Joseph Y. – Lost 95 lbs

I’ve stayed active most of my life, throughout highschool, doing races, playing volleyball, softball, soccer, etc. 2006 is when I started to gain weight, and it only became harder to enjoy those activities. I was eating a horrible fast food diet because “I was busy”.

In May 2009, I weighed in at 292 lbs. Very scary. After a couple of previous attempts to lose the weight, via exercise and diets, but never sticking with it, this was my time. I dedicated myself to eating better, and exercising as much as possible. I mostly did cardio, and I did have a couple of sessions with a DFM personal trainer, and I took advantage of all the classes CF has to offer.. (For Free!) This time I stayed commited and it paid off! I’ve lost 95 pounds since since May of 2009! I love Club Fitness, and HIGHLEY recommend it!! It changed my life!!!!

Kim F. – Lost 77 lbs

Hi, my name is Kim Flick, I am a member at the Wood River location. I wasn’t sure if I could share due to me not working with an individual trainer, but here is my story. My journey started on December 2, 2009. I had always been an athlete in high school and throughout my childhood, and after graduation I had packed on over 100 +pounds from pure neglect of my body, and my first pregnancy.

My highest weight was 225 lbs, in a size 20 pant size. My daughter was born in Jan of 09, and it took me almost a full year to realize that I not only needed to loose the weight for myself, but for my daughter who needed me to be alive and watch her grow up! I only gained 40 lbs with my daughter so pregnancy wasn’t the biggest issue. Finally in December of 09 I decided it was time to change my life. The first month I worked out at home on the treadmill and lost about 15 lbs. I simply needed more in the way of something different, and other people around me to motivate and inspire me. I decided to join the gym in February of 09. I loved going to Club Fitness because the staff was so nice and welcoming. The club was such a comforatable environment and never felt embarrassed for being there. The staff was always willing to answer any questions I had, and always went above and beyond anything I asked. I had my first free training session with Jenny, and she really showed me some exercises I could be doing to keep my body losing the weight so I never fell into a plateau. I continued working out at club fitness about 5-6 days a week, including about an hour of cardio and weights, and today I am 148 lbs. My journey is not over, and will never be. My goal weight is 130 lbs, and as soon as I hit that I will continue to go to club fitness to maintain a healthy body for years to come!

-Kim F.

Brian R. – Lost 180 lbs

Since High School, I’ve always been a heavier guy. I always knew I needed to lose weight, but it was never a priority. After a couple years of personal set backs, my weight gain spun out of control. I had used eating and poor habits to cope with my issues resulting in reaching a weight of 408 pounds. Actually, I probably gained more than that, but my scale didn’t register any higher. Although I wasn’t fully aware of it at the time, completing everyday tasks was a chore. I would get tired and winded just walking out to my car. My whole attitude and outlook on life was terrible and going no where.

In August of last year, I decided it was time for a change. I had considered surgical options, but that didn’t seem like the solution either. I decided to start slow, first getting on a simple eating plan and tracking my intake. Then over the last 12 months, I slowly added exercise-increasing the intensity over time. When I first started exercising, 5 minutes on a bike seemed like an eternity. In just a few short months, I was able to to increase my workouts and really started seeing results.

I’ve lost 180 lbs since August of 2009, and I don’t have the words to describe the physical and mental changes I’ve experienced. I’ve gone down 16 pants sized and 4 shift sizes. My outlook and attitude toward life is so much better than it ever has been. I don’t even feel like the same person, and people I’ve known all my life often don’t recognize me at first. When people ask me how I did it, all I can tell them is to start slow, use common sense, and only worry about what you have to do today. Tomorrow’s results will take care of themselves. My future goal is to lose the last 20 pounds –resulting in a total loss of 200 pounds. But having a healthy lifestyle is not a short term goal.

-Brian R.

Andrea M. – Lost 80 lbs

My weight loss journey all began back in January 2009. I decided that I was no longer going to go at it with an attitude that put my health second; I was going to make it my priority and lifestyle. I was already a member with Club Fitness before January 2009, but never regularly went to the gym. I also was they type of person that would make excuses like, “I’ll start Monday” or “I don’t have time to workout”.

