I studied Elementary Education at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and graduated in 2009. I accepted a teaching position shortly after graduating, and taught for two years in Johnson Creek. I will not go into details, but this definitely wasn’t the career for me. I loved teaching, but could not stand the politics. I had been receiving Dustin’s newsletters, and remember one of them saying something about hating your job, not being fully happy with life, and thinking, yes, it’s time. Time to make a change. So I emailed Dustin about becoming a personal trainer and he helped me on my way. I took some classes and became ACE certified for personal training and group exercise. When it came time to put in my resignation for teaching, I did so with hesitation. What if I couldn’t make a successful career out of fitness?  What if I failed?  Right around the time that the school year was starting up again, I accepted a job working at Anytime Fitness in Beaver Dam. I was the gym manager, and was also able to get my feet wet personal training. Around that time, Dustin asked if I would be interested in teaching a few bootcamp classes. Of course I would and am now teaching 5-6 mornings a week!

I think it is also important to let you in another major decision in my life. During my career transition, I was also planning my wedding. Similar to my teaching career,  things did not feel right.  I was not as fulfilled as I knew I could be.  I found myself asking all sorts of questions: Was this truly someone I could spend the rest of my life with? Was this strong enough to endure the challenges that life brings?  I began to reach out to my support system and concluded that it would be best for us both to call off the wedding.  This decision coupled in with my career change, were two of the most challenging decisions I have ever made in my life.  I slowly picked up the pieces and headed back to Madison to live with my sister and brother-in-law, who were so amazing for taking me in. It was in Madison, that I began to really hone in my relationship with myself as well as my passion for fitness.  Now, I am currently in a relationship and career that consistently encourage me to reach my full potential.

Along with my career and relationship changes, I have also been on a journey to health. All of our journeys look a little different, but they all start with a why, a why that will definitely evolve over time. At some point, the pain of being overweight and unhealthy outweighs the pain of working out and eating right. I had always envied my “naturally” skinny and petite friends; guys always seemed to want them over me, clothes looked better on them, they didn’t have to workout and eat right, or so it all seemed. What I have come to realize is that yes, working out and eating right naturally leads to weight loss, but it is so much more than that. I started Dustin’s dvd program in August of 2009, and it was a workout I loved. I love lifting weights and doing high intensity cardio–it makes me feel badass when I am sprinting as fast as I can on a treadmill, and oh that feeling I had when I did my first pullup! Now I can do 6-8 on a good day. I don’t focus on the number on the scale anymore. I focus on the number on the dumbbell going up, the number of pushups going up, the speed on treadmill going up. Now I workout because being physically strong makes me stronger in every area of my life. The motivation and willpower it takes to workout and eat right consistently has flowed into every part of my life. I am constantly fighting to do better and do more, and fitness is one tool that I use to be awesome at life. As Jillian Michaels says, “It’s not about perfect. It’s about effort. And when you bring that effort every single day, that’s where transformation happens. That’s how change occurs.” Whether you are in the gym or not, focus on achieving your goals every single day. Work at it continuously and you will see the results you want. And remember your why. Never forget why you started.

I have made some huge changes, but I have never looked back with regret.  I am with someone who makes me feel so happy, sexy and strong, and shares my passion for health and fitness. Teaching bootcamps every morning at 5:30 am is tough (still not a morning person, but getting better), but it doesn’t even feel like work because I am training people to do what I love. And in turn, the bootcampers have motivated me to stay fit and push myself to be better and stronger. Besides teaching for Dustin, I also offer in-home personal training, which I love, because it gives me an opportunity to help people who aren’t into bootcamps, or group fitness, for one reason or another. It is so amazing to relate one-on-one with people and learn about their why on their journey to health.

When I saw the opportunity to help make Dustin’s program here in Madison even better, I jumped on it.  I am thrilled to now be handling the day-to-day operations of running Fit Fun Bootcamps and Mamatone. I hope to foster communities where everyone feels that they are welcomed and wanted, that they can focus on the workout and cues on form, and that they are supported and encouraged to reach their goals. I am thrilled to work with all of you and help you crush your goals!

Carolyn After First Session K2

over the childrearing days and I see how much I allowed my weight to become out of control. And now as a grandmother I so regret I don’t have the energy or ability to play with my grandchildren but only sit and watch as they play. Many times over the years I did lose 20-30 pounds only to regain it all back plus more, along with more frustration, self doubt and fear of failure each time. And even after total knee replacement surgery I still could not find my way to finally take control of my health. It wasn’t until my sister was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer that I finally found my motivation. I watched her courageously stare cancer in the face with the attitude that “it can stop me but it will have to catch me first”. She lived the last 17 months of her life making each day the best she could with passion and a feisty attitude that she was not going to give in without giving it her best, even knowing that no matter how hard she tried she could not change the end result. Finally one day I asked her how she managed to do that. She simply said that when she didn’t feel like doing what she needed to do she looked in the mirror and said “and just why not”. Those words rang over and over in my mind for months.

