Client Testimonials

I began training at Fitness Together in January 2006. I worked with several trainers, all of whom were great. I lost weight and increased muscle tone. I started buying clothes in size 6 and an occasional 4, the smallest size I’d ever worn in my adult life!

In March 2007 I was feeling over-scheduled, and thought that I would be able to maintain my training schedule on my own. I was able to keep up with the cardio several times a week. However, as a result of poor form on some weight lifting I developed tendonitis in my elbow and that sabotaged my weight training. No weight training combined with some dietary indulgences over the summer led to significant weight gain. By Fall I couldn’t wear any of my “skinny” pants, and the big pants were getting pretty tight.

In October I started training two days a week with Robert. His circuit training approach really worked for me. I kept up my cardio plan of running for at least 30 minutes 3-4 times/week. I also kept a food diary. Since I knew he’d be reading it, it helped me make smarter choices about what I ate. He helped me make a few small changes, and the weight started coming off. By Thanksgiving I lost 9 pounds and was back in my skinny pants. I managed to maintain my weight loss through the holidays, and now I’m ready to take off those last few pounds!

With the support of my Fitness Together trainer I’m in the best shape of my life!

Jane Bodine

Dear Boo, Charles and Rob,

For the last 3 years I kept saying, “I’ll get in shape and give myself a year. That should be plenty of time.” I felt like a broken record. When I chose the “I Want my body back” program I never dreamed it would really happen. I hoped it would but…

Thank you so much for giving me my body back! But more importantly, I am getting my health back.
My doctor is thrilled with my progress and the road to heart attacks and diabetes has been destroyed (well, with my family’s dismal history of heart disease and diabetes, let me tell you, I couldn’t be happier.)

Boo, from the first meeting with you I felt like, “Wow, this is a place that will really hold my feet to the fire.” You helped me identify the circumstances and the habits that were in my way and without the structure that Fitness Together provides I wouldn’t be as far as I am now.

When I first started I wrote down my 8 week goal to lose at least 8 lbs (1 lb a week seemed great). Well I lost 17 lbs!!! And 12 inches!!! And 2 sizes!!! My resting pulse went from 85 down to 74 and my recovery heart rate went from 120 to 100.

With the amazing training and support of Charles and Rob – their good humor and knowing I could do more than I ever thought I could – I’m on my way to REAL health.
I’m even tucking in my shirts, wearing belts and have given away almost ¾ of the clothes in my closet. I can even fit into my daughter’s jeans and she’s in great shape! I’m never going back again!

I did what you guys said to do – make your appointments, work hard, do your cardio and write down EVERYTHING you eat. I’m on my second Accountability Log and can’t believe how much I’ve learned about my eating behaviors. I eat (pretty much) anything I want (as long as I always count the calories) and now I can even eat one piece of candy and be satisfied.

Thank you, thank you, thank you. With a couple more months left on my program I know I will never go back to not being able to bend over to tie my shoes.

Thanks!

Diane Putvin

I hesitated to write this letter because I did not believe that “my” results were as dramatic as the others on the wall of fame.  But, as I began to document the changes in me, I quickly learned that “my“results were just different, and yet, life changing.

I came to Fitness Together after I already lost 28 lbs.  I was comfortable at my weight and wearing a size 10.  My face was thinner, my legs and arms were smaller but, I was still carrying excess body fat; yuck!

My fear was that the weight would just creep back on until Boo taught me that without regular exercise that includes weight resistance training, I would most definitely regain my weight.  This, he said, was because with the weight I had lost, I also lost muscle.  That is why things were beginning to sag.

My commitment to 45 sessions with Fitness Together trainer, Ken, allowed me to focus on parts of the body I didn’t even know I had.  My muscles yelled out, “hello; it’s nice to finally meet you!”  Now, I am stronger than I ever imagined myself and my waist is trimmer.  I have my old “dancer legs” back and my bottom is riding up higher.  I did not come here to lose weight, yet I did anyway.  I lost another 9 lbs. and now I wear a size 8.  It feels great! 

