Archive for category Success Stories
Omaha Trip- part 1
Posted by buffmother in BuffMother, Michelle Berger, Success Stories, contests, rally room on October 2nd, 2009
HI! I am finally home and back to it today~ I really had a great time in Omaha and thought I’d record a very detailed log of the experience. Here’s Part 1 of that recap….
2009 OMAHA TRIP (Sept 24-28)
Brenda is a SuperHERO!!
Posted by buffmother in BuffMother, Michelle Berger, Success Stories, Weight Loss on September 23rd, 2009
Brenda is a SUPER HERO for sure!! and a BUNDLE 
of Energy!! Brenda is a mother, a Nurse Practitioner and a DIE HARD BuffMother!! She is stepping on stage this weekend at Bluff’s Classic in for her very first Figure contest!! WOW~ she’s been on quite the journey since joining our TEAM in May of 2008! From the moment Brenda joined I KNEW she was special and so Special in fact that she won our SuperStar Success Contest last year! The prize was to be a SUPER STAR in my hormonal timing infomercial so in Dec of 2008 she was flown to LA for the shoot!! It was a blast seeing her in her new SUPER STAR body! She’s keep strong and kept pushing hard and has inspired thousands of women in her journey. Brenda is a TRUE SuperHero! I am so proud of her and I know she’s going to rock the stage on Saturday!!
Here’s part of her SSS contest entry from last year:
“My weight problem was tied to my menstrual cycle – I mean, WOW, what an eye-opener!”
- Brenda Herrod: LOST 25 LBS!
***SUPER STAR SUCCESS CONTEST – Before and After Stats:***
Date: August 31, 2008
Height – 5′4″
Age- “39″ and holding!!! 
*Beginning weight – for Buffmother – 15 weeks ago – 141 lbs
*Beginning weight for SSS Contest – 10 weeks ago – 136 lbs
*Ending weight for SSS Contest – 118.5!!!!! (today 118!)
*Total loss = 23 lbs
*TOTAL inches lost = 36.25 inches!!!!!!! (gained ONE on calves)
*Body Fat % – 28.9% – 20% and NOW 16.3% at the END of SSS Contest!!!!!!!!
*Total Body Fat loss in 10 weeks = 12.6%
*Was wearing size 8-10 in clothing (pants, jeans…now can fit into size 4’s, 3’s and 2’s!!!!!) I love this change!!!!!
*Where are you in your journey?
I am very pleased with where I am at now. I want to MAINTAIN where I am at and continue to build muscle too. I plan to work on sculpting my abs, quads, glutes and hamstrings more now since I’ve lost the weight. I am just so happy to have lost so much body fat SO QUICKLY and become more lean. It is only 41 days until I turn 40 and I want to be in the best shape ever – fit and 40!!!
*Did you reach your goals and aspirations?
Yes I did! At first my goal was 125 pounds, and then 120 – which I reached in the last few days of the contest! It is very empowering to be in control and to know you reached your goals. Buffmother and hormonal timing has made such a difference in my life! I will continue to set new goals and always be focused! This will help me so much through my last year of graduate school.
*Where do you see this challenge brought you?
I had PERFECT timing for this challenge….I had just joined Buffmother five weeks before the contest started, so I had enough time to begin to understand the program and had lost five pounds before the contest began. It helped me learn how to have a clean diet and effective workouts. I kept my focus because I am motivated by turning 40 soon and the contest was big motivation too!
*Do you have any lingering concerns?
My main concerns right now are maintaining the level where I’m at, continuing to improve and staying healthy. I feel very fortunate not to have any ailments or body parts that cause pain or bother me! I know I’m in for a busy year with my final year of graduate school, teaching full-time and being a mom! But with the confidence I have gained with the Buffmother program, I know I can do it!
*Do you feel you made an impact on your legacy during this contest?
