My name is Jaclyn Jerome, I am 51 years old, I have been married for 33 years, I have two boys and two charming grandsons.  The programs at Greco have changed my life and allowed me to go from a size 20 to a size 6.

When I turned 50, I decided it was time to make some significant changes in life.  I knew that it was time to get into shape and to kick all the nasty habits I had acquired over the years (smoking, drinking pepsi and alcohol and eating way too much junk food).  If I was ever going to see my two lovely grandsons grow up to be adults, changes were desperately needed.

When I joined Greco in Jan 2011, I weighed 238 lbs. and my body fat was 46%. Needless to say I was obese!  Given that I had never worked out before, I was very nervous and I didn’t even know what a plank was. I decided to start off with the 10 week Lean and Fit for Life Program at the Kanata location.   With the Greco routine of exercising 3 times a week and changing all my eating habits to clean eating, I immediately started to feel and look great and couldn’t wait for my workout days.  At the end of the 10 weeks I had lost 30 lbs. and 10% body fat and I was very pleased with the results.  In March 2011, feeling quite confident with myself, I was ready to pick up the pace. I signed up for a one year membership and moved to the Lean and Fit Program at the Barrhaven location.  It is now May 2012, I have been doing Greco for a little more than a year and I have lost 80 lbs. and close to 20% body fat.  I now not only know what a plank is, I can actually do push ups for as long as I want and do burpees for a full 45 seconds. I am very proud to say that I am no longer obese, I feel better than I ever have, and I have even managed to give up smoking, drinking and all the junk food.

Thanks Greco and a very special thank you to all the trainers and workers (you know who you are) at both the Kanata and Barrhaven locations. Thank you for seeing me through all these positive life style changes and for all the coaching and words of encouragement along the way.

I was working in the bar seen, I basically drank nightly, came home to sleep all day then ate whatever I wanted and began drinking again.  My life was becoming a blur and my family were becoming worried.  I honestly did not see what they saw, you know what they say ” a few drinks make you see things differently” well with me I never saw myself as big, I didn’t really care about anything.  I went to school, just functioning for the couple of hours but my head wasn’t in it.

When I joined Greco, I couldn’t do one lap, I did the plank from my knees and that was hard.  The trainers (Matt and Cody) pushed me but supported me everyday making returning to the gym not a challenge anymore but a commitment!  Sometimes they even gave my “life coach” advice lol.

NOW, I eat right, I think about the foods I eat that will give my body the nutrients and energy to do the things I love to do.  I love to workout now, challenging myself daily and setting goals that I never thought I would reach.  I care about when and how much I drink, knowing that my body will not be able to function the same the next day if I drink too much.

My relationships with my family and friends have changed too… I guess I had a bad attitude towards them for a long time.  My mom says Greco saved my life and theirs.

I honestly feel 100% different, happy and alive and …most of the time sore!  (from the workouts)

I am a mother of 2 boys, (5 years old and 8 months old baby) and I teach in an elementary school.

I am 38 years old. I got pregnant in December 2010 of my second child and gave birth September 6^th. As soon as I got the ok from my doctor I decided I wanted to take care of my body. As I had planned, I officially became a Greco member October 17^{th 2011}. I signed up for the 10 weeks Lean and fit program at Greco-Sparks. As soon as I entered the building and touched ground, it already felt so positive! The staff at the counter as well as the trainers made me feel so comfortable and I quickly felt as part of their family!

I started training 3 to 4 times per week, changed my whole eating habits. It became a lifestyle instead of a diet. For me, it was just being able to be more conscious of what I was eating.

When I first started the classes, I was nervous but the trainers are so empathetic to your needs that you feel you can go at your own pace and at the same time give it your all. After 10 weeks I had lost 20 pounds and 6% of body fat. I was at 37% when I first started. I was so proud. Went from a size 12 to 8.  It motivated me even more. I kept going on and now after 27 weeks I lost 35 pounds and 12% of body fat. I am now a size 5. Never felt this great in my life. After 7 months I am now back at work and I feel so energized and less tired. Training at Greco has given me so much strength, energy and extra confidence that I also registered for the half-marathon in Ottawa.

Becoming a Greco’s member has been the best decision for a healthy mind and body!

Tony Greco’s GymBag Segment on Team1200! Aired on April 18th, 2012. Listen in Every Wednesday at 8:30am

• NHL Playoffs – Tony’s en route to Philly
• Tony talks about the Greco Transformation Contest

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James Young lost 29 pounds and 12% Body Fat so far on the Greco Lean and Fit Program!
James was featured on todays CTV News at Noon Segment, and works out at the Greco on Sparks Street. Congrats on your success James!

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.

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

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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