My family and friends swear I look younger and hold myself differently.  I now eat 5 small healthy meals, drink up to 6 bottles of water a day, and I make exercise a priority.  Nothing tickles me more than being able to wear my 17-year old daughter’s blue jeans.

So, my lesson learned is this: You cannot possibly change your body on the outside, in a permanent way, without changing yourself on the inside.  No amount of butt lifts, plastic surgery or tummy tucks will last without a healthy diet and a healthy lifestyle.  Your foundation cannot “hold up” your home if its falling apart on the inside.  You can dress it up, update it and make it look like a million bucks, but it is only temporary.

Thank you to the entire staff that made me feel like family.  Thank you to Lisa, for being my cheer leader and for her encouragement to “bust” my goals.  And, thank you Boo, for having the inspiration to change lives through health and fitness.

Tammy Lee Egner

Dear Boo:

For years we have been told that the best way to lose weight is to eat a nutritious diet and to exercise. Well, after attending Fitness Together for 12 weeks I have finally been convinced of this!

With the help of my trainer, Lisa, I have lost 20 pounds and several inches after just 12 weeks! Even though I have never enjoyed exercising, I do look forward to my work outs at Fitness Together. I now have more energy, I am able to get around easier, and I feel so much better! Also, I have learned a lot about nutrition and living a healthier lifestyle.

Lisa is a very good trainer. She always demonstrates the exercise she wants me to do and then she watches carefully as I do the exercise to make sure I am using the proper form and technique. She gives me constructive and helpful feedback. We never

do the same exercises each time; we always do a variety of exercises. Lisa is very caring and always offers words of motivation and encouragement. I am very happy to have her as my trainer.

I would gladly recommend Fitness Together to anyone who is looking to improve his or her health.

Sincerely, Pamela Y. Mims

Pam Lost 20lbs in 12 weeks!

Dear Boo

I have been a client of Fitness Together for a year and a half now and it has been a wonderfull experience. I feel great and others tell me that it shows.

I have a very demanding job and the stress from it often has an impact on how I feel. Working out has helped a lot with reducing my stress, giving me more energy, and helping me sleep a lot better.

Specifically, I like to say that working out with Marguerite has made a big difference. She has been great! She is creative, professional, and a source of good advice. She continues to raise the bar with me and even though at times this presents a challenge for me, the way I feel makes all worth it.

Even though I recognize how important is for me to continue to work out I find that often I am not as motivated as I should. My trainer has changed that by being encouraging, motivating, and fun to work out with.

Thank you for everything.

Olga Alavanou

It has been a little less than two months since joining Fitness Together, and I have been very surprised with the results to date. Initially I wondered whether or not this type of fitness plan would actually work? I was skeptical. However to my surprise this environment is exactly what I needed. My experience has been very positive, the diet and workout plan has worked very well, as of today I have lost approximately 16 –17 pounds, and feel much stronger, and more flexible.

My trainer Marguerite has been wonderful, she has been very patient, knowledgeable and supportive during the entire process; I look forward to reaching my goals in the coming weeks.  I am also recommending Fitness Together to all my co-workers and friends.

Sincerely,

Bob O’Connell

Boo:

I wanted to let you know how much Fitness Together has helped me to get my life back on track. After my company went through a merger in 2000, I slowly traded in working out for working late and eating candy bars for dinner in my office every night.

Last spring when I went to pack shorts for a long Memorial Day weekend trip and realized I needed to buy new shorts, again, for the third time or get serious and get my life back on track, I decided to try Fitness Together.

I started working with a trainer three times a week and lost 10 pounds after about 4-5 months. I've dropped three pant sizes, at least three inches off my waist and can fit comfortably into any size 8 in my closet. While the weight per the scales hasn't changed much since then, I made it through the holiday season without really gaining anything and at the same time dropped additional body fat percentage and continue to feel stronger and much more toned.

I've also changed my eating habits back to a much healthier lifestyle. I pack veggie snack packs, fruit, low fat string cheese and yogurt for snacks at work instead of raiding the nearest candy jar. I thought I would never be able to accomplish it but I've given up drinking diet pop in exchange for water. After a killer first three weeks, I rarely miss the diet pop.