I decided that I was going to change myself and my lifestyle for good because I have a lot of life left to live and it would be much more enjoyable to do so being healthy. I started by going to Club Fitness three days per week and doing the elliptical machine for about thirty minutes. Gradually, it increased to five days per week and I would incorporate the treadmill and elliptical machines for about forty-five minutes. After about four months, I tried the group exercise classes with Dena Marshall at the Alton Club Fitness and that was definitely a challenge at the time. After about six months of working out I really started to see results; I had lost about forty pounds! I continued to attend the group fitness classes and do some cardio workouts in Alton when I hit a plateau. One of my friends at work mentioned that we should try a personal trainer where we work in Granite City at Club Fitness.

We met with Tim Stafford, a DFM trainer at the Granite City Club Fitness in September 2009 and decided to give the “Jumpstart Plan” a try. This was ideal because my friend and I were basically on the same fitness level when we started the program. Working with Tim definitely got me over my plateau and have officially lost eighty pounds! I am also wearing size “small” shirts and size 6 or 8 pants! My friend and I are currently still working with Tim and will continue until both of our goals are reached.

I never thought that working out with a Personal Trainer would be any different than the group classes or working out on my own, but the trainers really do push you to limits that I would never do on my own. The training sessions also build upon each other and gradually increase the level of difficulty and intensity of the workouts. Tim accommodates to your fitness level personally in order to reach the goals that you are trying to achieve.

I truly have come a long way and owe a ton of credit to Tim and Club Fitness for being such a comfortable atmosphere and welcoming gym to work out at. My life has changed so drastically and in such a positive way in one short year! I feel entirely different physically and mentally and am able to do things that I would have never dreamed of doing a year ago. I just signed up for the St. Patty’s Day run in St. Louis for the first time ever; a five mile race, I couldn’t even run five miles in high school! My best advice is to keep at it and take it one day at a time and do not give up because everyone can do it!!

Thank you Tim and Club Fitness!

-Andrea M.

Tyler Fox – Lost 65 lbs

Hello my name is Tyler Fox. I have always been an athletic kid, and I always played a lot of sports. My main sport was football. I went to high school at St. Dominic, and played football 4 years there. I found myself so worried about succeeding in football that I let my physical appearance go. By my senior season of football I weighed a whopping 290 lbs. I didn’t carry it that bad, but I definitely wasn’t in shape.

After high school football was over I realized that my personal life was suffering from being overweight. That is when I joined Club Fitness at K and N in O’Fallon. When I got to the gym, I was inspired by how many people there were trying to get in shape. I was there 7 days a week, and sometimes twice a day. By the end of my senior year in high school I got my weight down to 225, and I found myself happier than I had ever been.

I am attaching a picture from me my junior prom and senior prom, and I am not trying to brag at all, but i am very proud of my achievements. After St. Dominic, I played a season of football at Lindenwood University, and I then decided that it wasn’t worth gaining all that weight back, so I quit. Now I am dedicated as ever, and my goal is to get down to about 200 lbs. I couldn’t have achieved anything I have without the motivation and equipment that Club Fitness provided me with.

-Tyler Fox

Jim Doughty – Lost 200 lbs

My name is Jim Doughty. I am 40 years old, am married and have 3 kids. I have lost 200 pounds since January 1, 2005, all through diet and exercise. I went from a size 4X to a size Large, and a 52” waist to a 34”. I have been a member at Club Fitness since May 2008. You can usually find me working out at the St. Charles location.

I have been overweight since I was 5 years old, and have always struggled with my weight. Over my lifetime, I tried every fad diet there was. I would lose a few pounds, but it always came back on, plus more. I started thinking about making a lifestyle change towards the end of 2004. I was nearing 400 pounds. My wife had just had our 3rd child, and we had a 1 year old and a 3 year old as well. I would get winded just carrying them up the stairs at night. Our oldest was starting to get involved in sports. I would try to play soccer with her, but just couldn’t last more than a minute or two. I was miserable. My knees were always in pain. My ankles would cramp up just walking 50 feet. I considered having gastric bypass or a lap band, but couldn’t afford it, and was really afraid of the complications. So, for Christmas I purchased a membership to a gym for me and my wife and set my start date for January 1. Although I had tried dieting before, I had never exercised. This time it was going to work. I had a family counting on me.

In addition to cycling, I am now running and swimming as well. I have done several 5K runs and am planning on doing a triathlon this summer. I have added more weight lifting to my workout as well, and am toning up quite a bit. I am assistant coach on my children’s soccer teams and am active in their school athletic association. I am off all prescription medications, and am in the best shape of my life! I am even more outgoing now, and more self confident. I have so much more energy, I run circles around my kids, and make exercise a priority in our lives. I don’t want them to go through what I had to go through, so I am teaching them to stay active and make healthy choices.

