MARY SANDBERG!!! TRANSFORMATION OF THE YEAR!!!

Let us introduce all of you to Mary Sandberg our first Transformation of the Year 2014. We featured Mary’s amazing transformation story back in November. In her story Mary relieved her battle with an eating disorder at a young age. Her battle with food and diet pills that followed her into adult hood. Then her triumph over past demons to transform her body and mind to a happy and peaceful state. In this interview we catch up with Mary to see how things have changed for her since being named Transformation of the Month for November. Along with her current plan for health and fitness in 2015.

Mary Sandberg Transformation of the Year! (Link to Video)

Now is the time! Let your voices be heard!

This has been an amazing year of motivation and inspiration here at Fitastic. Over this past year we have featured 11 unique transformations that have inspired us.  Your positive feedback on their journeys have been overwhelming, enough so that we want to know who is the most inspirational and motivational in 2014.  It is up to you to decide who was and is the most inspirational and motivational to you. Whose story inspired you to change and push yourself to achieve your health and fitness goals?  Whomever gets voted most inspirational will be named our Transformation of the Year and be re-featured in January 2015.  All voting will end on Monday, December 22th.

Click on the Athlete/Transformation below to showcase their featured story and VOTE BELOW:

February: Ben Chimoski

March: Heather Hayes

April: Anthony Fleischhauer

May: Jan Wilson

June: James Fascetta

July: Nicole Huberty 

August: Edward Honn

August: Libertine Grace Venzuela

September: Ashlee Adams

October: Cathi Trezek

November: Mary Sandberg

Thank you for your honest vote.

To another inspirational year ahead,

TEAM Fitastic.

November Transformation of the Month-Mary Sandberg

When we say fitness is a journey not a destination we mean it. Our November transformation Mary Sandberg began her journey 25 years ago. As you will ready Mary’s journey started out on a rough patch. Her journey started not because she wanted to be healthy; instead she wanted to look a certain way. A way that was neither sustainable nor healthy. Mary choose a dangerous path that started with an eating disorder at a young age which lead to yo-yo dieting and dangerous “lose fat fast” tactics as an adult. After 25 years on a dangerous journey she changed her bad habits, discovered herself, the love of her life, the true purpose of health and fitness along with the discovery of Fitastic. Mary is another success story from our Fitastic family. I will be honest and tell you that when I read Mary’s story it hit me right in the gut. I read her pain along with her eventual triumph. Mary has written her brave story in her own words accompanied with a set of interview questions to dive deeper into Mary’s fitness journey. Without further delay here is our Transformation of the Month, Mary Sandberg.

“My 25 year battle with my eating disorder, and finally at 37 I finally see me, a beautiful woman.

I’m a product of a “broken Home” raised by an ill single mom, in low income housing on the border of an Upper-class town. There was no father in my life, and I’ve been picked on, sexually assaulted, molested and raped all before the age of 16, most before the age of 10.  All of these things compiled on a child that was broken from a missing dad and being picked on for not having all of the good things so many of the kids I went to school with had made for a warped sense of myself and not wanting to give the kids anything else to pick on me for. 

It started in 6^th grade, I started skipping meals. I didn’t eat breakfast, and then skipped lunch. This was easy to do because let’s face it at that age no one pays attention to what or if anyone is eating.  At dinner time I would talk about not feeling well or eat very little.  I would go days with taking in no more than a couple hundred calories if even that.  I slid through Junior high always hungry but skinny, barely passing my classes. The first day of my freshman I met a junior who was smoking. She was new to the school and area and had no clue how not accepted I had become by everyone and decided to talk to me.  She was what one would call a “burnout”.  I remember asking her why she smoked and her stating it “helped curb her hunger and keep her thin”.  After spending three years always being hungry but not wanting to eat because I wanted to be thin, I figured this was the perfect solution. At the end of my freshman year my grandmother passed away, this destroyed me and sent me into a downward spiral more then I already was.  My total disregard for myself, my lack of any self-worth combined with all of the things I had been keeping buried for so many years that had been done to me caused me to try multiple times at killing myself and caused blackout periods. (more…)