My middle son is an entrepreneur and I had asked him many times to recommend something or someone to help me lose weight. He sent me several books over time and I had also bought others I thought would be helpful, but none had spoken to me beyond reading them and storing the information. Then he sent me Dustin’s book “Fit Moms for Life ”.  I read the first 3 chapters and called my son saying how much I liked what I had read. He relayed my words to Dustin who in return told my son to have me go to his website and start receiving his free newsletter, which I did (my first step to taking action). It was in Dustin’s newsletter that I was introduced to the initial Killer Kurves (K2) program on-line. But it took me several months (procrastinating and I still had not read past the first three chapters of Dustin’s book) before I showed the offer to my son and asked him if he thought I could do it. He said he would relay my concerns to Dustin. I told him to be sure and tell Dustin that I was 66 years old, needed to lose at least 100 pounds, had full knee replacement surgery on my right knee about 1 year ago and recently injured my left knee (more procrastination and self-doubt).  A few minutes later my son said he had an answer from Dustin. I was expecting all kinds of answers in reply but not the one I got. Dustin answered with only one word–absolutely!

So there it was. I had backed myself into a corner. How could I not at least try? My son had recommended his friend and my sister’s words were echoing in my head. If I failed I not only failed myself but I would be letting Dustin down (you can’t be more reassuring than “absolutely”) and in turn letting my son down who recommended his friend. And if my sister could live life with pancreatic cancer and have such a positive attitude I could at least give losing weight my best effort and commit to the K2 program. I had long lived my life with no compelling force that moved me to find a path to change, but  change was about to happen. I am normally a rather private person so posting personal thoughts on our secure Facebook page was a big hurdle for me. For the first 3 weeks I read every post and felt a common connection to other participant’s posts and began to apply them to myself. Then with the shield of cyberspace and a trust in those who would read what I wrote, I made my first post.

Carolyn Before K2

I had finally found that path. K2 helped me find the tools that created the mindset for transition, and led me to let go and live the life I deserved instead of feeling unhappy, defeated, unfocused and so stuck that all I could do was brace myself for the next crisis. I found the reason why I wanted to lose weight and became committed to do it successfully instead of just wanting and hoping to lose weight. I also realized I didn’t just want to lose weight but I wanted to become generally healthier. I recognized that this program is something I can do as a lifestyle and not just until I reach my weight goal. While Dustin had preferences/suggestions about foods, he also encouraged eating what is right for me. Dustin’s attitude concerning food and the flexibility of the exercises to match my capabilities allowed me to keep trying and not quit even when it was hard or when things weren’t going well. He only expects that we do our best at all times. I found the path that allowed me to see what I could do to accomplish the changes I so desired but up until then could only wish for.

I feel very fortunate to have been introduced to the participants in session 1. They were honest, encouraging, positive thinking and helpful in so many ways. I found comfort, strength and confidence in their comments, posts, motivational pics, stories, worries and successes. There was always positive energy found there, and as I reflect back I realize the changes that happened within me. Barriers were broken, community was built, a positive mindset had been transformed, goals were set and my confidence began increasing. During the first 12 week program of K2 I lost 20 pounds. I am joining the second K2 program because I know I can do better than I have done so far, and I plan to prove that to myself in session 2 and continue my journey to reach my goal of: “HALF OF ME I WILL BE”.

Click here for Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6

Here are my takeaways from this final section:

-60 billion dollars lost in unproductive time due to obesity

-147 billion dollars in health care cost

-Obesity is a threat to national security

-Couple solutions brought up is to get soda out of public places, tax processed foods, and make healthy foods more economically desirable

As you may or may not know my initial vision and mission is to have 1,000,000 Fit Moms For Life who realize that we are better together then separate.  This video brings up the power of choice and the power that we as the people have.  When we have a large enough voice we will be able to demand either policy change, or just change in what food manufacturers produce.

I personally don’t know if I fully agree that policy change is what needs to be the focus, I agree that would be great, especially making sure the government doesn’t subsidize the bad foods, but I believe what we spend our food dollars on with have even a greater impact.

