Ian Joyne’s will be on our CTV news at noon segment today to share his story.

I started training at Greco Kanata in September of 2010 weighing 128 lbs. with a body fat percentage of 24%.  I was unhappy with the way I  looked and had low energy and very little strength.  I had tried a few  other gyms, but lacked the self motivation to get any results from them.  I  started with the Lean and Fit classes and from them, I got down to 116lbs and  15% body fat after a few months.  I then started some personal training  with Matt Sicoli and lost a further 8lbs. and down to 12% body fat, with a lot more  muscle definition.  It’s been a huge change for me as far as energy and  strength…when I started I could not do even one push up from my feet.  On  Halloween at the Kanata Greco there was a push up competition after the class  and I did 73 in a row…huge difference in strength!

I joined Greco towards the end of December 2009/ January 2010. The motive had been to lose all the weight (~ 60 lbs) I had gained the past 2 years and lead a healthier lifestyle; I had been battling severe degenerated herniated discs in my back. Within few weeks I realized that the Lean & Fit Program is effective, but more so when I consciously altered my eating habits and substituted the ‘bad’ snacks with healthier choices. The weight came off noticeably. In the summer of 2011, I took on a new challenge and started ‘Personal Training’ with Jake Wright. We had 1 goal in mind: core strength to protect the herniated discs. Within 2 months I saw unbelievable results: a muscle fort surrounding my core. Now Jake is helping me build upper body strengths and muscle form. While Lean & Fit changed my life, PT with Jake redefined it. This young man knows what he is doing.

End results: lost 14% body fat, have not had back pain in over 1.5 years, leading a happier lifestyle, and through this journey made great friends at Greco Kanata. Now it is my lifestyle- and I chose it smartly and happily.

A Wedding Proposal at Greco

Greco Lean and Fit (Manotick location) marks the beginning of the relationship between Lisa Sicoli and Nick Kyte.

In addition to all the positives that came out of training at the Greco studios, Lean & Fit is what brought my fiancée Lisa Sicoli and I together.  Greco, Manotick location marked the beginning of our wonderful journey together.  From that point on, I decided there would be no better place than to propose there on location as it brought meaning to both of us.  The Manotick staff (Sean James and Armand Wahab) were beyond helpful in planning the perfect surprise proposal, which left Lisa beyond speechless!  The Greco experience has transformed both our lives in so many ways with respect to increasing our fitness level, health, nutrition and let’s not forget the fun and motivating Lean & Fit classes with plenty of coaching and encouragement from the experienced and well educated training instructors at all locations.  Greco Lean & Fit has provided a platform where you learn the tools to assist you in successfully maintaining a healthy lifestyle, while also making lasting relationships with the office support staff, trainers, franchise owners and members.  I believe this is what keeps members coming back and is certainly the reason Lisa and I continue to be members to this day.

Nick Kyte & Lisa Sicoli

Nick Kyte: Body Fat  Before = 21.9% Now= 15.8%     Lisa Sicoli: Body Fat  Before = 27.4% Now = 21.8%

Last summer (2010) I was extremely busy coaching football, living on my own for the first time and work. I rarely had time for myself, not only to get to the gym but also to cook, so I was constantly eating out. This carried over into the fall season and took a toll on my hockey officiating.  I was having a harder than normal time to do what I needed to do just from being so out of shape.  I had heard the advertisements on the Team 1200 for Greco and gave the OAC a call. Spoke with the manager at the time and really found out what it was all about.  Seeing as at that point it was coming up to the holiday season it didn’t make much sense with all the gatherings to start a regimen.  I went in early January for my physical assessment and hurt for a couple days thereafter, that didn’t sit very well.  I then met with Tony and did the nutritional assessment, this was going to be and still is the hardest part of my day to day, but I knew I had to make changes if I wanted to see results.  I made up a meal plan based on what Tony allowed, within the first week of Lean and Fit I had lost 8 pounds.  This was encouraging and made me work harder, the more I saw results the harder I wanted to work and the better I felt.  The best part of the workouts to me is the structure and knowing I can’t change the schedule to what I want, and that I need plan for the gym.  I have had to tailor all my clothes and continue to get compliments from people who have not seen me in a while.  I weigh less now than I did when I entered high school. Greco has been one of the best decisions  I’ve made and will continue to better my way of life.

The thing about denial is that you usually don’t realize you’re in it.  Almost every day there is a story in the news talking about the health implications of so many overweight Canadians, or how carrying extra weight around your middle greatly increases your risk of heart disease, hypertension, insulin resistance and diabetes – this is all common knowledge.  And you know personally that you should make more of an effort to eat better and exercise more, yet my own efforts to get back into shape were consistently sidelined in favour of other responsibilities that just always seemed to be more important.  Every once in a while I would be spurred back to the gym after getting a sign that would hit me like a two by four to the head: chronic back and joint pain, getting out of breath after a single flight of stairs, outgrowing my clothes, having a herniated disk, even slowly losing touch with friends I used to be active outdoors with because I’d rather sit out a trip than be the straggler who can’t keep up.

It’s no surprise that having a child prompts all kinds of planning for the future, so the real tipping point for me came in the quiet hours of the morning as I was feeding our newborn.  It was while holding my son and thinking about wanting my kids to know the joys that come from an active lifestyle that triggered a basic realization.  I realized that as our kids grow up, more than anything else, they will require our example.  And I was going to need some help.

