For most of my life, I have struggled with my weight.  It’s been an up and down battle.  When I reached over 300 pounds, I couldn’t take it anymore.  I decided I needed a permanent change.  I vowed to myself that I was never going to be that fat again. 

I contacted Mike and asked him for help.  I had a fall and was about to go through another knee surgery, and I knew the weight I was carrying around wasn’t going to help.  The pressure on my knees and ankles were just too much. 

When I started the program, I learned about my anchor habits.  They were eating slowly and only eating until satisfied (80% full).  About a month into coaching, I remember going to a funeral and afterward there was a lunch.  I grabbed my plate and got what I thought I could eat to reach being satisfied, not stuffed.  In the past, I would overfill my plate.  This time was different.  I only ate until the 80% mark.  When somebody asked if that was all I was going to eat, I proudly said “Yes.  It’s all I wanted.”

As I went along, I learned about lean proteins and how they help me feel fuller for longer, along with some other benefits.  I also started eating veggies.  And in the past, there was no way was I going to eat something green.  Vegetables were what my food ate, not me.  But I gave them a try and after a while I really started to enjoy them.  I spice them up to give them more flavor.  I also cut back on a lot of the carbs I was eating, eliminated gluten*, and added healthy fats.  There were other lifestyle habits as well that helped with my weight loss.

Because of my knee surgery, I wasn’t able to exercise as much as I intended to.  So, I relied on getting my eating in order.  The changes I made in my eating was pivotal for me.  I added new meal and daily habits, and the weight seemed to just fall off and I was feeling so much better.  I felt better about myself and my energy increased.    

There were obstacles, but I was NOT going to let that stop me.  I had made up my mind that no matter what, I was going to lose that fat.  I found support through friends and family, my loving girlfriend, and Mike. 

I have lost over 105 pounds, and I feel great!  The pressure on my knees and ankles has greatly decreased, I have healed from my surgery, and I am able to move better.  I never felt like I was starving, and still got to enjoy the foods I liked.  My new habits have changed my life! 

This isn’t the end for me.  I am continuing to work on myself, use what I have learned, and make the life that I want.

My primary goal was to get to a healthy weight, but I also wanted to get fit.  I want to be able to get out of a chair without assistance and with ease and confidence when I am 80 or 90.  I knew that being a healthy weight, being fit, and living a healthy lifestyle would go a long way toward that long term goal.

Mike has been great to work with.  When we started working together he made a plan to help me achieve my goals.  The plan was to workout with Mike twice a week, four days of cardio on my own, and to follow nutritional goals.  I have followed my part of the plan and Mike has more than done his part.  He always provides a workout to challenge me, working to build up weak areas, pushing me to do more than I'd ever dreamed possible, while making sure I understand the process.  He is flexible, willing to change our schedule when necessary and change exercises when I am unable to do something.  His efforts go beyond our workouts together.  He has written interval and resistance band training programs for me to use on my own.  Along the way, he has offered sound nutritional advice.

I have lost 69 pounds and gone from size 16 jeans to size 6!  I am so thankful for the habits I have learned that I can use for life!

When I arrived at my first personal training session with Mike, I was recovering from a respiratory illness and hadn’t worked out in a long time. I was afraid to push myself hard on the few occasions when I did exercise because I was convinced this would result in injury. During my first appointment with Mike, he listened and understood my apprehension, then quickly assured me that we would achieve my fitness goals gradually, at a pace customized to my needs, with minimal risk. As I got to know Mike, I felt no judgment or negativity about the poor condition I was in. He was confident that with time and hard work, we could fix it, and he knew exactly how to proceed. I began to believe in his expertise and process, and over the next six months, progress towards achieving my goals was gradual but steady. My journey is not complete, but training with Mike has given me the confidence and conviction to keep going. Even when I have a setback, or hit a plateau, I can count on Mike to help me reset, restart, and move forward a few more steps instead of giving up and relapsing to my old, bad habits. I endorse and recommend Mike--he is a great personal trainer. 

Mike was fantastic!  He is very patient and encouraging, which is just what I needed to reach my goals.  I had never really been interested in fitness beyond the occasional cardio class and Mike helped me learn proper form and technique while teaching me to push myself.  He proved to me that I could do more than I thought I can do.  As a result of Mike’s support, I was able to decrease my weight and overall measurements while gaining significant muscle tone and losing fat.  I am very happy with our work together and would highly recommend Mike as a trainer for both inexperienced people like myself and more hard core athletes!

Thanks for all the health advice and fitness tips to help me get back into shape.

I have been overweight and had back issues all the time. My weight loss journey was always up and down until I met Mike. Mike understood my body issues and created a plan that works for me. He selected exercises that works best for me and I won't get hurt by them.

His exercise plan combined with the online nutrition coaching delivered the best results. Unlike the other nutritional plans I tried, he introduced me to back to the basics of eating which tells how to eat and when to eat rather than focusing on what to eat. His nutritional plan was awesome!

Overall it is fun to work with Mike and would recommend him to anyone as a coach.

You are a scholar in the art of nutrition and fitness. You have taught me so much and I am so grateful to have met you and honored to have been trained by you!! I will pass your info on as much as humanly possible!

Thank you so much for all you have done for me. You are a fantastic trainer and have made a huge impact in my life.

So this guy is partly, well mainly, who I owe this medal to. I started training with Mike and if you had told me then that I would be doing a spartan race a year later I wouldn't have believed you. I feel better than I've ever felt and done things I never imagined.  He has changed my life, not only physically, but mentally and emotionally as well. You can do it too!  Please let him know if you want to change your life.

You were my first personal trainer and I didn't know what to expect or how I would "enjoy" the experience. You displayed the right mix of tough love to push me to my limits and I saw great results. I've recommended you many times.  

Mike, you are an awesome trainer! You made me push myself above and beyond my own expectations! You sure do know your stuff and are so much fun to work with!

You are an excellent trainer!

You're an awesome trainer and have developed a no fail program.

I love my personal trainer Michael Rapson, he always pushes me farther than I ever imagined I could go.