In search of a fitness program to jump-start her weight loss, Fekerte “Nani’ Bezuayehu turned to the ultra-fit C-1 for advice while cleaning her teeth during a routine dental appointment. C-1′s recommendation turned out to be a life changing event not only for Nani, but for the rest of us too… thanks Tracy! Truth is, now we’re all addicted to that Nani Glow (patent pending). On top of being a workhorse in the gym, she’s an intelligent, funny, sweet, and sassy ball of positive energy. It’s no wonder her results have been so phenomenal over the past year.

But, let’s put it all into perspective. Nani’s first day was on February 17, 2007. She weighed 168 pounds. Her body fat was 37.3% and her BMI was 29.4.

After her first few months of training with us, Nani decided to kick it up a notch in order to get beyond those first ten pounds. She started attending two classes a day in addition to personal training sessions on the weekend. Not surprisingly, her athletic performance continued to soar, but she was still unable to lose her next ten pounds. So, what happened?

Turns out, she wasn’t eating often enough. Like so many of us, she would have a large meal and then skip the next. She also couldn’t control her nighttime snacking so she did what many people do — skip breakfast. Yikes! Today, she tries not to eat past 7 p.m. and when those nighttime cravings hit, she reaches for a warm cup of tea with a dash of Splenda or raw (key word) fruits/vegetables. Nani is now diligent about eating 6 smaller meals a day. She’s in love with Fuji apples and almonds and swears by these “ziplock” treats, which she prepares 5-7 days in advance. Her other secret weapon: boiled eggs.

Since Nani’s training regime remained the same (hardcore!), she quickly began to lose weight once she changed her diet. Thirty pounds later, her aura glows in the dark!

With a newborn at home, Rachel Quilici began commuting from Oakland to train at the IC in the fall of 2007. Since then, she has rarely missed a class (not even since we changed her preferred time slot). She trains hard and doesn’t give up easily. Her biggest asset, and possibly the secret to her success, is her positive attitude. Anyone who trained alongside Rachel yesterday and witnessed her very first barbell clean and jerk knows what a powerful force she has become. The result: 12 pounds down and a 4 point drop in body fat. The sky’s the limit Rachel!

When most people join the Ice Chamber, they aren’t too keen on getting their measurements or their picture taken. But, thank goodness we do it anyway (even if it’s in a fuzzy group shot like this one) because sometimes people change their minds once they see visible progress. Finding this old picture of Ramona in the archives (taken in October 2006) was well worth the effort. One year later, she is almost unrecognizable.

How did she do it? Ramona takes on our challenging functional workouts as prescribed, and most importantly, she doesn’t quit. She also doesn’t take self-discipline lightly — we have NEVER heard excuses out of Ramona. These attributes have enabled her to lose nearly 25 pounds!

One of the funniest things about her story is how/when she first found the IC. Unlike the typical friends or family referral, Ramona came across our flyer in a local burrito shop (yeah, you guys all know which one). Talk about irony. Ramona ate a life-changing “fatty’s” burrito that day.

Six months postpartum.

Do you remember Ndeshi’s story? Well, here’s another example of her unstoppable self-determination. At 5’1″ Ndeshi knows how hard it is for short mamas to lose that pregnancy weight (especially after two children), but she was ready to make some drastic changes in her life. Since July 2006, Ndeshi has lost 40 lbs. at the IC.

What a difference a year makes!

Start Date:

7/10/06

Weight: 166.5

BF%: 37.6

BMI: 32.5

Current:

10/12/07

Weight: 125

BF%: 26

BMI: 23.6

On July 30, 2007, we told you about Stephanie’s incredible progress, but nothing compares to seeing her “before” photo taken in August 2006. (Gotta love the IC photo archives.) Since we last checked in on her (less than three months ago), she lost an additional 20 pounds! To date, Stephanie has lost over 60 pounds while training at the Ice Chamber. Marvelous Mama!

Just ask this lady…

Do you remember the last time we featured Sharon? If not, take another look because she may have flown under your radar. What you may not know about this morning bootcamper is that she’s been on a mission to lose 100 pounds that she gained during her pregnancy. If you ask Sharon, she will tell you all the nitty-gritty details about feeling “uncomfortable, unhealthy, and unmotivated” after her baby was born. So what happened then?

In addition to prioritizing daily exercise, she had to revamp everything in her life that wasn’t working — from her nutritional choices to her state of mind. The weight finally started coming off. Sharon lost an additional 20 pounds since joining the IC in April 2007! She has been training hard week after week in order to make this happen and her postpartum comeback story will go down in Ice Chamber history books! She is now in the best shape of her life… right in time for baby number two, perhaps?

Tara Martinez reminds us what a difference a year can make!

Click Image to Enlarge

Snooze, you lose! 

Need some inspiration to propel your weight loss? Revisit Craig and Stephanie’s journey for some summertime motivation.

These two have been on a roll since we last checked in on them. Nowadays, instead of driving to the IC at the crack of dawn, they ride their bicycles to the gym! As a result of their unwavering commitment to better health, they have continued to see dramatic changes in both performance and body composition.

As we mentioned before, Craig lost over 100lbs. without gastric bypass surgery. He did it the good old fashioned way — that is to say, the healthiest way — through diet and exercise. He has lost an additional 30lbs. while training with us over the past year (6 of those were lost within the past two weeks). You GO boy!

Even more impressive are the achievements of his lovely wife. First off, how many of us are trying to lose weight while being surrounded by irresistible temptations like gourmet pizza, exotic cheeses and fresh pastries all day? Seriously. Stephanie is a member of the worker-owned Cheeseboard Pizza Collective and has still managed to lose 40 pounds (7 of those were lost within the past two weeks).

Doesn’t that make the excuses you tell yourself everyday seem utterly ridiculous? (I know my chin has been checked.) They deserve extra kudos for giving us permission to publish their recent stats as well. Take a look:

First Month: 7/12/06

Craig:
273 lbs.
BF%: 36.1
BMI: 40.3

Stephanie:
220 lbs.
BF%: 41.1
BMI: 36.6

Current: 7/26/07

Craig:
245.5 lbs.
BF%: 31.8
BMI: 36.3

Stephanie:
180 lbs.
BF%: 33.2
BMI: 29.5

UPDATE: Craig currently weighs 216 as of September 2008!!!