Boot Camp Success Stories

Finding Joe,
I was thirty-nine years old and 390 pounds. I was uncomfortable in my own skin. I was going to turn forty the following year and I was worried about a growing list of health problems, including diabetes and heart attack. After twenty years of being a smoker, I had recently quit, but gained a quick forty or fifty pounds. My wife was nagging me to go to the doctor because my sleep apnea was getting worse, but I refused because I knew he was going to tell me that I had to lose weight!

After twenty years of yo-yo dieting, I basically felt that losing weight was impossible. Sure, I had taken some weight off in the past, but had always put it back on, plus some. After about three months of my wife nagging me, she suggested hiring a professional trainer. At first I was reluctant, but because of my fear of dying, I agreed to give it a try. She looked on the Internet for hours (she really investigates things) and many trainers responded. Joe Ransom was one of those trainers.

She asked him questions and he told her to simply bring me in to the gym. On the day of our appointment, I was excited and nervous at the same time. As I walked through the front door, I became increasingly nervous. Joe introduced himself and asked me to sit down and tell him all about what was going on in my life. After five minutes, I knew he was going to help me! He was genuinely concerned about my situation and made me believe that together, we could change my future. I told myself to just let everything go, and do whatever he told me to do. If I was going to do this, I had to give it my best chance.

I now only have 50 pounds left to lose and I will do it. This has been a life-changing experience. When people ask me about the cost, I tell them at first it is a factor, but how can you put a price on getting your life back, or adding years on? It is the best money I ever spent.

When you've been overweight your whole life, you put up so many walls to protect yourself. You tell yourself so many lies, like, "You're not that fat," or, "You're not that unhealthy." You buy baggy clothes to hide it. Keeping those walls up is like a full time job. It's exhausting. You fool yourself for years and keep making excuses. As hard as you try, truths come out in different ways when you are unhappy with yourself. Sometimes you take it out on others; misery loves company!

P.S., the baggy clothes don't fool anyone. But, as the weight comes off and you feel better physically, you become more proud of yourself, and begin to drop your insecurities and that wall you built. It feels like the weight you lost also lifts off your shoulders. And, after you take down those walls there is so much extra room to love...yourself, your wife, your family, and friends. I don't have the words to express my gratitude to Joe, Norm, and Passion for Fitness for giving me my life back! I love you guys!

God sent an angel to me to help save my husband's life...that angel is Joe Ransom.