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March - Monthly Draw

Each member may  fill out a ballot after each workout to enter a monthly draw for a “Women’s Only Gift Package” .

Congratulations:  Kelly Umlah

Draw for one year membership:

Winner: Sandra Currie for 2010

Congratulations Dana! Keep up the great work.  We're here for YOU!

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by Jeff Gill

Although frustrating in the beginning, Dana Ryan never once contemplated quitting her journey to a better lifestyle.

After 12 weeks in a program, sponsored by Simply for Life and Circuit Circle Women’s Fitness Centre, Ryan has lost a total of 36 pounds.

“I feel great,” said Ryan after her latest weekly weigh-in. “Some days can be quite frustrating because you miss certain things, however, when I make the choice not to return to those ways, it pushes me even more to achieve my personal goal.”

Devon Floyd, nutritionist with Simply For Life in Enfield says the progress Ryan has made in her 12 weeks is nothing short of impressive.

“Her commitment has been second to none,” he said. “She’s been extremely diligent throughout the entire 12 weeks and hasn’t wavered. She’s been faced with some challenges, however, she’s come out on top. She’s been very focused.”

Through the Simply For Life program, Ryan has basically changed the way she eats and what she eats. While that might scare off some, Ryan says it’s really not so bad.

“I don’t mind it,” she said. “At first I was a little taken back, but now, I really enjoy the recipes I use and the meals I prepare. I think a lot of my reluctance was simply based on a lack of education. Now that I know and understand the program, I realized eating healthy doesn’t mean you’re eating food that doesn’t taste good.”

Ryan continues to visit the local women’s fitness centre at least three times a week. Since her first visit, owner Jo-Ann Spooner says everyone is noticing a big change.

“We’re so proud of her,” said Spooner. “She’s doing really well. In addition to her weight loss, she’s seen drastic improvements in both her balance and coordination. She’s able to do things she had difficulty with when she first started. It’s exciting to see her progress.”

As Ryan’s fitness level increases, Spooner says it’s important to reflect that in her workout.

“We’re now increasing her cardio vascular workout,” Spooner continued. “She started with low impact aerobics and has worked herself up to free-weights. It’s important we continue to alter her workout because we don’t want her to plateau. As she continues to progress, her body changes and we have to make sure we compensate for those changes through her workout.”

In addition to her workouts, Ryan also makes an effort to walk to and from her office several times each week.

“I don’t mind exercising,” said Ryan. “I’ve got more energy than I’ve ever had. It’s exciting. I no longer dislike working out. It’s something I do now and it’s something I enjoy.”

The next article on Ryan’s journey will come after her week 18 weigh-in.

Click to enlarge image

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by Jeff Gill

“It’s amazing how great I feel,” said an enthusiastic Ryan. “My energy level is at an all time high. I notice a difference in just about everything I do whether it’s trying on clothes or working out at the gym.”

While her focus hasn’t wavered much since beginning the program, Ryan admits the holiday season did make her nervous. However, properly scheduling her meals allowed her to come out of the hectic season virtually without change.

“I lost half-a-pound and then gained half-a-pound over the holidays,” she said. “I’m really pleased with that. I knew it was going to be difficult with so much food associated with that time of year, but I kept an eye on what I ate and compensated myself when I thought I might have gone too far. Coming out having not gained any weight was really good for the confidence.”

Ryan did stray away from her program the odd time over the holiday, however, she said extra trips to the gym and immediately returning to her meal schedule helped maintain her weight.

“I knew what I was putting in my mouth,” she said. “But I was committed to going the extra mile to make sure what I was eating wouldn’t hurt my overall outcome. It was a difficult time but I feel I’m stronger for having come through it like I did.”

Simply for Life nutritionist Devin Floyd was extremely happy with Ryan’s holiday progress. He says she has done as well as anyone would have expected.

“Dana is doing as great as ever,” he said. “She’s highly motivated and has over come some difficult challenges recently. Over the holidays, we’re almost always in the presence of food and Dana did a terrific job of keeping an eye on what she was eating the whole time. She’s really embraced her new lifestyle and because of that, she’s continually losing weight.”

Outside of the ever-growing number of recipes he can share with Ryan, Floyd says there are no dramatic changes in the Simply for Life program. He adds it actually gets easier as people become more familiar with the program and develop their own routine.

“Each person is going to react differently,” he said. “Dana’s results aren’t going to be the same as the next person who makes a lifestyle change. That’s why we personalize each program, so it meets their requirements and needs until they feel comfortable enough to take things on their own, trying new food and recipes. I have a number of recipes I’ve already given Dana plus, she has access to our website which contains more than 300 recipes.”

