When I first toured Aim Fitness, I was impressed by the clean facilities and Mindy’s friendly attitude and bright smile when I entered the door, not to mention the amount of equipment I saw available. Little did I know how big a part Aim would play in my life.

When I joined the Biggest Loser program, I was very apprehensive. I had had a major tragedy/loss in the family and was overwhelmed with sadness from that experience. Since the birth of my children, I had become a couch potato and was overweight and unhappy. I was the person who would watch the Biggest Loser on TV while eating ice cream. I had never belonged to a gym before and was very nervous about being around all the fit people that I imagined would be there. I knew I needed to make a major change in my life or I would not be around to see my children grow up. My doctor, Dr. Scott Cohen, recommended Aim to me and I can’t thank him enough for that.

The main reason I joined the Biggest Loser program was to lose weight, but my main motivation was my family. I wanted to have more energy so that I could play sports with them and be healthy for them. I knew that in order for me to make the time commitment necessary to change my life, as a family we had to all make the commitment. Throughout the 12-week program, they were so supportive and understanding. They encouraged me and cheered me on when I had a good weigh-in and never once complained that I was spending time away from them. My co-workers were great and provided so much encouragement.

Without the structure of the program, I never would have done this on my own. My teammates were great and I enjoyed working out with every one of them. My trainer, Mel, was the best. She encouraged all of us right from the start; she never yelled at us or forced us to do anything, but showed us that we could do more than we ever thought possible. Thank you, Mel!!! Eric, Mindy and all the staff at Aim were incredible. They always make you feel welcome and part of the “family”. I was never intimidated by other people working out at the facility – we are all there for a common purpose. Even though I was overweight and out of shape, that never seemed to matter to any of the trainers or teachers. I came to love Body Pump, Bootcamp, spin classes, which is something I never dreamed I would enjoy. I actually look forward to those classes now. Janet, Stacy, Ann, Jackie – thank you doesn’t quite cover it, but please know how incredible I think you all are. I know I am forgetting people, and for that I apologize.

Now that the program is over, I am going to miss working out with the team and seeing them every week. I plan to continue to work out faithfully and continue to lose weight and become even healthier. Without Aim and the Biggest Loser program, it would never have been possible.