Andrea, I may have attended the gym, but I wouldn’t have gotten the results I got in a few short months as I did with her.
I am extremely pleased in my decision to have a personal trainer. It has set me on a great path that I know will just continue to improve from here on out.

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Megan

I moved to Ottawa from Toronto for law school, knowing almost nobody in the city. I joined the gym and opted for a personal trainer, hoping to avoid gaining weight, maybe lose some weight and tone up. I was also getting married within a year and a half and thought it would be a good opportunity to start preparing for that as well. Andrea is everything I could have hoped for in a personal trainer, and more. She has a very hands-on approach, constantly re-evaluating goals and changing the program so I never get bored and am always being challenged. She is very knowledgeable not only about fitness, but nutrition as well. I’ve learned as much about weight training as I have about food planning and how to make it all work together to reach my goals. I was in the best shape of my life for my wedding, and I could never have done that without Andrea’s help. She also introduced me to yoga, something I might never have tried and now absolutely love!

Most importantly, Andrea is always available to answer questions, or just talk. She turned me from someone who used to avoid gym class into someone who looks forward to the next fitness class or weights session. Andrea not only helped me change my body, but also the way I think about fitness and nutrition.

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Sandy

Okay, I admit it, I was the laziest person ever… I had been overweight most, if not all of my life, and in 2011 had reached my highest weight around 225 lbs. That all changed in May 2011 when I decided that enough was enough and something had to be done. Not knowing where to start, I thought I’d sign myself up with a personal trainer thinking I would just learn how to do workout and eat right and get moving toward my goals. Little did I know, I got the most amazing person as my trainer and everything I thought I knew about myself and how far I could push my body was about to change. I spent two and a half years with Andrea, seeing her 3-4 times a week and right from the start I could tell that this was more than just a job for her. Not only did she hold me accountable for my workouts and my meal plans but she was always there when I needed that extra push along the way. Times where I was discouraged from a plateau or thought I wasn’t pushing enough or accomplishing enough, she was always there to put things in perspective and make me realize this journey was a life change and I was in competition with no one but myself. Andrea is a super creative, genuinely kind and smart person who will never let you give up until you reach your goal. With Andrea, I was able to go from a very unhealthy 217 lbs to a strong (hello 100 lbs. bench press!!), but more importantly healthy, 150 lbs. I still have work to do and even now, while not being her client, I still think of everything she taught me, both mentally and physically. If I could bottle her up and keep her with me all the time, I really would… but then I’d be depriving everyone else from her and it’s just not something I’m willing to do! Andrea’s amazing, best decision I ever made and truly wouldn’t have been able to accomplish quite as much, with this much motivation and love for lifting and meal planning, without her.