Please share your thoughts on this topic below

Click here for Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5

Here are my takeaways:

-We are living a too high stress life-style and trying to do more things in less time

-High stress is highly correlated to obesity amongst many other healthy problems

-Stress causes the same biological functions as famine

-One great way to lessen stress is to meditate and do mindful breathing

-A food journal combined with a feelings journal is a powerful tool

-Reducing stress can reduce belly fat

Nicole Before

introduced to Dustin’s Killer Kurves program, I was able to succeed in either a nutrition goal or an exercise goal but never both at the same time. I struggled with emotional over-eating and my weight was at an all time high of 277 lbs. I heard about Killer Kurves from a referral of a good friend Shelley who was currently participating in Dustin’s bootcamp workouts. I was excited to hear that the program was for people who had at least 50 lbs to lose. What intrigued me the most about Dustin’s program was the combination of a workout and a nutrition/behavior modification discussion in the same meeting. I will admit, I was worried about the bootcamp style workouts which included using 10-15 lb handweights. Being true to the motto of “Come As you Are”, I was encouraged by my trainer to use exercise modifications when needed to

Nicole after 1 session of K2

make my workout right for my body. The padded gymnastics floor was perfect for my joints too. I enjoyed the numerous tools provided to help me succeed: a Fit Moms for Life book, the Killer Kurves binder with daily worksheets and goal tracking pages, webinars with Dustin, grocery store tour, accountability partners, My Fitness Pal food tracker and of course our fitness trainer who had herself lost over 60 lbs with this program. My absolute favorite part of this program was our small group of participants…my team, my community, my friends. I truly cherish this group of women and all the support they have shown me. I love cheering them on with every success they have and encouraging them to stay with it each day.  After the first session of Killer Kurves, I have lost 34 lbs, drink 10-12 glasses of water per day , and workout 5 times per week. I can’t wait for session 2 to start and encourage you to join me as I continue on this health and fitness journey. You will receive the support , encouragement, and tools you need to lose weight and tone your body.

If you are ready to join a program just for you.  Click here now and learn more about this potentially life-changing decision.

Here is her story…

“I’m 22 years old. I grew up in a less than healthy family; McDonald’s and other fast food choices were a regular meal. This unfortunately, continued on as a habit into adulthood. I developed a regular diet of processed food and Drive-Thru, in addition was not exercising at all, and as you can imagine this did not equate for a pants size that I was pleased with. I tried “dieting” a few times, but my idea of dieting at the time

Kaitlin Before

was getting grilled chicken instead of crispy chicken in the Drive-Thru.

My idea of exercise was doing 10 minutes on the elliptical and 20 sit ups twice a week. So obviously I wasn’t seeing many results. Well they always say opportunity knocks, in my case, it rang; my best friend called me at about 11 pm on a Monday night telling me about this boot camp class she found on Groupon, and she wanted me to do it with her. I said “whatever” and agreed, although I was not as excited as she was. I signed up for it, and then after the fact I realized I would be waking up at 5 am, so my initial reaction was “you better be lucky I love you!”. On the first day, I enjoyed a tough workout, definitely more intense than I was expecting but a lot of fun at the same time. The rest of that entire week I was so sore I couldn’t even sit down on the toilet my legs burned so bad. By the second week, the classes were still challenging enough to keep me motivated, and the instructors would give us modifications if we needed them. I started noticing changes in how my clothes fit. And I was suddenly able to pump out 10 push-ups no problem, when before I would struggle with 2. My favorite thing about the classes is after you force yourself to get out of bed at an ungodly hour, THAT’S IT the hard part is over. Once you get there, the trainers keep you moving, motivated and telling you what to do so it’s not like being at home trying to mentally convince yourself to do one more sit up, everyone pushes you and motivates you.

After about 6 weeks I had lost about 5 pounds and one pants size. I decided to take it up a notch and start taking some of the trainer’s advice about eating. So I slowly started changing my diet, first by choosing healthy snacks for while I’m on the go, and committing to one healthy home-cooked meal a day. These things became habit and now a typical 3 Days of meals for me may look like this.

Kaitlin After

Day 1:  Oatmeal with walnuts and berries for breakfast.  I make my own version of ants on a log for snack which is celery, almond butter, and raisins. For lunch a Spinach salad with pistachios, pear and vinaigrette dressing. I snack on organic apples and snap peas.  One of my favorite dinners is Ground Turkey Meatloaf with a side of mixed veggies, and mashed sweet potatoes for dessert!

Day 2: Scrambled eggs with spinach and grape tomatoes for breakfast. Natural Raw Almonds make great snacks throughout the day. I love having Veggie burgers patties with some organic ketchup, and sliced pineapple on the side. More snacks later will be baby carrots and a banana. For dinner; Stuffed Chicken Breast made with onions, mushrooms, broccoli and low fat mozzarella cheese.

Day 3: I’ll have a fruit smoothie and a few slices of turkey bacon for breakfast. I’ll eat Greek yogurt with granola for a snack, Sushi for lunch, more snacks like grapes and sliced peppers. For Dinner I make Chicken Breast in a skillet with coconut oil and sweet potato fries.

After participating in the classes and changing my eating I’ve been able to lose a total of 30 pounds and went from a size 14 to a size 8. All of my friends tell me how great I look and I recommend to anyone who asks me how I did it, to take the classes because without the incredible support around me I would not have been able to do it.”