Definitely! I have showed my family, and especially my daughter – that you can do whatever you set your mind to and you CAN transform your body through making healthy food choices and working out. I’ve always tried to help my kids eat healthier and now since I am leading the example, it is working better. I’ve actually gotten more interested in cooking now too! I want to show them how great it feels to be fit and healthy for life!
*What is your REASON for doing this, your WHY?
I wanted to make the commitment to myself for better health and longevity. I am a happier and more complete person when I look better and feel better! I want to instill these values in my children and be an inspiration to my nursing students that I teach and patients that I care for. My parents both died from cancer and my brother had two types of cancer, so I hope that by chosing a healthy lifestyle I can decrease my chances and be around for my children a lot longer!!!! The 40th birthday coming up was HUGE motivation too!
*Did you feel the support group helped you stay on track?
YES! I loved our group, the Buff and the Beautiful! I am SO PROUD of how everyone did in this contest and really enjoyed getting to know them better! I was a co-leader with Dayle and tried to keep everyone motivated by checking their blogs and posting replies. We had a conference call that was good – even though we all were not able to get on! Dayle was awesome as a co-leader – I learned a ton from her experience in the Rally Room and she is SO motivating!
*What tactics did you use to stay focused and engaged for the entire 70 days?
I just jumped in and tried to get really involved in the Rally Room and looked at everyone’s before and after pics from previous contests, and learned as much as I could about HT, eating clean, and a variety of workouts. I loved reading everyone’s blogs and become super motivated by reading them. I felt like I had a whole team of awesome women behind me cheering me on – you know those BUFFMOTHERS!!! Lisa was the best resource ever too! I read Michelle’s incredible HT Book and After Baby Abs, and RE-read them – they was like my “Bible” that I lived by this summer! I spent a ton of time reading magazines like Oxygen and M&F Hers as well as Tosca Reno’s Eat Clean Diet Book and the Butt Book. I loved those too! Reading about fitness and nutrition inspires me A LOT and keeps me very focused.
*Did you reward yourself when you hit certain goals along the way?
I did recently by buying myself some new, smaller clothes that actually fit better! My absolute favorites are my Lucky jeans and capris – size 4!!!!! (also splurged on some new PINK Asics running shoes since I’ve been running so much!)
*What other thoughts are in your head at the moment?
I just am SO thrilled with my results and couldn’t be happier right now!!! I haven’t been in this good of shape since I was maybe 20 – okay – that’s almost 20 years ago now! WOW – I’m going to be 40 in about 40 days and feel in the best shape I have been since I was a teen! UNBELIEVABLE!!!!
*Did you GET to know your body? Did you learn about your good c-days, your bad c-days, your weight fluctuations, etc…
Oh yes and I loved figuring it out! It is truly amazing how HT works. It totally makes sense. I was surprised to see my cycles get so much shorter, menses last a shorter amount of time, and less cramping! Learned to not worry about the bloating weight gain, and know that if I want to take off a couple pounds, I can do it! I’m a nurse and studying to be a nurse practitioner in women’s health more specifically, so this really intrigued me and is something I hope to help patients with someday. SO many women come in and want to lose weight! It is a common problem I will likely be dealing with a lot.
*Did anything surprise you?
Yes – that I actually could do it! And love it! I did it the RIGHT way too! NO starving myself or just eating salads all the time. I ate a ton this summer – every 3 hours – just more nutrient dense and clean eating foods that my body needs. It was not really that hard to stay away from the bad foods because I had a goal and was feeling SO good! I quit drinking Diet Dr. Pepper and drink a ton of water now – which I love! I used to drink several pops a day and even first thing in the am! I am also surprised at how much I absolutely love the Rally Room and what a great support that has been. The friendships made there are just very special and we all have something in common – the quest for fitness and healthy living. It’s enriched my life a ton by knowing all these incredible women, their trials and tribulations!
*Did anyone else’s impact you along the way?
Definitely!
Michelle – aka Buffmother – Need I say more? She is ONE superstar and is always so upbeat and full of fire! She is so smart to have figured this HT all out too!