Finally, I came to Fitness Together with a great deal of lower back pain due to scoliosis and two fused vertebrae in my lower back. My trainers have all helped me to strengthen both my stomach muscles and my lower back. They were very careful to design workouts that would help me strengthen my back without further pain or injury. I haven't had this LITTLE back pain in ages.

I recently went on vacation to Hawaii and fit very comfortably into my tankini swimsuit that I haven't worn in years. We spent several days hiking, my back never hurt and I felt great! While I’ve largely reached my initial goals, I’ve decided to continue working with Fitness Together.

Fitness Together truly has helped me to get my diet back on track, weight back on track, back pain in check and I just plain feel better!!

Kim has dropped 3 pant sizes and almost 15lbs and eliminated her back pain

It has now been 1 year Since Rick Hammet has been a client at Fitness Together . We wanted to share Rick's success with you.

Rick started with us in September 2005.

When Rick started with us his stats were as follows:

• 56 inch waist which is now down to a 36 inch waist. He has dropped 10 pant sizes
• His total Cholesterol levels were at 280. Now he is in the normal range
• Insulin dependent diabetic. Now off all meds blood sugar is normal
• He had chronic sleep Apnea. Now back to normal - no sleep problems
• Chronic lower back problems. Now no back problems at all
• Constant painful knees. Now pain free
• Used to wear a 3XL Jacket. Yesterday bought a jacket size Medium.

Rick went on to tell me: "It has been just over 1 year since I walked into your office in Novi and I stated my goal as 100 lbs to lose. I thought I might as well aim high and I am very happy to have surpassed that number. More importantly, I have a clean bill of health from my doctor on all my blood work and my health. have learned a lot in a year. I know how to exercise and how to eat healthy".

He goes on to say "I can not believe how far I have come. I feel strong, healthy, energetic and alive. Life is great again"

The Fitness Together Team would all like to take this opportunity to congratulate Rick on his incredible journey.

To date Rick has lost 115 lbs

My primary purpose for coming to Fitness Together was strength training. For years I’ve suffered from chronic knee pain. The only thing that really helped, short of surgery, was physical therapy. I tried to keep up the exercises at home on my own but that didn’t last long. I found myself becoming more and more sedentary as I tried to avoid any activity that might aggravate my knees.

I came into Fitness Together with a long list of things I couldn’t do “because of my knees”. Ben started slow and assured me that someday I would. When I started training with Lisa on a regular basis she simply didn’t take no for an answer. Now I have a list of things I can do! I can do step-ups and one-legged squats. I can carry a load of laundry up the stairs. I can walk the dog through the woods behind our house. I can play with the kids in the backyard.

As an added bonus I’ve lost nearly 20 pounds! Which means I can wear those shorts I bought last year. I’ve also increased my upper body strength and core muscles. I have better balance, more confidence and increased energy. My husband says I’m just plain happier.

I want to thank Boo and his awesome staff for their dedication to helping one person at a time achieve life changing goals. Their encouragement and confidence in me (even when I don’t think I can do it) keeps me coming back!

Sincerely,

Janelle Moore Lost 20lbs!

Thanks to Fitness Together,I was able to achieve my goals in the time that I had. I have always had an active lifestyle-exercising, eating right & playing sports. Although, over the past year, I have slowly put on an extra 15 pesky pounds, and I was not motivated to take it off myself. My motivation has become my upcoming wedding in May.

Since January I have been working consistently with Ben and Sandy, three times a week, and now my goals have turned into reality! I have lost inches everywhere, reduced my body fat by 5%, and got rid of those 15 pesky pounds!!! I feel great, my energy levels are high, my self – image is more confident, and my clothes fit great again! Thank you FT.

Danielle lost 15lbs and dropped body fat by 5%

I just wanted to send along to you a note of thanks for the letter I received a year ago from you, regarding your program. While I didn't act on it immediately, I held on to it & contacted you 6 months ago to find out more about your program. June 14, 2005, was a major milestone in my life as I joined Fitness Together. I was assigned to Don & Ben, two of your fine trainers who got me started on my weight loss & fitness journey.

