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Success Stories


 
Emily's Story
April 2013
 
My weight loss journey, started & ended as quickly as one can say weight loss!! Reason being, I took the wrong journey.  It took a twist of fate and a different mind set to head me down a path of success & personal growth. 
 
My story, is not a whole lot different from most women's.  I wound up 75 pounds over weight after having my 2 children.  Like a lot of people, I was also in denial of what had happened to my body.  I felt afraid and alone and lost a sense of who I was and where I fit in.  I constantly pre-contemplated change and would 'diet & exercise' but that would end in ruin usually about 2 weeks into my efforts because my  purpose at the time was to be aesthetically appealing.  I denied how I felt on the inside and didn't have the tools or know how on how to begin my journey. 
 
So, what changed?..... I say fate.  I was introduced to a lady who recognized that I needed some redirection and a support group to go along  with it.  She unknowingly offered me the best gift anyone can give a person.  That being, a simple invitation out for a jog!  It doesn't sound like a whole lot, but it was my 'Wait a minute' moment.  That moment where you discover that this isn't just about losing weight or that losing weight is the solution to everything that is making you feel sad or not satisfied.  Out on that jog, I was introduced to a group of ladies who shared a similar story to mine.  That jog changed my outlook on what fitness is and what I truly needed for myself. 
 
From there, I was invited to participate in group exercise at the Dow Centennial Centre. I felt afraid to put myself in a public setting to workout, but am so happy that I stepped outside of my comfort zone and took a stroll to the DCC.  I discovered very quickly that the DCC isn't just a place where you workout but so much more.  I love the quote " No one said it would be easy, just that it wold be worth it".  It took a lot of hard work to los those 75 pounds, however, the journey was necessarily for me in my life.  I needed to meet all the friends I have made at the DCC.  I needed the guidance and support from the instructors.  They showed me that nothing is impossible.  They also showed me what it means to live an optimal quality of life.
 
Each day is a brand new adventure for me; an opportunity to achieve a new goal, to make a new friend, to learn something valuable, to learn a lesson and to start each day with a clean slate.  I feel very lucky to have this changed outlook on my life.
 
-Emily Boulianne 
  
 
Shannon's Story
March 2013
 
I couldn't get motivated or serious about attaining my fitness and weight loss goals until I joined the Biggest Winner program.  With the encouragement of a great trainer and the support of wonderful group of participants, the inches and pounds have begun to fall off.  With the use of friendly competition and unique circuits the program is not only fun but challenging.  The Biggest Winner promotes a lifestyle change that is easy to continue even after the program is finished.  I look forward to continued success and more seasons of Biggest Winner! 
 
-Shannon Simons
Biggest Winner Season 2 & 10
 
Regan's Story 
August 2012

I joined the city of Fort Saskatchewan's Biggest Winner program to help lose my baby weight before heading back to work and it was one of the best programs I ever did!

It is not just a workout program, aside from the eating guidelines which help you learn which foods to eat and when to aid in your weight loss, working out with the same people 3 X per week gives you a sense of community and is like a support group to help you achieve your goals.  The workouts are supervised by an amazing trainer that makes sure you are kicking yourself into high gear at every session to make sure you get the results each week.

I was able to lose all my baby weight (and then some!) as well as learn life-long skills around working out and eating properly that have helped me keep the weight off!

-Regan Shepherd
Season #6 Biggest Winner
 
Kim's Success!
May 2012                  

Growing up I was an athletic kid, gymnastics, track and field, cross country running and swimming, but I was always drawn to food. I struggled with weight issues but was always told I “carried my weight well”! 

In my twenties and thirties my weight climbed, with occasional attempts to lose. My problem was that I could lose weight, but would go back to eating “normally”, cereal for breakfast, sandwiches at lunch, pasta or rice at dinner and was never satisfied. I was always looking for something but not sure what I wanted to eat, and then mindlessly find myself at the bottom of a bag of chips or can of processed food, hungrier than if I hadn’t eaten anything at all.

In November 2010, with a trip to Mexico looming the near future, I needed to do something. I was at a new high, or low depending on how you look at it. I decided to try something different. I completely took refined sugars, processed food and starchy things out of my diet. Nothing from a box, bag or can, simply put, if it isn’t the way God originally made it, in general, I don’t eat it. I’ve never seen a chef-boy-ar-dee tree or a box of mac-n-cheese growing in a garden.

Even when I was very heavy I was still quite active and walking has always been a go to exercise for me. I have no excuse, I live right beside a walking path. 

To my surprise, within a week or so, I had no cravings for sugary or salty things. I also made it a goal to walk every day. I worked my way up to about 5K or 10,000 steps daily. Throughout the next year people would stop me just about anywhere and ask me if I was the lady who walked every day.

This December I began hitting the gym, upping my cardio and weight-training to build muscles (which I enjoy, it reminds me of my high school self). 

Today I have worked hard to rid myself of 210 obs. I don’t say that I have lost 210 lbs. because usually when you lose something you have the mindset that you want to find it again and I have no desire to do that.

I haven’t paid into any diet program, or had any kind of weight loss surgery, just invested in myself and my health and a few good pairs of running shoes.

The thing about life is that it doesn’t wait for us to get it together, and before you know it, another year has come and gone, and I can gladly say that I didn’t let the last 15 months slip by with regrets.
-Kim Haanen 
 
Darcy's Journey
February 2011

What has fitness done for me?
Well it started with me joining the Biggest Winner #1. I was feeling awful. I had no energy, my body was run down and I was stressed. I was tired from being tired. I walked into the gym scared and feeling like everyone was staring at me.
 
Ten weeks later I am feeling amazing. I have more energy than I have had in years. I can now keep up with my 5 year old for hours rather than a few minutes. I have less stress, and any stress that comes up is easily worked out. I have made some amazing friendships. These friends have become an essential part of my day. The confidence I have found is awesome. I am no longer intimidated by others that are working out. We are all here for the same thing. To be healthy, to get healthy and to stay healthy. Katie (trainer) gave me all of the information I needed to make my own program. As well, she gave great nutritional advice. With this advice I have released 35 pounds and at least 24 inches. Yes you heard it, released, not lost. If I lost the weight it would come back.
 
So... what has fitness done for me? It is helping me to become the best me that I possibly can. I started my journey just trying to loose weight. Now, somehow, it has become so much more and I can't wait to see where it leads.

Wishing you all the best in your fitness journey. Good Luck to all.
-Darcy Maa  
 
To submit your story and win a complimentary t-shirt, send us an email at info@fortsask.ca!