Of course, the lifestyle change wouldn’t be possible for Ryan without her frequent trips to Circuit Circle Women’s Fitness facility. She is currently attending the gym at least three times a week and according to owner Jo-Ann Spooner, everyone is noticing a change.

“I haven’t had the opportunity to work with Dana as of late,” said Spooner. “But everyone who has says she’s doing a terrific job. They’re all very pleased with the progress she’s been making. To date, she’s lost 14.4 inches in total and her body fat percentage is down to 13.8 per cent. It’s also easy to see Dana applies herself a lot more than when she first started. Her confidence is at an all time high and she’s really starting to open up. I’m really proud of the progress she’s making.”

“It’s fun,” added Ryan. “I look forward to going to the gym or for my walk. It’s a great way to release stress and feel good at the same time.”

March 2007

by Jeff Gill

ENFIELD: For the first time in 18 weeks, Dana Ryan has slipped on her journey to a better lifestyle.

During her latest consultation with Simply For Life consultant Mike Black, Ryan learned she had slightly increased her weight by three pounds.

The more she progresses, the more Dana Ryan enjoys her new lifestyle.

Ryan, who recently completed her 18th week under the Simply for Life program has dropped an amazing 44-pounds since opting to change her lifestyle. “I knew this meeting could be a bad one,” said Ryan. “I’ve done some things I shouldn’t have done over the last few weeks, namely eating at restaurants. But I realize it was my choice to put those things in my mouth and after I did, I felt terrible. My body actually felt bad after eating things I shouldn’t have.”

Despite the mild set back, Black says Ryan can easily lose those pounds and continue working towards her end goal.

“It’s all about consistency,” he said. “Consistency is king. My most important role is to make sure Dana stays on the straight and narrow. She’s done extremely well to this point and continues to do well. She’s only human so this type of set back is not out of the ordinary. The key is to regroup, refocus and continue on the path she’s been following.”

Ryan has no doubts she can recommit to the plan and is already working hard to get herself back on track.

“I don’t see this as a major set back,” she said. “I still feel great. I have more energy than I’ve ever had and I notice a difference in a lot of things I do. However, this was still a set back and it’s up to me to make sure it doesn’t get out of control.”

Through instances such as Ryan’s, Black says it’s easy to show people how food and eating can become a serious addiction.

“It’s just like anything else,” he said. “Once you get that taste, you start to crave it again and this is no different. Life is all about choices and if we make the wrong choices, we have to be prepared to deal with the consequences. Dana has identified a problem and now she’s ready to move past it and continue on.”

Ryan continues to visit Circuit Circle Women’s Fitness Centre at least three times a week where she’s noticed a substantial difference in her coordination and balance.

“It’s pretty amazing,” she said. “I actually have balance. I’m spending anywhere between one hour and an hour-and-a-half at the gym each time I’m there. I typically do the circuit and then jump on the bike where I’m currently working on a weight loss program. In addition to that, I’m walking almost everyday.”

Jo-Ann Spooner, owner of Circuit Circle Women’s Fitness Centre said it’s important Ryan isn’t too hard on herself when she slips.

In an effort to help Ryan rebound, Black has altered her diet a bit. Ryan says she has no objections to the diet changes and looks forward to seeing the weight decrease once again.

“It’s something we’re able to do to help out our clients,” said Black. “What we’ve done for Dana should help her see results fairly soon. We will continue to monitor her situation and adjust her diet after our weekly consultations.

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30 Week Update:

By Jeff Gill

ENFIELD: Confident, excited and happy. Those are just three words that describe how Dana Ryan is feeling after 30 weeks on the Simply for Life plan.

Ryan, during her most recent consultation, learned she had gained a single pound over the last week, however, she says her overall progress shadows the minor set back.

“Overall, I’ve lost a total of 56-and-a-half pounds,” said a smiling Ryan. “I feel great. It’s like a great sense of relief. I just feel good all of the time, which is really nice.”

Ryan has also lost an impressive 39-inches in the process while reducing her body fat percentage by more than 22 per cent.

Although he’d prefer to see her consistently losing weight on a weekly basis, Simply for Life nutritionist Devin LeBlanc says the latest results give him little concern.

“Dana has pretty well be on top of things since she began,” he said. “There have been a couple of weeks where things weren’t where we wanted to see them, however, that’s the beauty of this program. If Dana has a bad week, we can use our one-on-one consultations to figure out why it was a bad week and how we can work towards getting back on track the next week. For me, I’d like to see Dana lose an average of two to four pounds a week. Given where she’s at in the program, that’s a target she can achieve safely.”