Today, I am 30 pounds lighter & have never been this fit in my life at the age of 55! I dropped from size 12 to size 6 in 4.5 months. I credit the motivation of Ben & Don, who kept me focused on challenging my fitness level and the skill sets of your excellent staff. I could not have achieved these results without their commitment to me and that has certainly been the cornerstone of my success!

Thanks to Fitness Together’s Program and especially to Ben for being such a gifted & fantastic personal trainer. I highly recommend this program to anyone serious about making lifestyle & fitness changes.....it sure has changed my life for the better!

Best Regards

- Arlene April

Arlene dropped 30lbs and 3 dress sizes!

2005, what a year! Thanks to Fitness Together a great one.
I joined Fitness Together around Labor Day and by Dec 15, 2005 I have lost 51 pounds, 7 1/2 inch on my waist and 25 total inches.

My overall fitness level has improved 230%, from 13 to 43 percentile ranking. What motivated me? I had enough of dying; I had to do some living. My body was shutting down, due to type 2 diabetes at age 56, and my cholesterol was high, the whole overweight package. The choices: medication and still being over weight and unhealthy or diet and exercise.

I chose the personal fitness trainer route and Fitness Together offered exactly what I was looking for, no attitude, no intimidation, and privacy. They had the equipment and the knowledge and the trainers. My attitude was not what Fitness Together could do for me but what together could we do to attain my fitness goals as a team. I am blessed that Matt is on my team as my trainer. His youthful point of view and knowledge motivates me and I actually am having a great time burning calories and gaining muscle.

He sets the bar higher for me to push myself and varies the work outs so they are never a standard routine. I faithfully maintain my food and exercise journal for Matt to know what I am doing outside the studio. My glucose and cholesterol levels are now normal. I even have overcome my sleep apnea and no longer sleep with my CPAP machine.

I have spent thousands on home improvement projects to keep and upgrade a house. There could be no better investment than upgrading the quality of your life and improving your health and fitness. I never thought I would end 2005 feeling this happy and engaged in life, and the year is not over yet. The whole Fitness Together staff is gracious, upbeat and encouraging. May all our futures be bright!

12/16/05 Rik Hamet

Rik Lost 51 lbs and dropped 6 pant sizes!

It is amazing what has happened in a year since joining Fitness Together. As a Christmas gift to each other, my husband and I were so impressed with all the pleasant trainers – but I am blessed with the best – Ann.

Ann has challenged me to keep pushing. Because of this, and with much determination to look and feel better, I have surprised myself at my strength with lifting weights, stamina on the XL strider and treadmill for cardio for 30-45 minutes, three times weekly, weight coming off because of helpful nutrition and diet ideas, eating less and more healthy. It is nice to have a waistline again.

Training has been tough to a degree because of a severe case of elbow tendonitis, but because of Ann’s knowledge in sports rehabilitation, and my determination, I did not have to quit.

Thank you for the best experience.

With much gratitude,

Bev Buckley

My name is Jim Boudreau and I have been a member of the sports club for many years and like most people who belong to health clubs I never really used my membership properly and when I did go I never made much progress towards my goals.

I needed more accountability. My weight was increasing and my health was also being affected, I needed to do something about it and soon.

After a trip to CVS, I walked into Fitness Together and met with Boo, the owner. He suggested up a plan for me that made sense, a complete nutrition plan, cardio recommendations, and a workout program tailored to my goals and stressed the most important factor for me accountability.

I knew I was in the right place, working with my own fitness professional in a fully equipped studio. The setting was perfect, no distractions, no waiting around for equipment, just me and my trainer working towards my goals.

I am happy to say that in just 3 months I have lost a total of 30 lbs, and dropped 3 pant sizes. I am so pleased with my progress and my health has improved dramatically. I feel so much better and stronger. My energy levels are way up and even my golf game has improved. It’s a great feeling!

My friends often comment on my progress and how much better I look, I tell them my solution was Fitness Together and that I made the commitment to do something about my health. I know if I had not made the commitment I could not have accomplished what I have.