Lisa – She is amazing! I so respect her for all she has done transforming her body and competing in figure! She introduced me to this, afterall. And she is just the fun, awesome same Lisa that was in my wedding and my college buddy!
Annie – She joined shortly after me and we figured out things together. We texted each other and talked a lot too! I learned a lot about clean eating and changing my diet as well as getting a lot of motivation from my friend of 14 years! Love all the NEBRASKA TEAM BUFFMOTHER girls!!! Looking forward to meeting more of them soon!
Dayle – She was the best co-leader I could have EVER have had on the Buff and Beautiful team. She was so energetic and positive all the time even having such a devastating loss in her family. She just amazes me!
Kermane, Linda, Leslie – Always blogging everyday and so good about sharing great information as well as cute and motivating comments!
Carrie Peck, Trish & Julie in CA – AWESOME! These girls are the BOMB to me! SO fun and positive all the time. They are inspire me! I love reading the competition stuff too.
Deanna, both Kims, Monica, Colleen (fitnblond5), Jessie, Karen in NJ – and other members of the Buff and Beautiful team – we ROCKED!!!! SO MANY others that I hope to get to know better soon as we continue on our fitness journey!!!! GOOD JOB BUFFMOTHERS! WE ARE ALL SUPERSTARS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
HERE IS MY BEFORE – 136lbs…Many more pics in my gallery and I did a photoshoot in a studio and will get those pics hopefully soon!!!!
I am so FIRED UP!!!
Posted by buffmother in Success Stories, contests, legacy, rally room on September 14th, 2009
I am so FIRED UP!!!
It seems like I’ve been anticipating the start of this contest forever!! I can’t believe it’s finally here!! I feel like I am starting on a 10 week “Adventure Vacation” with a couple hundred other amazing women!!! ~ I am so FIRED UP!!! Thanks for being excited too~ we are going to have a blast!
I’ve had a couple days of decent workouts~ after my little “REST” phase….excluding the last 2 days, I’ve only gotten in about 4-5 workouts during the past 2 weeks. Which has been very good for me! I needed the rest and RECHARGE!!
Today’s workout went like this:
Talked to our SUPER HERO, 1st place winner, Professional Figure Athlete, DEB GRAY while tanning
Warm up R-bike 10 mins
Leg extensions- 3 sets warm up/ pre-exhaust
Leg curls- standing one leg at a time- a “new” machine for me 3 sets
Squats
45×10
95×10
135×6x2
145×6
Lateral Raises with 10# plates- between squat sets
3x 20 reps
Abs on ball- 2 sets
Dead Lifts
95×20reps…I realized “Hey! You’re back is healthy enough…It’s time to put on more weight!”
115×10x3sets
Squats- one more set of 135×10 reps
One leg at a time leg pressx3 sets
Calf raises- 3 sets
Butt Squats on smith- 1 set
Smith Lunges- 4 sets
Abs on floor mat- 3 sets various types
Walking Lunges- 2 sets of 30 steps with 55# on back
Abs on floor mat- 3 sets various types
It was a very good solid final BOOSTING workout for me…I’ve decided to start buffing early because I wanna look extra good for all the events in Omaha~ I leave to go there in just 10 days! AND I am sick of Boosting~ I thought I got my period yesterday (would have been only a 25 day cycle) but I was just spotting. Tomorrow will be c-day 28 and I expect TOM will come no later than by TUESDAY.
I wanna point out that I am doing this contest too~ I am not just a leader/coach/trainer in this I am also a contestant! I made sure to get READY for the contest just as I instructed you to….
My stumbling blocks recently have been to do with “time”- I have the time, but I feel like I need to spend my time working…instead of working out. Which in all reality is silly because being in GREAT shape is part of my job, lol!
-Michelle
p.s.please consider some getting some extra “support” by joining my video coaching site
FYI~ save 20% with the SEPTEMBER coupon code: SSSBUFFSEPT http://buffmother.com/videocoaching
Deb Gray is a SUPER HERO!!
