Success Stories – Ronald Weilnau

Coaching a student like Ronald is a joy. I use the word “student” purposely, because Ronald’s results are directly tied into the fact he pays attention, makes sure he understands, and asks questions about both his training and nutrition. The results speak for themselves! – Coach Dean

‘Thank You, Get Fit NH’

I have fought being overweight since the summer of 1967. It was that summer, when I was 10 years old, that I went from being an underweight child to an overweight child in less than three months. Until my first “Get Fit NH” training session on September 23, 2013, I never stepped into any gym to get help with losing weight or to get a leaner body. Due to my own past failures at controlling my weight and meeting my fitness goals, I had my doubts if I would last the first week let alone join. However, thanks to what I found that during that first week I knew I could continue. Therefore, I owe thanks to many people for my successful start towards a healthier lifestyle.

‘Thank you’, Coach Dean and Coach Nancy for starting ‘Get Fit NH’. Also thank you for developing each training session plus the challenges and workshops that you put together to teach us about developing a healthy lifestyle.

‘Thank you’, Coach Erin, Coach Megan and Coach Sarah for choosing to coach at ‘Get Fit NH’ and for the time you give to answer my questions and to training me. I look forward to many more training sessions.

‘Thank you’ to the fellow clients for you are a big part of ‘Get Fit NH’ and you showed me that I can do this. Thank you for the encouragement and praise that you have provided whether it was knowingly or unknowingly given.

‘Thank you’ to my wife for joining ‘Get Fit NH’ three years ago and never pressuring me to join. ‘Thank you’ for waiting until I was ‘Ready to Do It’. Also thank you for helping me to start eating the ‘PPW’ way.

The picture below shows the results of my first 6 months at ‘Get Fit NH’. The results truly surprised me, as I did not expect to meet my first targeted weight loss goal until the end of June 2014. I past that goal and got to a weight that I have not seen in 35 years. With the next training session, I will be working on a new goal of some additional weight loss and more muscle gain.

When I am asked how I did it, I reply that it is a lifestyle change that I have embraced that included a major change in my diet and more exercise than I have ever done before. However, I like what someone else said one night after training when I was asked, he stated it simply as: ‘He was ready.’

I am ready to continue….

Thank you again,

Ronald Weilnau

Shine Shine Shine! – Student Spotlight

Last week in our Student Spotlight, we began our two week feature of inspirational women who have continued to train at Get Fit NH throughout their pregnancies. This week’s Student Spotlight is shining on Jill E. and Kim L. Both women have continued working hard and being healthy through their pregnancies and have written about their experiences.

Jill tells us about her top five reasons for continuing to train with her Get Fit Family throughout her pregnancy:

1. If it’s good for me, it must be good for the baby – This one is a no brainer. Obviously anything that is helping mommy stay fit and happy and strong will be good for the baby.

2. I will not let 4 ½ years of training go down the toilet – This is my second pregnancy and I have trained through both so far. Part of my reason for joining the Get Fit Family was to lose weight and get in shape to have kids. I will not let all of that hard work go to waste! Nor do I want to lose my Get Fit Family!

3. Support, support, support – Super Mom/Trainer Nancy understands when you break out in tears for no reason, and doesn’t hold it against you (Sorry Nancy!). She listens to everything and helps me remember that I am changing and can’t do everything I could do before! Coming to this realization was a lot harder with my first pregnancy. What do you mean I can’t hold a plank for 20 seconds anymore without wanting to pass out? I used to be able to hold one for well over a minute. Well, your body is increasing blood cells and blood flow and doing even more amazing things without you even knowing it, so deal. What do you mean I want to throw up in a pushup hold, or mountain climbers, or renegade rows? Hello heartburn! Let’s do those off the bench so your head is elevated. What do you mean my hips are moving (to prep for birth) and my SI joints are completely out of whack and everything hurts? Well, it’s time to avoid all those exercises that create discomfort for the SI joint, focus on stretching and strengthening your core. That last one has been especially frustrating with my current pregnancy, but Nancy has been wonderful at making sure I am not in any discomfort or pain during training and modifying exercises (and making sure I am not going to burst into tears again).

4. Cool technology – This pregnancy I am hooked up to a heart monitor during training. This may be the most interesting part because I am really able to control my intensity and workouts all while keeping my heart rate in check. Who knew band hammer curls could get your heart racing so fast! I like that I am able to control when I need to increase my intensity (quit being a baby, or ‘suck it up’ as Dean says) and when I need to take a breather.

5. Astonishing people – Some people are shocked when I tell them I train 3-4 nights a week while pregnant – my parents’ and grandparents’ generation especially. But I love being able to explain that training isn’t just for me. The lowering and raising of the heart rate when training resembles labor. I am not the only one who has to go through it, this baby has to prepare too! I had a C-section with the first pregnancy (my daughter was breech), so there was no labor involved, but there was a heck of a recovery afterward! Without having the core and the arm strength I’d built up previously, I am guessing that recovery would have sucked a whole lot more! It’s too early to tell with Baby Boy Edelmann what type of delivery I will have, but they are telling me he is going to be big and tall. Have you met my husband…eek! So the way I see it, the more prepared I am while he is still in the womb, the better!