My goals are now to lose a further 25lbs. I know I can do it with the help of the fitness together team.

Jim Boudreau
Jim lost 30lbs in 90 days and dropped 3 pant sizes

Dear Boo,

I just wanted to take a minute to thank you, and especially Don, for all of the help I have received with my weight loss goals. When I joined Fitness Together, I expected to drop a few ponds, but didn’t have real high expectations. However, after just 10 weeks I have lost 27 pounds and have gone from a very tight 40” waist to a very comfortable 36” waist.

I am looking and feeling so much stronger and have more energy and feel so much better about myself.

Thanks again for all of the help and encouragement that I have received.

Sincerely,

Harold Eklund
Harold lost 27lbs in 10 weeks and dropped 2 pant sizes.

May 6, 2005

Boo,

I wanted to tell you how thrilled I am with my program at Fitness Together. I had been a dedicated "at home" exerciser for the last 12 years and often wondered why I bothered because I got very little results. For the last few years I had talked about going to a personal trainer.

Then, in February, my husband found an advertisement for Fitness Together and urged me to call. I have been with Fitness Together for 8 weeks and just received my test results comparing my starting point with now, WOW! I can't believe the results! I have not only lost 11 pounds, but have improved dramatically in every area. I have lost a total of 7 inches from my chest, waist, and hips. My "thin" pants are actually getting loose. I can wear jeans that I had put away a year ago because they were too tight.

There have been days when I could have easily talked myself out of going to my workout, but I didn't and those are the days I feel GREAT when I am done. What a great stress reliever!

My trainer, Ben, I can't say enough good things about him. He knows how and when to push and I always achieve more than I thought I could. Thanks for such a great program, I absolutely love it!

Kathy DeGripp

Boo,

After trying every program under the sun, including Weight Watchers, Curves, South Beach, and Opti-fast, in desperation I tried Fitness Together. Since Halloween 2004, I have lost approximately 30 pounds and many inches. In addition, I have regained a great deal of energy, flexibility, self-esteem, and have increased my determination to reach my goal.

My hat is off to Fitness Together (and Lisa); your philosophy, '1 Client, 1 Trainer, and 1 Goal' has given me back my life.

Thanks,

Cee Scherb

I thought I was doing pretty well. Now, don't get me wrong, I knew I needed to lose weight, but I lifted weights 3 times a week, I did cardiovascular 2-3 times a week, with a run once or twice a week - I was doing more exercise than most people I know………so how come I wasn't losing weight? I rarely eat fast food and cut out soda over a year ago: still the pounds stayed on. "It must be because I stopped my routine abruptly a couple years ago and this is how my body responded", I thought, "now that I am working out again, the weight will come off" - wrong. "Maybe I just need to face that I am getting older and it isn't coming off" - wrong.

Like other Fitness members, I tried exercising on my own and tried the 30 minute workouts - they did not "work out" for me.

After yet another suggestion to try out Fitness Together, I decided to see what it was all about. Not only was I impressed with the program presentation, I had sweat more in the very first ten minutes working out with Ann than I ever did after a full workout by myself! The diet suggestions and menu examples also opened my eyes to what I was doing wrong and how I could improve the choices that I was making - and the funny thing is, it was nothing too drastic where I could not possibly do it!

After 11 weeks I lost 18 pounds and over 2.5% body fat! But the best thing is that I know I have the support to keep on going until I reach my goals. The staff is knowledgeable, enthusiastic and really wants to participate in achieving positive results. I would recommend this program to anyone. Thank you very much!

Marie Karwan lost 18lbs and dropped over 2.5% body Fat in 11 weeks!

Feb 20th 2005

Dear Boo,

After struggling for many months with not feeling or looking the way I wanted to, I finally made a decision to do something about it. My goal was to get back into my "skinny jeans".

I had belonged to health clubs in the past, all they were focused on was my membership dues and nothing else. Those "30 minute" places were a waste of my time and money. I wanted a place that would focus on "me". Fitness Together was the perfect solution for me.