With her success, Ryan will see little change by way of the foods she’s permitted to eat. Because she remains honest with the program, LeBlanc said it’s easier to work and plan for the weeks ahead.

“Honesty is key in this program,” he said. “It’s up to the client how honest they want to be. If they’re not honest when it comes to the foods they’re eating and recording them on the meal log, they’re only cheating themselves. We’re here to help the client, but if they’re not honest, they’re not going to be able to achieve the goals they set.”

" I look forward to working out,” said Ryan. “I feel great when I’m done. I’ve still have energy after I’m done working out at the gym, which is something I never had for at least the first month or more. The support from everyone at the gym, not only those who work there, but the other gym members as well, has been phenomenal.”

For Ryan, support remains an integral key to her progress. It’s through that support she’s able to incorporate her new healthy lifestyle into celebrations that typically include sweets and treats.

“I recently celebrated my birthday, and instead of actually having a birthday cake, I had a fruit tray, which everyone called my birthday cake,” she said. “It was different, but everyone played a role in it which made it fun for me.”

With the warmer months about to arrive, the Enfield resident has already taken several bike rides. Ryan plans on making biking and walking consistent activities during her summer. Meanwhile, at the gym, Jo-Ann Spooner, owner of Circuit Circle Women’s Fitness Centre said Ryan has stepped up her efforts in recent weeks.

“Dana typically spends an hour-and-a-half to two hours at the gym four days a week,” said Spooner. “In addition to the circuit, she’s also participating in structured classes which are non-stop, so there is no messing around. When she comes to the gym, she’s there to work.”

In the near future, Spooner adds they’re going to continue expanding on Ryan’s program, targeting her abs as well.

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In the beginning, the concept was an easy one for Ryan, who handles advertising and sales at The Weekly Press in Enfield - lose weight and inches. While she knew the life altering change would make her physically stronger, she never contemplated how it would affect her emotionally.

“I’ve noticed a big change in how I handle things,” she said. “Before I started this journey, if something went wrong, I wouldn’t always handle it in a healthy way. Now when something goes wrong, it drives me to keep going and work even harder for what I want. It’s made me a lot more confident.”

To date, Ryan has dropped an impressive 67 pounds and 47 inches. For those close to her, they’ve also witnessed a complete turn-around, both physically and mentally.

“The change has been pretty drastic,” said sister Bernadette Ryan. “Outside of her weight loss, I’ve really noticed she’s not as quick to give up on things. She’s tried other weight-loss programs in the past and never showed the determination she has this time around. I truly believe she’s at the right point in her life to want to do better and lead a healthier lifestyle.”

Although she’s learned to handle the ups and downs while losing weight, Ryan admits times still exist when she feels like throwing her hands in the air. It’s during those times she’s glad to have the support from friends and family.

“No one said this was going to be easy,” said Ryan. “There are times when I’m overwhelmed or frustrated. However, because I’ve been doing this for some time, I know I can now turn to Devin (LeBlanc, Simply For Life consultant) or Jo-Ann (Spooner, owner Circuit Circle Women’s Fitness Centre), or any of my family members for the support I need to get me through. Sometimes it’s as simple as altering my meal plan or changing my routine at the gym while other times, it might require more than that. Regardless of what it is, I know I have the people around I need to help me and best of all, I’ve grown to the point where I’m not afraid to ask for support.”

Her most recent struggles were noticeable to both LeBlanc and Spooner. Seeing her progress stall, the pair sat down with Ryan and revamped her program.

“Dana needed a little more motivation,” said Spooner. “Noticing this, Devin and myself sat down with Dana. After having a discussion, all three of us felt Dana was more than ready to get back on track. I see a new and determined Dana that has done very well in the past, but is also looking forward to and is committed to her journey to a better lifestyle.”

Ryan has changed her workout schedule to a point where she now visits the gym four times a week during the morning. Spooner believes this alteration is a better fit.

A new workout schedule combined with help from LeBlanc could see Ryan losing approximately two or three pounds each week. However, in the case of Ryan he believes she’s capable of much more.

“Even though Dana is doing well, she is not close to her ideal weight yet,” he said. “The inches and pounds should still be coming down at a consistent rate equal to the amount of commitment to the program. Since getting to know her, I know Dana to do much more than the average.”

The challenge from LeBlanc to lose more than the average two or three pounds every week is one Ryan is not taking lightly. She’s prepared to make a strong push as she approaches her one-year anniversary date.

“I’m feeling terrific,” she said. “When I look back to the beginning, I never thought I would have made it this far. I feel good about myself and I’m even more excited to see how far I can take this. I do have my goal set, but there is nothing that says I can’t go beyond that should it be required.”

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