Cindy Reid
“I DID IT and YOU Can Too!”
My journey took almost 6 years, but I have the rest of my life to enjoy the new healthier me! On November 1st, 2015 I stepped on the scales and hit my goal of being 120 pounds lighter than I was in 2010.
I was fooling myself thinking I was happy with myself 6 years ago. Outwardly I was happy, but inside I was miserable. Now, I have more energy and I feel younger too. I would never have believed anyone at that point if they had told me I would feel better for exercising. How could exercising, which felt so hard make me feel better? I have learned it does! Working out gives you more energy than you could ever imagine, you’ll even sleep better at night!
Changing your lifestyle takes commitment, and determination. We are our own worst enemies, sabotaging our own efforts to change, but if I can do it, YOU CAN TOO! Make that commitment to yourself, find that activity or class at the gym that you love and have fun. Try a new class, join with a friend, or call and ask about a small group training session. Make a commitment to yourself for a healthier lifestyle. You won’t regret it.
YOU CAN DO IT TOO!!
If you think you can’t do it, and that losing weight is just too hard, or you can’t join a gym because you are too overweight – Just look at me! Give yourself the best present you can – the gift of a healthy lifestyle. Call Shelley and her crew because Fitness Funatics is waiting for YOU!!
– Cindy.
Leigh Roberts
Fitness first became a part of my life when I first found joy in working up sweat playing my lifelong sport of choice – basketball. From the age of 9 to my late 30s, playing basketball became both my reason for staying fit and my means of staying fit. During that time I logged thousands of hours playing and training for basketball, and the sport taught me the value and the joys of hard work, physical exertion and teamwork right from my first youth recreational league experience to my 4 years of varsity inter-University competition at the University of Regina (Saskatchewan). Over the years I also dabbled in distance running and fitness classes, even briefly joining Fitness Funatics in 2007 when I first moved to Saugeen Shores. But for too long I viewed basketball as my means and my end when it came to fitness.
I truly began my path to becoming dedicated to fitness when I began to realize that basketball was no longer enough to help me maintain a healthy state of physical fitness. I was nearing age 40, only playing basketball once a week for part of the year, and I was progressively getting more and more out of shape. I had once been slim and fit, but I was now soft and could barely dance with my wife at a party or even get up a couple flights of stairs without getting winded. I was way over my ideal body weight, and my knees were paying the price. The fitness and athleticism that had been such a huge part of how I saw myself for a long time was a distant memory. And I seemed to finally realize this all at once. I didn’t like myself very much and I didn’t want my two young sons to grow up with a dad who felt the way I did.
Bottom line: I felt unfit and unhealthy. I was unhappy. REALLY unhappy.
Conversely, my wife, Leanne had been a member at Fitness Funatics for about a year at that time, and was in the best shape of her life. She was happy and full of life. Seeing how unhappy I was, she suggested that I come to the studio with her on Valentines Day 2013 for a special couples workout. Needless to say, I came away hooked. The burn that I felt during and after that workout – that one of a kind endorphin rush that comes from pushing your body to its limits – convinced me that I could change myself for the better by continuing to workout at Fitness Funatics. Shelley and her staff were both serious about fitness and a lot of fun. They showed me ways of working out that I never would have tackled on my own, and pretty soon I started to see changes in my body. I soon became a die-hard Funatic! I think anyone who’s seen me in one of the classes or training sessions can attest to the fact that I love to get a sweat on!
Within a few months of that first workout, I had transformed from a doughy 225 pound heart-attack waiting-to-happen into a 190 pound workout devotee. I’ve shed body fat and added lean muscle. I’d improved my performance on the basketball court and saw a huge improvement in the state of my knees, which had been too long abused by carrying around extra weight while I pounded up and down the court. As I hit my 40th birthday in 2014, I had never felt healthier or stronger in my life.
Bottom line: I feel fit and healthy. And I feel happy. REALLY happy.
– Leigh.
*There are roughly 12 months of working out at Fitness Funatics between the two photos.
Natalie McDougall
I had always been unhappy about my weight. I had tried dieting many times but could never stick to it. In October 2013, I finally was able to overcome that battle. I started attending classes at Fitness Funatics and running regularly, along with a healthier diet.
I have now lost about 50 pounds and 61 inches. I went from a size 14 to a 6. I never thought that I would reach this goal and definitely wouldn’t have been able to do it without the help and motivation from the Fitness Funatics team.
Thanks Fitness Funatics for all the help! You helped make my dream a reality.
-Natalie
Keegan Angel
The first night I went to Fitness Funatics Studio I did not know what to expect. Everyone was very friendly and fun to be around. My trainer is Jada Avon and she is motivating and wants you to succeed.
The workouts she designs for me are very specific to my needs and she really pushes me to do my best. I never know what’s in store for the next day or what equipment or “toys” as they call it, she will use.
With Jada’s help I was able to reach my goal this year and made the Grey Bruce Highlanders Hockey Team. Jada gave me quicker feet, stronger strides and a harder shot.
Thanks Jada and Fitness Funatics for helping me reach my goals and encouraging me to push through. You’re the best.