Anybody who has been physically fit at any point during their life understands that there are no shortcuts around the hard work that is required for getting and staying in shape.  So it stands to reason that if you are going to be investing your hard work into a program, you also want the best possible return on that investment.  And that’s where Greco comes in.  In the first ten weeks of the Lean & Fit program, I lost thirty pounds, decreased my total body fat percentage by ten percent, and dropped from a size forty to a size thirty-six; having stronger core muscles and losing the weight resulted in my nearly constant back pain fading away to nothing.  Getting fit has made the difference between simply enduring versus actually enjoying physical activity.  A two hour weekend road bike through the countryside – bring it on!

What is most remarkable is that achieving these results did not require a complete overhaul of my life and habits, only a bunch of minor changes and smarter choices as suggested by Greco.  No fads, just a comprehensive look at what I was doing, what I was eating, and tweaking it by stopping what doesn’t work and doing more of what does work.  It helped to take advantage of the resources on the SNI website (especially the recipes) and I love the variety and taste of what I get to eat on a daily basis.

Simply put, the Greco Kanata team is amazing.  From the first impression at the front counter to working with the trainers, it’s clear that the team is genuinely interested in seeing you succeed.  What continues to impress me is how each of the trainers can be empathetic to how hard you’re working during the drills, yet how they are also able to push you further to get that extra effort out of you.  I think it makes the difference between good results and great results.  It makes the difference between the workout being a chore versus looking forward to the next workout.

It worked for me and I recommend Greco with no reservations.     -Evan

This Saturday on Grecosize and Greco Lean & Fit for Life:

• Another Greco Success Story! Richard Valente owner of Fratelli Restaurants will share his story
• Tony will share secrets on reaching goals in life and fitness

Team1200 Grecosize Promo:

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CFRA Greco Lean & Fit for Life Promo:

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Tune in this Saturday at 7AM on CFRA, or 9AM on Team 1200 to listen live or by podcast on the Team 1200 website.

To listen to full previous shows, click here.

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If you missed this great event that took place on August 13th, 2011 at the Kanata Greco. You can see some of the footage from the CTV News Segment. As you can see, it was a HIT!

The TRAIN LIKE A FREAK Book by Dan Boyle and Tony Greco, proceeds go to the Foundation to Fight Obesity in Children.

Tony Greco and Leanne Cusack on CTV News at Noon – July 5th, 2011. Getting the Ottawa Firefighters from fit to Shredded and Ripped for “Boys of Fire” Calendar.

February of 2011 was a milestone month in my life.  I had recently found out my wife and I were expecting our second child (later to be change to second and third ‘children’), I donated platelets for the first time, and I decided it was time to do something about my fitness level, or lack thereof. 

I had heard friends talk about the Greco Lean and Fit program and, having tried to get into shape by myself multiple times in my life with no success, I decided to give Greco a go.  When I went for my initial consultation, I was 208 lbs and had almost 30% body fat (considered obese by most charts I have seen). 

I was immediately impressed with the knowledge Josh seemed to have and his ability to translate that knowledge into something understandable.  I began my journey down the Lean and Fit road a few days later.  Lean and Fit, at the beginning, was likely the most difficult undertaking of my life.  I had to drastically change my eating habits (I LOVE to eat), and had to force myself to go to ‘the gym’, as my daughter calls it, three time a week.  As time went on though, the lifestyle change I had decided to make became second nature.  I now make healthier choices in foods without even thinking about it and going to work out is something I look forward to as opposed to dread. 

Five months after my initial visit, thanks in large part to the staff and trainers at Greco Barrhaven, I weighed in at 147lbs and about 11% body fat.  

Greco Lean and Fit has allowed me to do more than I could ever have imagined, or even thought myself capable of!

This Saturday on Grecosize and Greco Lean & Fit 4 life:

1. Former Ottawa Senator Mike Fisher will be on the show
2. Kayla Bouffard has a great Greco Success Story that she will share with us

Team1200 Grecosize Promo:

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CFRA Greco Lean & Fit for Life Promo:

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Tune in this Saturday at 7AM on CFRA, or 9AM on Team 1200 to listen live or by podcast on the Team 1200 website.

To listen to full previous shows, click here.

Its been 6 years since I started lean and fit.  I started in 2005 when Greco only had the one location in Barrhaven – I still remember the days of Kelly and Todd, Josh, and even your advanced classes one night a week!  When I started Lean and Fit, I was 172 lbs (keep in mind I am 5’7), my BMI and Body fat percentage were well over 20% ( I think BMI was 26 and Body Fat was 26.9%). Now, my body fat fluctuates between 13 – 16% and weight is around 145 lbs.  I recently got married and have put on a little weight, but a year ago, in my prime, I reached 13% body fat and 135 lbs.   

Lean and fit has changed my life – it has given me self confidence, It has given me positive energy.  I feel amazing and formally wanted to thank you and your team in Barrhaven (I was there from 2005 until Kanata opened) and Kanata (opening until now).  

Thanks again, Anik Dattani

Sean Adams is a member at our OAC location, and has lost over 39 pounds and 18% body fat with the Greco lean and fit program! Congrats Sean.

Kayla Bouffard is a member at our OAC location, and has lost over 40 pounds and 15% body fat with the Greco lean and fit program! Congrats Kayla.