-Kaitlin

Great job Kaitlin!  If you are interested in checking out Fit Fun Bootcamps click here to sign up for a free week trial.  If you don’t live in the Madison, WI area, you can get very similar workouts and eating plans using my Fit Moms For Life monthly DVD program.  Click here to learn more.

If you are a group fitness instructor, personal trainer, or owner of a fitness business and want to help your clients succeed even more, have more clients, and meet other awesome fitness professionals at the same time, please read on.

I have created a group of fitness professionals in Madison and beyond who aren’t afraid to share their knowledge and believe in the saying “A rising tide lifts all the boats.”

Wouldn’t it be cool to get together with other fitness professionals from the WI area on a regular basis to share what is working, what we are learning, and how we can help more people transform their lives?

We will be officially kicking this off Sunday APRIL 14TH from 11 AM – 1:00 PM at the Fit Club in Verona.  This is totally free to attend.

What will these gatherings look like?

We will do a group workout together to make sure we are pushing ourselves as hard as we push our clients, we will have a topic that I will lecture on or bring in an expert.  Some examples might be exercise programming, injury prevention, building rapport, building a business, discovering your niche, or nutrition just to name a few. Then we will eat together and get to know each other on a personal level by using my favorite eating technique, POTLUCKS!

To APPLY to be part of this group you need to enter your name and email in the box below, you will then be emailed a link to the online survey which will allow me to get to know you better and see if you are a good fit, and I will let you know within 24 hours if you have been invited into the group.

Why am I doing this?

Over the years I have developed what I call an ABUNDANCE mindset, I have very low tolerance to be around people with a scarcity mindset.  I am convinced ABUNDANCE destroys a scarcity mindset every time.

I love hanging out with people who are fit and sharing that passion and knowledge on to others.

Where am I going with this?

I don’t believe in competition. (Unless you are on the other side of a ping pong table or dodge ball court). I have people ask me all the time, “Who in Madison is your biggest competition to your business?”  My answer is the same each time… “I have no competition.”

I am not saying this in an arrogant way, I am fully aware my clients have at least 50 other outstanding choices other then my programs (which they many times switch to), but here is what I mean.

Whether it is a gym, boot camp, or a boutique, we are trying to achieve the same thing, which is TO EMPOWER AND INSPIRE our clients to be a healthier, fitter, and happier version of them.

We are on the same team!

This isn’t for every fitness professional though, I only want open minded fitness professionals who believe that there are WAY more then enough clients for each of us to have and it is our responsibility to be better at our craft, and be better at conveying our message and delivering impactful results.

Only 15-18% of our population even has a gym membership. Lets assume another 10% workout regularly at home or outside.  That leaves 70% or more who mostly just sit on their butts and don’t consistently workout and eat healthy.  These are the people we need to reach and there aren’t enough fitness professionals yet to help them all!

Remember…

There is a world out there hurting, confused, embarrassed, sick, depressed, anxious, and frustrated.  They are turning to doctors to prescribe them drugs, when all they really need is to exercise regularly, eat for energy, and have someone that loves and cares for them unconditionally.

Fitness Pros… We do things doctors have no idea how to do.  We can save people without any drugs, and no side effects.

So again, we will be officially kicking this off Sunday APRIL 14TH from 11 AM – 1:00 PM at the Fit Club in Verona.  This is totally free to attend.

Please forward this on to anyone who you think would qualify and would be a good candidate.

Let’s stop hating each other’s success and embrace that we are all on the same team no matter what the logo on your shirt says.

Transforming the world,

Dustin Maher

PS In case you are worried I am going to try to sell you something at this gathering I am not.  Except on the idea that we are all better as one then as individuals.

At the end of the presentation I give an offer for anyone to join our FM4L coaching program which consists of a monthly workout and nutritional DVD, along with a private online support group, and eating plans, just to name a few.

You can “test” this out for yourself in our $7.95 trial.  If you like it, continue at our low rate of $39/month and receive a DVD in the mail.  To join the family visit http://fitmomsforlifedvds.com/webinaroffer/

Click here for Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4

Here are my observations:

-The diet a woman eats before and during pregnancy shapes what the baby is going to be like

-Supporting women of child-bearing age needs to be a priority if we want our children to become healthy

-Birth weights are going up, weight gained during pregnancy are going up, and so is obesity in children

-Kids who are obese tend to be obese as adults

Part 1        Part 2        Part 3

Here were my notes from this presentation:

-Our hormones telling us to stop eating is broken

-We have over stimulated the dopamine receptors from eating too much processed foods

-Sugar stimulates the same parts of the brain as drugs and alcohol making stopping hard

This segment I think is the most controversial so far because it touches on the fact that it is more of a chemical and biological issue than a choice issue.  It will be interesting as the next decade progresses to see if the science will make this more clear or debunk it.