– Keegan.
Emma Marshall
After my daughter turned one and I returned to work; I realized how awful my eating habits and lack of any fitness regime existed in my life! July 2010 was my rock bottom and I knew I had to change my life for the better.
After signing up with Shelley and Corinne, it was only a matter of time before I had learnt what NOT to eat and started to feel and see a difference. Fitness Funatics is like no other gym I’ve ever been a part of, the atmosphere and attitude of everyone who goes is always positive and upbeat – no meatheads here! I felt relaxed and comfortable during every session with Corinne.
Today going to Fitness Funatics is just another part of my every day routine, I continue with personal training and enjoy kickboxing and cycle classes more than I ever thought I would. Thanks to Corinne and Shelley for all their hard work with me and helping me battle my ‘it’s too heavy’ attitude, I know can’t imagine my life without going to FF three to four times a week. It’s been very hard work but worth every step, to date I have lost around 23 inches ( 7 from waist and thighs each) and almost 30lbs, going from a size 12/14 to a 4/6!!
Thank you Corinne and Shelley for showing me the better side of me!
– Emma.
Janet & Mike Lemcke
February 2007, we decided that a change was needed in our lives, we were in a rut. Not only that but Mike was recovering from a ruptured achilles tenden which laid him up for four months resulting in him hitting his highest weight.
We wanted to get in shape together but we needed to find an activity that would interest us both. We had heard about Shelley’s kickboxing classes and thought we would look into it. We went to the studio one afternoon and talked to Shelley and she immediately put gloves and sheilds on us and taught us some basic punches, we were hooked! We had found an activity for us to spend time doing as a couple and to better our overall health.
The atmosphere of the gym and the attitude of the trainers is inspiring and contagious. Corrine pushes us to challenge ourselves to achieve our goals in kickboxing and Shelley makes sure we have the proper form during weight training classes. After two months of kickboxing and eating well, we were seeing great results. Not only had we lost weight but we felt much more energetic, positive and closer as a couple.
We felt the drive to achieve more, so Shelley and Corrine helped us to set a new goal of running the Huron Shores 10km run in June. We thought we would be happy making 5km but by race day, we easily ran 10km! We couldn’t have done it without the encouragement of the trainers or the clients at Fitness Funatic. We look forward to going to classes and remaining in shape for a long and healthy life.
– Janet & Mike Lemcke.
Melissa Pauline DeMelo
I have been a member of Fitness Funatics since March 2013, after having a baby. My friend suggested I join as I was looking at losing my “baby weight.” I have lost around 10-15 lbs, gained more muscle mass and dropped 3 sizes in my clothing.
I got into the routine of attending classes almost every morning with my son in hand (literally, he would sleep in his car seat during class) and quickly became a regular.
The staff is extremely knowledgeable and fellow members are very friendly and motivating. There is such a great variety of classes and the instructors are always changing their routines in class, so you can never get bored with your workout.
I want to thank Fitness Funatics for helping me achieve and surpass my fitness goals.
– Melissa De Melo.
Mike Tufts
I was stuck in a rut with my workout routines- doing the same things over and over at home made it difficult to stay motivated. I was starting to become bored, and wasn’t sure if my workout routine was properly balanced. Then I discovered The Fitness Funatic. Shelley and her friendly and professional staff provide motivation and opportunity to those who wish to improve their current level of fitness and have fun at the same time.
Training with the Fitness Funatics gave me the ability to do something I never would have thought possible- running the full 10km of the Huron Shores Run. I found that Personal Training sessions are a great way for the shift worker to customize their workout to suit the time available.
The Fitness Funatic is a great workout environment no matter what your current level of fitness is-those just beginning their fitness journey should not be intimidated, as the atmosphere is very supportive and non-judgemental.
– Mike.
Tammy Bott
I have struggled with my weight for many years. Four pregnancies of course contributed to a yoyo in pounds! There were times when I would drop a lot of pounds, but it was never done the right way so I would gain it all back and then some.
Hitting 40 I decided it was time to take some control and become healthy. I sought out the help of Shelley and Corrine. I learned that I could lose weight, tone muscle and still enjoy food! I started to see results fairly quickly and after my 5 weeks of personal training lost 14 lbs! Not yet at my goal and actually becoming addicted to the classes I bought a membership and continued to attend 4 days a week. Four months later I am down 32 lbs and am thoroughly enjoying this new life style!
Thank you Shelley and the staff at Fitness Funatics for all that you do!
– Tammy.
Donna Chappelle
I started Personal Training at Fitness Funatics and was able to see results quickly. I then progressed to a great “small group” routine and in just 5 months I was down 50lbs, another 10lbs later and I had achieved my goal of a 60lb weight loss! We now make it a family affair with my daughter joining training sessions when she can and my husband hooked on spinning. Shelley and her Fitness Instructors helped me achieve my goals with their constant support, enthusiasm and exercise routines. Thanks Fitness Funatics!
– Donna.