Posted by buffmother in Beauty, BuffMother, Michelle Berger, Success Stories, contests, hormonal timing on September 9th, 2009
Deb Gray is a SUPER HERO!! and she’s competing in just a couple days in the FIGURE division at the NANBF Natural Kansas City Golds Classic...so if you are in the area be sure to go see her!! You’ll be blown away by her super hero powers~ Please leave a comment here to CHEER her on! I’ll be sure she sees it prior to her contest Saturday!
I’ve had the honor of getting to know Deb Gray over the past 3 years. 3 years ago I met Deb for the first time when my client and DEB’s best friend was competing in a figure contest in Council Bluffs- the Buff’s Classic. Deb’s youngest daughter was just under a year old at that time and Deb looked like your typical “Mom of 2″….But DEB has proved she is anything but typical!!
She lost all of her baby weight, transformed her body using Hormonal Timing, won several trophies and tiles in NANBF Figure, participated as a testimonial in my Hormonal Timing infomercial and has inspired so many women along the way!!
I love this woman~ She is a true SUPER HERO ! …Please do me a favor and leave a comment here to CHEER her on! I’ll be sure she sees it prior to her contest Saturday!
The signature she shares in our Rally Room I just love!!
FIT and FABULOUS is as easy as your ABC’s
“A”-attitude
“B”-believing God is with you
“C”-consistency
Deb Gray’s Transformation Story ( copied from from www.completenutrition.com/misc.php?pages_ID=20)
Omaha, NE
Growing up I had always competed in sports. I also enjoyed working out, and that is why I chose to get my degree in Exercise Science. After getting my degree, I started my own business as a personal trainer. I was fortunate to train a wide variety of clients (female, male, young and old from 9 years to 102 years). I did this for 10 plus years, and then decided on a career change. During this time I had my first daughter. What an amazing and emotional experience. You never think you can love someone so much and then love yourself again after gaining 55#s!! I went back to a “not so healthy” quick fix program. Basically I was starving myself and doing tons of cardio. Well I lost weight, but felt awful. I had no energy, was cranky and it seemed to always be hungry!!! Three years later I was pregnant again and told myself I would not gain 55#’s this time, but I ended up gaining over that! I remember the scale at 160 when I was one month along and then looking for the last time with 2 weeks to delivery at 225!! I am not a math wizard, but I had to of gained 65#’s, if not more. Holy smokes, how would I ever loose all that weight? It was about a year after my second daughter’s birth, that a great friend of mine started training for a figure competition. It motivated and inspired me to make a change. I started working out consistently, eating healthy and taking the right supplements. I followed a training program from BuffMother.com, which is an online support resource. I believe it was a combination of everything that helped me to transform and transform quickly. I work out 6 days a week for 45-90 min max and eat 5 small meals a day. I also take the following supplements from Complete Nutrition: No2, Amplify protein, Creatine, Tone, Joint, Complete Woman Vitamin, 3-in-1, Accelelean, Control and glutamine.
This is an example of a day with supplements, diet and workout.