My advice to beginners is keep at it. The pain will go away! Also, work with a trainer! It’s worth it. Take your time and remember to take baby steps. This isn’t The Biggest Loser. You are not going to lose 100 pounds in 8 weeks. Don’t be discouraged, keep at it and the weight will come off. The longer it takes to come off, the longer you will keep it off! And don’t forget to reward yourself!

-Jim Doughty

Jan Sharamitaro – Lost 150 lbs

I am a member at Club Fitness. I have been a member for about 2 years. I have lost 135-150 lbs.(it changes day to day). Yes, I do a no no. I weight almost everyday. I love going to Club Fitness. I exercise daily. I have to. Here is my story.

I have been obese most of my life. Yes the word obese is embarrassing. But, now I can admit to it and say it about myself. So, I guess I just found out something about me- that being overweight did effect me most of my life. When I was turning 21 I had lost weight because I was going to CA with my sister and didn’t want to be fat. I lost 60 lbs and looked good.

Well, being quite obese – 342 lbs. – I had a lot of work ahead of me. I could not climb the steps from the basement without being out of breath. I also had bad knees. The doctor had told me I needed a knee replacement. But, he would not do it at my weight because it wouldn’t last long and I was too young (47).

Since, I was obese with bad knees,I needed to start somewhere. Of course, I started with eating right. I had taken fen-fen when it was popular and it worked great for me. It gave me control over my eating. But they took it off the market and then I lost control again and gained my weight back plus some. At least, fen-fen had taught me how to eat right. So that is where I began. EATING RIGHT!

I have a pool and it was almost summer. So I started doing water aerobics by myself everyday in my pool. The weight was coming off. When it got too cold to swim, I started walking at the park. It took me a long time to complete the path and it was difficult. But after daily walks it became easier and easier and doesn’t take me long anymore.

When it became too cold to walk I joined Club Fitness. By the time I joined club fitness I had lost about 60lbs. already. I had a little more confidence and was more determined to get the rest of my weight off. This gym offered classes. Good! I went to the classes daily. Sometimes I would do 3 classes in a row that is 3 hours of working out. If it was nice outside I also went for a walk. I love being outside. The classes were difficult for me but, I kept with it and just kept trying to get all the movements precise. I did not feel intimidated there,ever!

I love all the trainers. The only training I did with a trainer was with Toni. My friend had given me the starter package (3 sessions for $99) as a gift. Toni was great! I had known her from classes so I picked her to do my training. She is tough and I was very satisfied with her help. I would of kept training with her but, financially I could not afford it. So I took what she had taught me and I also did the classes daily. I felt like they cared that I worked out properly.

I can run!!!!!! Yes, I could not run before but now I can. I feel like I can take care of myself too. I mean I am strong now and fit. I love it. I also love getting compliments. Life is good. The only thing I don’t like is that it took me way too long for the light to go off, to get in shape. But better later than never. Thank you Club Fitness!

-Jan Sharamitaro

Heather Rieth – Lost 183 lbs

I have lost 183 pounds or as I like to say, “I have cut myself in half and lost my trainer.” I am a 31 year old fat girl survivor and a mother of an adorable 2 year old son. I knew I needed to make life change for him and the fact that I was going to die if I didn’t lose my weight.

I decided that 2007 was going to be my year. I joined Club Fitness in November 2006 but didn’t really start on my life change until January 2007. I made the commitment to myself and my son to lose the weight. I knew it was all about choices. I worked 70-80 hour a week for my job, finished my Masters Degree in Business, made time for my family, and still made it to the gym 8 hours a week. I just laugh when people say they don’t have time to workout and eat right. That is completely untrue; they just chose not to make time and sacrifices. I just chose to go to the gym instead of watch TV and go to sleep early. If I was able to fit losing 125 pounds in 11 months in to my schedule, I think anyone can fit it in. You just have to want it more than anything else and be willing to sacrifice and stick with it. I made the choice to live and get healthy rather than stay morbidly obese and die.

