Shannon Brown - Phattest Loser Challenge #1 - Winner!

To All,

    I have had a wonderful time working with Sandy, Janet, and Heidi.  Love you beautiful ladies.  Hope the pictures are ok. Our camera's flash put a shadow behind me no matter how many times we took them.   Below is how I felt before and how I feel now about myself and live itself.

 

    I can't beleive that 8 weeks of hard work has gone so quickly or could be so fun.  As I grew up I never had weight issues or needed to work out;  but after 3 kids, years of working behind a desk, and clothes several sizes larger than before, I realized I needed to make a change. I never liked working out nor did I know where to go to get honest information and a program that would actually work.  I met Jen at the Arnold Classic and she told me about her Phat Camps.  I went to my first one in September of 2011 and really got my eyes opened! It gave me a great start and provided some much needed motivation, but to reach my goals I needed more structure, discipline and guidance.  I got all of that and more from this challenge.

    Before the challenge I was always shy and prepared to be in the background.  I didn't really like people watching me or looking at me.  Now afer the challenge I take it as a compliment when people comment on my appearence or notice the results.  Most importantly though, I like my 3 1/2 year old daughter taking notice of my new lifestyle.  I want to be her role model and I like that she watches me workout and tries to work out with me, see me eat healthy, and make positive decisions.  I want her to grow up and make good decisions and form good habits. 

 

    I lost so much during this incredible 8 weeks.  I lost over 10 pounds, several inches off my body, and almost 2 dress sizes.  But even more importantly I lost that "I can't do it" attitude that I used to have.  I also lost me fear of the gym and of working out.  Now I look forward to the challenge of changing my body and relish the tired and sore feeling I get from a great workout, because I know I am one step closer to my goals.  So,
yes I did lose alot in this process, but I didn't think I would actually gain something through this challenge.


    I gained self confidence that I never had before. When I look in the mirror I like what I see and I know if I keep working I will soon love what I see.  I gained a whole new outlook; not only about my body, but also about my ability to handle challenges put in front of me.  Next time something seems intimidating or too hard, I now know I can work through it and overcome it through hard work, discipline, and self control.  This process has empowered me and made me more self reliant because I know I have the power to make changes within my own life.  Lastly, I gained friends and a support system through Jen, the entire staff of trainers, the wonderful ladies from Phat Camp, and through the My Phat Community online.  It is awesome to have a forum to share your stories of success and failure that may motivate another or to get motivation from someone else through their stories. 

 Lots of statements get over used, but I can truly say.  This has been one of the most rewarding experiences I've had, and I am thankful to Jen and her staff for giving me the tools and showing me how to change my life. 

 Can't wait for next year's Phat Camp!

 Thanks to everyone,
 ~ Shannon J. Brown

 

 

SUSAN DAVIS

Before I committed to this challenge, Jen reminded me that this journey would be during the entire holiday season from Halloween to Thanksgiving to Christmas. The timing of the Phattest Loser Get Phit Challenge was a big concern for me. Could I really lose weight, get in better shape, enjoy the holidays and still be social and participate in all the festivities? In a one word answer – YES! This is the first holiday season that I can remember where afterwards did I not hate myself because I sabotaged my progress and gained weight. Instead this year I lost weight while participating in all of the holiday celebrations.

Early on in this transformation challenge, I made a few promises to myself. My first promise was to not sacrifice myself anymore. Below is an expression that I followed and practiced during my 8 week challenge.

“To all of us who give so much and sacrifice ourselves for others, how about sacrificing who we are (old self) for who we want to become (new self)?”

My next promise was that I would allow myself to learn from and enjoy this transformation so this could become my lifestyle. But deep down I knew that in order for that to happen I had to release & forgive myself from the single most negatively influencing factor in my life-“my past”. In my adult life I used “my past” to rationalize and justify my actions and behaviors which in turn kept me stuck, held me back and never served me well. So I pushed myself hard & moved forward, I left my past in the past and I am extremely pleased with what I accomplished in a few short weeks.

At first I thought planning ahead or adapting was going to be difficult during the busy holiday season. But with a little effort, it really was more than worth it and easier than I thought. Usually on Friday I would log onto http://myphatcommunity.com to get my Get Phat Online individual plan for the meals, cardio and weight training for the coming week. If I had questions regarding meal or workout adaptations, my questions were always answered very quickly. My GPO weekly customized plans were easy to incorporate into my hectic weekly schedule.

With every completed GPO weight training, cardio session or plan meal eaten I was making an investment in my health and my future. I have several health related issues so this was a mindset that I needed to adopt.

The quality of my life and my health tomorrow is dependent upon the decisions I make today. Armed this new mindset, I now can build upon this momentum heading into 2012. Yesterday while having coffee with my girlfriends I brought my before and after photos to share with them. My girlfriends were in shock! This was the first time that I have ever felt proud and accomplished enough to share any progress photos with them. I walked around with a smile on my face all day!

Below are my before and after measurements for the Phattest Loser Get Phit Challenge. My clothing size went from a 16 to a 12 and some 10’s.

	Before	After	Difference
Weight	180.4	166.20	14.2
Neck	16.25	15.50	0.75
Bicep	13.75	12.75	1.00
Bust	44.50	41.25	3.25
Waist	39.00	34.75	4.25
Hip	43.00	38.50	4.50
Thigh	23.50	22.50	1.00
Calf	16.25	15.75	0.50

I would like to say thank you and express my gratitude to Jen and the GPO staff for their dedication, support and encouragement during this transformation. Congratulations and best wishes to the individual selected to be the 2012 Get Phat Online spokesperson.

Susan J. Davis
December 27, 2011

MELANIE