Fitness Made Simple Success Stories

I first started weight training, dieting, and using supplements a little over 5 years ago. My goal was to lose weight. As I started reading the fitness magazines I wanted to have the lean, muscular, yet feminine, physique that fitness competitors have. I couldn't seem to get the right formula. I lost weight but I was just lean, no muscle. I got frustrated and fell off my diet and skipped workouts. For some odd reason I thought my body would maintain it's condition. Before I knew it those pounds I lost came back and brought some friends with them. Then I tried dieting again and this time overtraining. I was tired, cranky, and no closer to my goal again. It was about then that I first got the FITNESS MADE SIMPLE video and first wrote to John.

After watching the FMS video I realized fitness is a lifestyle, not just a temporary thing to help me to lose weight and then go back to the junk food and skip workouts. If I did that I would go back to looking the way I didn't want to when I needed to lose weight. I also enjoyed watching the bodybuilding and fitness competitions and I took my mother to some of them. I didn't want as much muscle as the female bodybuilders and I can't do the strength moves the fitness competitors are required to do...yet :)...so I never considered competing. Then figure competitions came out. These are where you have the body type of a fitness competitor but there's no routine round. I decided this is what I wanted to do.

In the summer of 2001 I decided I was going to be on stage the summer of 2002. Well, in September 2001, my mother had a stroke with many complications and almost died several times. She made 3 trips to critical care, where I work, stayed in the long term care unit, when she wasn't visiting critical care, and then spent 4-5 months in a nursing home about 1 1/2 hours from my house. So, naturally, life was very stressful for me. Last year if anyone had said to me next year I would compete twice with my mother watching in the audience I would have had them committed.

My mother came to live with me in May 2002. While I was cleaning my house I found a letter from John, which he had written me almost 4 years ago, asking for feedback on the FMS video. I still wanted to get in shape but I was working with a deluded trainer who didn't know what she was doing. The diet she had me on didn't give me the desired result and I didn't feel good. I watch FMS again. This time I paid attention, I even took notes, and I wrote back to John. There were quite a few points that really stood out, not only for fitness goals but for practical life as well. My favorite point is to strive for progress, not perfection...you can't go wrong with that ever. I learned that it's OK not to eat perfectly all the time...but that doesn't mean to let "cheating" become my lifestyle.

This time I set a date to get in shape and my goal was to enter a fitness competition. Setting a date was the very best thing for me. It gave me motivation to not skip workouts, even on days when I didn't feel like working out and I just wanted to sit on the couch. I would envision the judges, the stage, the show, and skipping a workout wasn't an option, neither was missing a morning cardio session. On the days I work that means I get up at 4:30A since I work 7A-7P. I had to eat properly not only to get the desired result from all of the hard work but also to be able to keep up with my busy schedule.

For my first competition I made some progress from my "before" picture. I didn't place in that competition but I had made progress and I was happy. It takes time for the body to develop. My second competition was 6 weeks

later. I made a lot of progress and I won! Not only that but my mother saw both of my competitions. The trophy was nice but the fact that my mom got to be there was the best. We both worked extremely hard.

I enjoy my workouts now. They're a habit, truly part of my life. I look forward to working out after work and, even though crawling out of bed at 4:30A to fit cardio into my schedule is still a challenge, I find that I'm a lot sharper mentally. It really wakes me up. There will be plenty of ups and downs in life whether you're trying to have a fit physique or be a couch potato. I feel there is no reason for me to shortchange myself and not have a lean, strong physique. There have been plenty of times where I wanted to give up but I realized if I did I could never get to where I want to be. If I keep trying I will eventually get there. My future goals are to stay fit and healthy and I also plan to continue competing. For anyone out there who says they could never build a lean, fit body I say yes you can. I did and I if I can, anyone can do it.

Happy New Year JB!

Your Friend,

Andrea

Battle Creek, MI

P.S. Mom says hello and she enjoyed the FMS video too!

I have just started the fitness program "45min FAT BURNING WORKOUT." It has only been 10 days and I can already see a difference, feel a difference and can't wait to see what a month has in store for me and my body. I am a busy mother of four children, all of which were C-Sections. My stomach has been opened so much they threatened to put a zipper in next time. No more kids. I am trying to get back the firm bod I use to know. I don't really have a weight issue but unfortunately I have lost the tone I am used to seeing. Over the past year I have not kept my regular routine for a number of reasons. I was so inspired to get toned seeing John's advertisement that I ordered the 45 minute video and started the day it arrived. WOW!!! What a fun, relaxing and rewarding workout. Thank you soooo much for helping regain my confidence, self esteem and energy John. I consider you my friend and a great help in getting me back on track. I look forward to writing you again with a photo attached. I am on my way!

Thank you for inspiring me,
Pam Hill
Gresham, OR