There is no way I would have reached my goal without my trainer. Demetrius Anderson, a trainer with DFM, pushed me every week to reach my monthly goal. Not disappointing him and the fear of how hard the work outs would be if I didn’t reach my goals, kept me in line. I knew if I cheated or didn’t give my all, it would show in my numbers. That kept me on track and made it easier to change my life style. Because of our hard work, we won the DFM contest and the trip to Cancun. He has given me a new outlook on life and the ability to live the life I have always wanted, a life in a normal size body. I will probably always train with him, but he isn’t just my trainer anymore, he is my friend.

There is no better feeling than achieving your goal, being proud of your accomplishments, and having others be proud of you as well. I love seeing people who I haven’t seen since losing my weight. The expression on their face is priceless. What is even better is when people walk right past me and don’t even know who I am. Just a few weeks ago, my cousin who I haven’t seen in over a year walked right past me in the locker room at the gym. I had to stop her and she didn’t even recognize me. I am no longer on medication and I am not going to die because of morbid obesity. I now have more energy than my son and can out run him. The icing on the cake, to put it in food terms is not only will I live to see him grow up; I will be able to enjoy him more. I want to help motivate other people so they can be as successful as I have been because being physically fit and able to shop in normal clothing stores is UNDESCRIBABLE!!!

Everyone asks me what diet I did, how much I worked out, and what were my tricks. I tell everyone they have to be patient, eat the right foods for their body in the right portion sizes (which takes trial and error), and workout at an intensity to get their heart rate up for a set amount of time at least 5 days a week (a trainer helps too). I wish for every person in world who is battling with weight and food the feeling of being a “normal” size. I know what it feels like to have people look at you because you are so large and now I wonder why people look at me because I am no longer over weight. There is not a single food on earth that would make me feel a good as being at my goal weight does.

-Heather Rieth

Dana C. – Lost 45 lbs

My name is Dana C. and I am 43 years old. I am currently a member of Club Fitness in Granite City. I have been a member since Oct. 2007 and I would like to share my story.

Four years ago, I took a very bad fall down the stairs of my home and broke my leg in five places. I had always struggled with my weight. But, in the past four years, I had gained a lot of weight. I now have a steel bar in my leg and pins in my foot. The weight I was carrying was causing my leg to swell everyday and I was in a lot of pain.

My doctor had told me that my blood pressure was high and my sugar count was high. She wanted to put me on medicine for this. I was not going to do that so I started walking around the park. It was going great until my leg started to hurt. I then had to go back to the doctor who fixed my leg and he said I was walking too much and needed to stop.

This was devastating to me. I had lost about 11 pounds but it wasn’t enough. I could not give up! I was given a free pass to Club Fitness and loved it. I could only do the bike and some weights because of my leg. After my free pass was up, I joined. It was the best thing I could have done for myself and my family.

I have now lost 45 pounds and have more energy now than I ever had. I now can walk the treadmill and also can workout on the elliptical machine for an hour or more. It is amazing! I now have family friends and church members who have joined Club Fitness and they are amazed at the changes in my body and spirit.

I love the people who work at the Club. They have always been friendly and supportive. Whitney McGrath and Kandi and Courteny always have a kind word for me-they always let me know how well I am doing. It is so important to have a good support team. I feel that they have become part of my support.

I now have normal blood pressure and normal sugar levels-no medicine for me! I would like to thank Jesus, my family and friends and all those at Club Fitness.

-Dana C.

Dawn Koehler – Lost 110 lbs

Dawn Koehler, a Club Fitness member at O Fallon South has lost 110 pounds this last year! She has lost 10 sizes and feels happier and more energized than ever before. Here is her inspiring story.

Dawn struggled with weight her entire life. About one year ago, she decided she wanted a place to work out but she was not sure about joining a co ed health club. She drove by Club Fitness and decided to come in. Once inside Club Fitness, she felt comfortable with the staff and members and bean coming in about 3 times per week, using the elliptical, the treadmill, the bike and a few leg machines.

Dawn stayed motivated during challenging times by looking back at her “before’ pictures and vowing that she would NOT go backwards. She said that coming to Club Fitness would motivate her as she worked out with others who were focused on healthy lifestyles and fitness goals. The staff and members inspired her to keep going. She also had a motto that would keep her focused-“Take 5 pounds at a time and one day at a time.”

Dawn says that when she looks in the mirror, she is proud of herself and feels great. She is more social now, more confident and is out more having fun!

-Dawn Koehler

Jim H. – Lost 80 lbs

With my health at an all time low and a starting weight at over 300 lbs. I had reached the very end of my rope. The physician that had been treating me for a number of ailments including diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and a triglyceride level that was of the charts, leveled a crippling blow.