 Jill and Karl, along with the rest of us, are waiting to meet their newest family member!

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Our next mom Kim explains how training with Get Fit NH has helped her through her pregnancy and in preparing for giving birth:

It gets increasingly hard to find the motivation to get to class but the payoff gets so much greater! I could be having the worst day – tired, grumpy, and not feeling well – but after class all of those feelings and emotions would be gone. Physically, I have had an incredibly easy pregnancy and I do not attribute that to luck. I attribute it to the fact that I have never really stopped moving. I refused to give up and chose instead to be tough. I don’t know if that’s a good thing or a bad thing, but so far it has worked! (Although I can’t lie, I’ve had days where I wanted to curl up into a ball and cry, but we can blame that on hormones).

I am really curious to see how my recovery from childbirth will be and even more curious to see how I handle childbirth itself with our mottos from class running through my head – “Get comfortable being uncomfortable!”, “You can do anything for 15, 20, 30, 40 seconds!”, and “Last set is the best set!”.

Little Maggie was born in August. Congratulations, Kim!

Training when it is just yourself is difficult – we should all get a high five each day for making it happen. But when you are training while experiencing morning sickness or feeling uncomfortable at nine months pregnant, you deserve a second high five! Katie introduced us to Little Jonathon this past January and later this year Amanda is expecting her second child. Congratulations to Carolyn, Jill, Kim, Katie, and Amanda and everyone else in the Get Fit Family for working so hard!

Student Spotlight – Alice DonnaSelva

I am very proud to share the story of Alice DonnaSelva. We have been blessed to have Alice in our 6:15 AM training time for almost a year. She is an incredible inspiration to the student’s around her. You want to see a woman who pushes herself to no end, Alice is your lady! I have had the opportunity to sit with Alice several times and discuss goals. I remember two of her first goals were to increase her push ups for the Get Fit Games and be able to do jumping chins. Alice dedicated about 15-20 minutes 2 days per week where she would stay after training and work on her chin progressions as well as work on her push ups (chest all the way to a tennis ball too!) Alice is a perfect example of how hard work and dedication get you real life results. She shares how far she has come below and I can’t tell you how proud I am to be her coach. 

“I came to Get Fit NH mostly to get stronger, especially to strengthen core muscles. I had gone to the doctor for a routine check up and mentioned that I was losing my balance more frequently – which was a concern because my mom had Ataxia and the beginning symptoms are usually loss of balance. There is a good chance I could have it as well because it is hereditary. My doctor thought it was unlikely I had it since I had been running for about 6 years and hiked and did some weight routines without significant trouble. She suggested that i try strengthening my core muscles.

Student Spotlight – Deb Rosenthal

The student spotlight this week goes to a very special student who has been training with us for 5 years- Deb Rosenthal! She shares her journey with Get Fit NH below. I have had the pleasure of working with Deb over the past (almost) 2 years and this woman is faithful. She makes it to training without question every single day. Her big turning point was during the 21 Day Detox. Deb embraced this challenge and it completely changed her. You will read below that she has dropped weight, body fat, pants sizes, and feels great. This woman has been non-stop since January. She gets her body fat read consistently and has dropped a tremendous amount of body fat. I am so proud of Deb for setting a great example and making it happen. Don’t forget to check out her before and after picture below- pretty awesome!

“When I first came to Get Fit NH Concord in 2009 I was overweight and sluggish. I had participated in boot camps in my native Dallas, TX where everything was bigger including me! I was looking for a training facility in Concord when I noticed on the back of a Rock n Race T-Shirt that Get Fit NH was a sponsor. It was perfect timing as Get Fit was starting in Concord. My initial goal was to lose body fat and get stronger both of which I have accomplished. I have struggled with my weight all my life. I have tried all the common programs available to most people. I have been at Get Fit for over 5 years and have enjoyed every minute. I always knew Dean was on the right track about the way he and his family fueled their bodies, but I did not want to wrap my arms around his prescribed diet and give up certain foods. When Dean offered the 21 Day Detox this past January 2014, I agreed to give it a try and to this day I am still following the Detox daily regime. I have never felt so good and it is so much fun when people tell me how baggy my clothes are now. I love the energy I have at the 5 am class and throughout the day. I could not think of any other way I would want to start 4 days during the week other than at Get Fit NH. The Get Fit coaches really consider every client a part of their family and are very interested in helping each client reach their goals which is heartwarming to me.

The Get Fit NH Coaches not only care about their clients, but Get Fit NH gives back to the community with their fundraising weekend events. They are always encouraging me to challenge myself and push myself physically which is much appreciated. Coaches, thank you for all you do for us each and every day.  I am ready to embrace the Whole 9 Nutrition which will take my nutritional levels to the new heights!!  GET FIT NH ROCKS!!!!”

Deb now supports her faithful training with a solid nutrition plan. Since January Deb has lost almost 30 pounds and a total of 6.7% body fat. She is a solid example of how a our professional training program + nutrition + action=results! Keep making it happen, Deb!

Coach Meagan