Goals @ BCH

Susan Brown is an amazing trainer and motivator and I can't imagine anyone else would've been able to get me to do what she did. Susan combines a nutritional plan with physical training and challenging workouts all within a supportive group environment. I knew I wanted accountability and that it would help me achieve my goals but I never imagined that it would be such a supportive group and that it would be so important to me reaching my goals. Seeing how hard the other people in the group are working, sharing all of our hard work and our frustrations, and then also seeing everyone's successes was really motivating. Working out with the group was also really important for me because it made it more fun even though it was still really challenging and hard work. You could clearly see the impact of the program on every single person. In addition to the GOALS group of people being supportive, all the trainers and teachers at Balance were incredibly supportive and motivating in class and outside of class. You really had a feeling of being a part of a supportive community.

In the first session, I wasn’t clear on what my goals should be other than to lose weight and start exercising again. Susan helped define realistic goals that focus less on the scale number and more on fitness and strength. In the second session, I was able to clearly define my goals in terms of increasing muscle and reducing % body fat (not necessarily pounds on the scale). At the start of the second session, I was able to do the INBODY body composition analysis that Scott and Katey Dyck offer now at Balance. That was really useful because the results are not as visible or as extreme as the first six weeks. In the second six weeks, the Inbody analysis showed me how much muscle I had actually added by doing the strength training in the classes and with Susan. It was also able to show me body fat analysis more accurately.

Sticking to the nutrition plan that Susan provided was also really helpful and important for me. Having a food plan, recipes and snack ideas helped keep me eating regularly and provided more variety that I would normally use if just dieting on my own. I definitely ate differently as a result. For example, Susan encouraged us to increase our protein intake in the second half of the session. I was skeptical about this because it increased calorie intake but I stuck to the plan and I think that's probably a big part of why I saw the muscle increase and was able to lose the body fat that I did. Cutting out the caffeine and alcohol and other sugars also really has left me feeling more even throughout the day with fewer food cravings and hunger swings. I definitely have more energy in general.

In addition to the weight-loss and muscle strength, I also saw changes I didn't expect. I was using my Fitbit to track my activity, my sleep and my heart rate. My resting heart rate fell from 62 to 49 during the goals program. I tried to take advantage of everything offered in the program for the 12 weeks. I took as many classes as I could, walked and ran outside of classes, did a Fitbit workweek hustle challenge with other GOALS participants every week for 12 weeks, did the training with Susan and tried to stick to the nutritional plan as much as I could.

I just finished two consecutive GOALS programs at Balance Chestnut Hill (12 weeks -February 28 to May 28). I started the Goals program because a friend of mine did the program, had amazing results and encouraged me to join with her for another session. I can't express how glad I am that I decided to do it. I know it sounds like an overstatement but it really has changed the way I feel about myself, the way I eat, my overall confidence in my strength, fitness and health. I am so surprised by my results in the program. I never expected to see such a change in 12 weeks. I have lost 22 pounds, 15 inches, and 9% body fat.