In addition to all of the current ailments, I had also been diagnosed with a heart condition that could be life threatening if my health where not to improve. For the full year of 2006 I had been in and out of the hospital and doctors office trying to calm the symptoms of my ailing health. Finally my doctor sat me down and told it to me straight. He said that if I ever wanted to live a full productive life I would have to get daily exercise and eat a healthy diet. It was the same story I had heard time and time again, in fact, it was the same story I had heard my entire life. This time it was different, my life truly depended on it. I was not sure where to start, so with the advice of my doctor I started looking into local gyms to get a membership. In March of 2007 I happened across a grand opening flyer for Club Fitness in Granite City. I was very apprehensive and almost didn’t come in. I was so nervous, here I was at over 300 lbs. in the worst health that I had ever been in and I was going to join a gym. I must of drove by the gym 3 or 4 different times and finally decided to go in. I spoke with the gym manager about the facilities and what services they offered. I remember that I immediately felt at ease and I knew that this was going to be my new gym. The following day I asked a friend to come in with me and we both signed up. The staff was friendly and extremely helpful. They truly cared that my experience there was the best it could possibly be every time I came in to visit. Any question or concern that I have ever had has been answered professionally and promptly. Immediately after joining Club Fitness, I started seeing results and with the help of the staff, I have continued to see results. I have proudly been a member of Club Fitness for 8 months now, I have lost about 80 lbs and my pant size has dropped from a 42” waist to a 34” waist. My doctor has taken me off of 5 of the 6 medications that I was taking, with the remaining medication being for my heart condition that I will take for life. I had my blood work done 3 weeks ago and all of my levels are in the normal range, without the aid of any medication. My physician raves at the progress that I have made in the last 8 months, and I always tell him, it has been a team effort in which I could never have accomplished on my own, but with the right team on my side, I truly could never fail. Club Fitness and my trainer Jordan Unfried have been a key part of that winning team.

My experience with club fitness has been phenomenal, I have never been treated like just a member, but have always been treated as a friend. My work out experience has always been a top priority to the Club Fitness staff. I am always welcomed by a smiling face and am always treated in a friendly professional manner. Club Fitness offers a safe, friendly, intimidation free facility in which I can walk in and feel completely comfortable to work out and focus on my personal fitness goals. I still have a few pounds that I need to lose, but with Club Fitness on my team, I have no doubt that I reach my goal. I would recommend that anyone who has a fitness need, stop by there local Club Fitness and add them as part of their winning team.

-Jim H.

Bonnie S. – Lost 48 1/4″ inches

I began training in order to become more active, be able to play with my nieces, and be able to wear stylish clothing that fits well.

Krista was professional and accommodating to my injuries. She kept me motivated through positive encouragement. Because of Krista, Exercise is now a part of my life that I look forward to and enjoy. Because of my wonderful experience with personal training, I am aspiring to become a trainer myself someday.

-Bonnie S.

Charles M. – Lost 68 lbs

When I joined Club Fitness, I really expected that I would do what I normally do which was work out for a few weeks, start missing more and more, and eventually just go back to doing nothing.

I remember being offered to work with a trainer for one session free and I was skeptical about how I would like that. When I first worked out with Shauna, I didn’t know what to expect and I really thought it would be like a lot of gyms where they simply take you around and point out how the equipment worked. This was not at all the case. She talked to me about my goals and problem areas and really worked me out hard. I have really enjoyed how Shauna works with me, she really seems to get my personality and knows when I am dogging it and she needs to push me or when I have really had it. When I started, walking for 30 minutes on the treadmill was a struggle at even pretty low speeds. Now my normal cardio workout includes fast walking and running at differing inclines. I am also starting to run in some 5K’s with a goal of completing a half-marathon in the fall. Shauna goes above and beyond in working with me to keep me motivated and encourage me. She even ran in a 5K with me, and with her help and encouragement, I ran the whole thing and beat my goal time. I love the accountability of having someone to work with to help me keep moving towards my goals. Because of her encouragement to do my best, especially when I would get frustrated (all the time), I have made so much more improvement outside of just the weight loss and physical changes. I am about halfway to my goal and there is no way I would have kept it up long enough to see all these positive changes without Shauna’s help. I also want to thank all of the other trainers and staff who always encourage me and help me to feel comfortable and welcome in the gym.

-Charles M.