Meal 1:
1 c. oatmeal w/ cinnamon and blueberries
4 egg whites plus 1 whole egg scrambled
Supplements:
Complete Woman Vitamin, Reclaim Joint and Tone, No2, 3-in-1, Accelelean
Workout:
5 min warm up
Assisted pullups 3 x 6-8 reps
Pulldowns: 3x 6
Rows: 4 x 8
One arm at a time pulldown: 3 x 6 each side
Ez bar curl: 4 sets; 2 wide/2 narrow 6 reps
Hammer curl: 3 x 6 reps
Intervals on treadmill: 4 min warm up
8 intervals for 30 sec hard and 90 sec recovery
Total of 20 minutes
Meal 2:
Amplify shake with 2 scoops, 1 teaspoon of peanut butter, 1 teaspoon of glutamine, water and ice; blended
Meal 3:
whole wheat tortilla with canned tuna, mayo, almond and celery
Supplements:
No2, Complete Woman Vitamin, 3-in-1, Accelelean
Meal 4:
grilled chicken breast on spinach salad
Supplements:
Tone and Control
Meal 5:
steak, asparagus with red pepper and sweet potato
Why am I sharing this? I hope I can motivate and inspire others. You might not want to compete, but I believe everyone wants to feel and look better. I started in January of 2008, weighing 165#’s with 25% body fat. With being more consistent with working out, and then really watching my diet and supplements in February my body began to change. After one month I had big transformations, but by the end of May they were huge, in fact I competed and won the Nebraska and Heartland Open figure classes. I weighed 137 with 17% body fat at competition time. It was not always easy, but it has been worth the hard work and effort. I believe you can do it too when you decide to make the choice to change. Deb
SSS Final Entry Form
Posted by buffmother in Success Stories, contests, rally room on September 5th, 2009
SSS Final Entry Form-
This is to be filled out and submitted to me via e-mail when you have completed your 10 weeks of the SSS contest. We have a new “official” contest starting 9/14~ the end date will be the SUNDAY prior to Thanksgiving (Nov 22nd) and all entries are DUE the following Wednesday, DEC 2nd. Winners will then be announce within 2 weeks of that date (no later than Dec 16th).
For all who submit a complete final SSS contest entry
You will get a prize~
A FREE BuffMother! shirt!!!
***If you start the 10 weeks late and finish late you are still eligible to win prizes for our NEXT round of judging~ we judge this contest 3 times a year and the contest is open to anyone who wants to join any time!! So please be sure to submit your entries!!!
To be officially entered I need 3 things from you~ Beginning/Ending STATS, PHOTOS, and the SSS Final Enrty questionaire.
#1-Beginning/Ending STATS-
To enter All you need to take are the basic 5~
Height:
Weight:
Bust:
Waist:
Hips:
However if you really want to see how ever aspect of your body changes over the contest~ Here are the Measurements and STATS I personally take:
Today’s Date:_________ height:_____________ weight:___________ age:_______
Today’s cycle day-
Please list the following measurements:
Bust (around breasts the biggest part):
Chest- relaxed (just under armpits above breasts with arms down at your sides):
Chest- flexed back and chest (just under armpits with arms down at your sides):
Waist- relaxed (the smallest part):
Waist-sucked in (the smallest part):
Hips (the largest part of your butt):
Shoulders (around the outside of your shoulders with your arms at sides):
Biceps (relaxed at midpoint of upper arm):
Biceps (flexed at midpoint of upper arm):
Thigh-mid (about 8” above knee cap):
Thigh- upper (about 12” above knee cap):
Calf (about 7” below knee joint):
Caliper measurements (*these are the ones I like to track on myself and use to calculate my body fat, for further info on body fat measurements here is a link www.linear-software.com/online.html)
*Tricep:
*Thigh:
*Iliac:
Abdomen (I do this one for kicks, since I am an apple):
#2- Pictures- I need your most dramatic before and after shot. Please send only 1 of each with your entry.
~Aim to produce photos that will be most comparable with the last set and next set of progress photos you take.
Please take at least beginning and ending 3 shots-
1. straight on arms at sides
2. behind with arms up flexing biceps
3. from the side
#3-Final Entry Form
Name:
Address:
Number of children and ages (it’s okay if you have 0):
Age:
e-mail address:
Why did you enter the SSS contest by BuffMother?
What tactics did you use to stay focused and engaged for the entire 70 days?
How do you feel about your success?
What obstacles did you have to overcome in order to attain your goals?
What would you like to tell the world about BuffMother ?
At the completion of your 10 weeks, Be sure to e-mail all 3 items (stats, photos and questionnaire) to SSSentry@buffmother.com
Have fun!! I can’t wait to see the final Submissions for the SSS Contest!!
I know that all of you who’ve participated are WINNERS!!!
Thanks so much for your effort~
Your friend!!
-Michelle (aka BuffMother!)
p.s. here’s a little video for you~
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