I love the private training rooms, no distractions, no waiting around for equipment; the focus was on me and my goals.

After only 12 weeks of working with my trainer, I am now back into my "skinny jeans" I am so pleased. The discipline of being accountable has really paid off for me. I feel so much healthier, stronger and I am looking better than I have in a long time.

Fitness Together was the perfect solution for me!

Karen P

I would like to thank you from the bottom of my heart for all your support and patience you've given me over the last 5 months. I have always had a very difficult time trying to lose weight, as well as, get into better shape.

I have tried on my own to exercise and get myself into healthy shape and have failed over and over again. Since I have joined Fitness Together I have lost a total of 10 inches.

Working out with Fitness Together team has helped me to focus on what I need to do to accomplish the goals I want to achieve.

Without your help, your support, and your knowledge, I would have not been able to lose the fat that I have over the last several months.

I feel great, have more energy and I am looking better than I ever have!

Thank You!

Deb Novick Lost 10 inches

Working with Boo and the Fitness Together staff has been an investment in myself and it has changed my life for the better!

Last year I had ACL knee surgery after experiencing a tennis injury. I had gained weight with inactivity and my muscles had weakened. I wanted to get back into shape and began working out on my own at a sports club. The busyness of my daily schedule with work and family resulted in days missed in the gym and my progress was slow.

In January 2004, I visited Fitness Together and told Boo I wanted to ski this winter and get the "ole me back". Boo set up a program based on my goals. After three weeks, I felt more energetic and my endurance had improved. I began to loose weight with the staff's encouragement and sage advice. By six weeks, I noticed a major difference in my muscle tone and body shape. Now at eight weeks, I have a better version of me and I like it!

I have made the commitment to continue my progress. My goal is to "make the best better" through investing the "sweat equity" of working out with Boo at Fitness Together. Thank you for helping make my goals a reality!

Peggy Shinkel

My goals for joining Fitness Together were to get in better shape by increasing my exercise activity, to lose weight and to generally feel better. I'm very pleased with my results after just nine weeks.

With the help of my personal trainer, I've lost 14 lbs. already, but more importantly, I'm doing it the right way. Over time I've steadily improved my eating habits (the right kind of food and right portion sizes), increased my cardio activity and have been consistent with my training sessions. It really has been a lifestyle change. Along with the weight loss, I've shown nice improvements in the areas that are related to the fitness assessment tests: heart rate, push-ups, bench press and body measurements (lost inches).

I feel more energetic. My wife joined Fitness Together also, and she's been as happy with the program as I am. The way we look at it is that we're investing in our health. We joined health clubs in the past, but this has been a much easier program to stick with as you have motivation and consistency in your workouts. It's great having someone to direct the workouts and always keep them new.

The staff at Fitness Together not only coaches in terms of physical activity, but they also educate on the proper ways of approaching meals. They are always available to answer any questions related to exercise, weight lifting and proper nutrition. I would recommend Fitness Together to anyone that is looking to improve their general health through exercise and training.

Ed Logan lost 14lbs in 9 weeks!

As I approached my 60 birthday, I decided once and for all to become fit. I was finished with my previous failed attempts to become fit on my own from working out and going to curves. I needed to explore a different avenue, which is why I was thrilled when I came across an ad for Fitness Together. I quickly realized that having a one - on one trainer, and a scheduled weekly regiment was what I needed to stay committed to my goal.

I went for a free initial session in which I learned about the program. I wanted to make sure it was a program that I thought would be beneficial to me. Upon leaving that afternoon, I was excited and hooked and ready to go!

After 60 sessions and nearly five months, I feel great. I have lost 20lbs and 3 dress sizes; I have gained a greater respect for my body. I now have a true desire to continue striving to maintain my goal to live healthy by eating right and exercising daily.

Fitness together has personable trainers who not only helped motivate and inspire, but they were able to push me beyond where I thought I could go.

This was a wonderful experience for me and I would highly recommend this program to anyone young or old who has a desire to get fit and live a healthy life.

Thank you Fitness Together

Julie L.

Julie lost 20lbs and 3 dress sizes.