Kendrick Nicholson
It all started at the end of June when I signed up my wife and I for the July Fitness Funatics Boot Camp. It started out with a variety of different training ideas and techniques in a variety of locations. It was very intriguing and engaging for all different skill sets. It was an excellent build up for what was yet to come. As the month continued Shelley began to slowly alter workouts to more suit each individuals needs. For myself she had me wearing weighted vests, dragging heavier weights and using more resistance. Shelley was slowly helping my workouts become more effective without me even knowing. The month quickly came to an end and I had no plan to continue what I had started. Shelley offered for me to come in to her studio the following Tuesday morning and she would put together a plan and workout for myself.
The first morning I showed up at her studio I did not know what to expect. Will it be a lot of free weight work? Will it be awkward in a female dominant gym? Will it be related to my needs? The answers came very quickly. It was not free weight workouts, Shelley and her entire team were very welcoming and comforting and the workouts became very specific to my needs. Shelley took me in to the Studioand introduced me to a plan that she had put together and helped me become very prepared for what was yet to come. The equipment and different techniques that Shelley utilizes was very refreshing and kept going to the gym interesting.
Part way through our plan I was invited to the National Hockey League Officials training camp in Collingwood. Although our goals stayed the same our time line had changed quickly. Shelley, again, helped me change our workouts to become more specific to the Fitness testing that I would need to complete at the training camp. Shelley’s knowledge, experience, passion and dedication to fitness and helping her clients reach goals and aspirations is incomparable to anyone I know.
I highly recommend Shelley, her entire staff and the Fitness Funatics Studioto anyone and everyone who has a goal or plan to a healthier lifestyle. They will alter the equipment and workouts to your specific goals and aspirations as well as make you feel very comfortable.
Thank you Shelley and your Fitness Funatics staff for all of your passion and dedication to helping people like myself that have goals but limited knowledge and experience in the fitness world. Without your dedication, passion and energy I would not have passed my fitness testing at the level that you took me to and I may not have been fortunate enough to be hired by the American Hockey League as a referee. You are the best.
– Kendrick.
Sara L
I had received lots of comments about how I looked after photos of a trip I had been on and wanted to compare myself to before.. I decided I wanted to share it …
I really want to thank everyone at Fitness Funatics for your guidance throughout this process. You have so much knowledge regarding fitness and I am so grateful I have been able to learn from it. I had many doubts about being able to keep up the hard work I did during the summer while off at school but with the home programs I received and the nutritional planning I learned I have been able too and continue too! Fitness Fanatics is an amazing facility. The Trainers provide such a warm and welcoming atmosphere. I love coming home on weekends and holidays for a “Mel” workout . I feel like you are all such a big part of my life now.
Thanks so much and I will see you as much as I can for more great workouts!
Sara L
Marcia Neale
First I want to give you my history:
In 2001 I herniated a disc (at L4/L5) and spent three weeks not able to move. Through physio and exercise I got back into the groove of life and work but the pain never went away. As time progressed I added massage, acupuncture and even traction to try and relieve the pain that continued to get worse. By the spring of 2004 I could not walk up/down stairs or even from my house to the car. I had to start using a wheel chair if I had to go out. I finally had a discectomy in May of 2004 and I could walk again! But within a year the pain was coming back. After an extensive wait to see a specialist at the Spine Clinic in London and two years of testing, we decided surgery was the best option. By this time I could only function for about 2 hours a day, the rest of the time was spent stretching and resting and on pain medications. So May 2007 I had a “decompression fusion with instrumentation”, which just means they put titanium spacers where the disc used to be and used screws and rods to hold the vertebrae together. Finally, I have been fine ever since!
Now why I love TRX!
The TRX exercises engage the core with every move, what better way to protect my back! I love that I control how hard or easy the exercise is just by adjusting the angle of my body. I have been using a stability ball and free weights since 2001 and my original injury but I was never able to get results like I have since I started the TRX classes at Fitness Funatics in November of 2010. The TRX exercises have increased my overall strength and I have dropped a size without even trying. I had thought about getting one for my home, but the routines in the classes change about every 3-4 weeks and that keeps it fresh and challenging. The people in the classes are so supportive of each other it just adds to the benefit of the class.
Ultimately I love TRX because I have not felt this good since before my injury in 2001, and I had come to accept that that was never going to happen…
Thanks Shelley
– Marcia.
Anslea Vokes
I had always been able to eat pretty much whatever I wanted, especially as a teenager when I was dancing close to 8 hours a week – on top of going to the gym with my friends. This all changed however, the year I turned 18. I stopped dancing and didn’t replace it with any other kind of activity but continued eating as if I had. Between my senior prom (June) and my 19th birthday (March) I had gained nearly 20 lbs. I realized something needed to be done. So over the next couple of years I lost some weight, gained some weight, lost some more weight and so on and so forth. Finally, last January I decided that by my 21st birthday I would be in the best shape of my life. Last fall I joined Fitness Funatics and I can honestly say that without Shelley and Corrine inspiring me and challenging me I would not have made the same accomplishments as I have now. I am currently 20 lbs lighter than I was January 2011 and plan on continuing my weightloss and healthy lifestyle. Thank you so much guys, I have never been happier with myself than I am now!
– Anslea.