October Transformation of the Month- Cathi Trezek

This is a momentous month Fitastic friends! This is the first of many transformations that have come directly from our community while achieving their transformation success using Fitastic fitness programming. If Cathi’s last name sounds familiar, it is because Cathi is the wife of our very own Coach Steve Trezek. Cathi is the perfect example of what happens when you follow your fitness roadmap, make the time and dedicate yourself to a healthy lifestyle.  As you will see in her pictures and story, Cathi has earned greater internal wellness and external physical accomplishments from our personalized Fitastic workout routines and services. However that is not the only reason why Cathi has been selected for this transformation. Cathi was chosen because she is a proud Mother of two young children and is living, walking, and talking proof that the excuses that a person is “too busy”to be healthy is just that, an excuse. How many times have you heard, I’m a busy Mom I can’t get to the gym; I’m overweight because of my kids; I eat the food my kids eat so that’s why I am overweight. My body has changed because of my kids so I’m stuck this way. The list goes on and on and on; just excuse after excuse. Well Cathi proves that excuses do not have to exist. Being a full time Mommy of two with a schedule fit to keep anybody’s head spinning and having had medical issues before and after her pregnancies, no excuses have stopped her from achieving her goals. Read her story below and along with her responses to my questions.  As you will read Cathi gives a whole new meaning to the term “Super Mom”.  Wild Will

Cathi’s Story

“My love for fitness and working out all started when I was young and I would sit on my Dad’s back while he did push-ups, or when he would tickle me while I laid behind his back during his sit-ups. Throughout my school days I played basketball, softball, lifted weights in the “pit”. When I moved California I discovered my love for running, but also was a member at 24 Hour Fitness where I would still lift weights. Not until moving back to Illinois and signing up at Bally Total Fitness did I truly know how weight lifting could be my new love of my life. Not to mention, also meeting my Husband Steve there. For the next few years I would lift heavier weight, put on mass, diet, all as I became intrigued with Figure Competitions. My first competition was June of 2006, from then on I competed a total of 6 times from 2006-2008. I became Mrs. Trezek August of 2009. In January of 2011 we found out we were expecting out first child in October, throughout my first pregnancy, I have to admit, it was a wonderful pregnancy. I felt great, the only thing wrong was the game my mind was playing on me in regards to my physical appearance, I worked out until I reached 8 mos pregnant and then my Doctor told me I needed to stop. I went from being in the best shape of my life to pregnant and gaining 33lbs, I was swollen EVERYWHERE. 

Our Daughter Johnna was born on October 2011 via emergency C-Section. I was not cleared to return to my workout for 10 weeks, yes 10 WEEKS! I was miserable. Upon returning, 10 weeks later, I could not believe how much muscle I lost and how weak I was. I felt like a beginner. But, that only helped my determination! For the next 9 months I lost 30 of the 33lbs, and put on some of the mass I had lost. Then, found out we were expecting our second child. My pregnancy with Joey was not as wonderful, I was extremely nauseas every day, all day for 12 weeks. My body was not happy with me, I was very uncomfortable, extreme pain in my SI joint, gained a total of 35lbs. I still pushed to workout until I was 7 mos pregnant. Our son Joey was born via C-section April 2013.This time I only waited 4 weeks before I returned to the gym, but with limitations of course. Limitations from my 2 C-Sections 18 months apart, umbilical hernia, diastasis, and torn right rotator cuff. I was very depressed with how many “imperfections” I saw in my body, imperfections to my eyes. 

So for the last year and a half I have busted my ass, pushed through my limitations and am happy to say I have lost a total of 38lbs, have 13.8% body fat. How did I do it you ask? If you believe a goal in your heart, you will overcome any obstacle that gets in your way. I have my strength, mass, and endurance back. I have done 2 workout programs, both took me to a whole new level of pushing my limits. Strength Training is a personalized program which assisted me in getting my strength and size back. Adipose Incineration, also a personalized program helped my endurance and conditioning quickly, helped me dial in. All it took was 3 days a week, working smarter, not harder. It was awesome having all the guess work taken out for me meaning weight, sets, reps, rest periods were all calculated for me based from my personalized strength assessment. Even post 2 pregnancies I never thought I could reach my goal, but I DID and I’m even below my pre-pregnancy weight. YAY! Train hard, love life, laugh often. God Bless”
Both can be found on feelfitastic.com” (more…)

September Athlete of the Month

 IFBB Pro Ashlee Adams

As we enter September and the summer season changes to fall, we at Fitastic are changing as well. Our Athlete of the month is transitioning to Transformation and Athlete of the Month. Going forward our featured person will be a mix of Athletes and every day folk all of whom have overcome both mental and physical transformations. You will also be hearing from our featured person directly. This inspirational person will be writing their story in their own words to bring you closer to them. Along with five interview questions asked by myself (Wild Will) to dig deeper into their story, their struggle, their success. You will also be able to follow him or her for the month as they pick an exclusive Training Program from Fitastic. Get excited for updates, pictures and videos as they take you through their Fitastic development and results. Those of you currently on programs can follow along right with them. We are a community at Fitastic; we support, help and inspire each other.

We are kicking off this new season with a BOOM!! Our September Athlete Ashlee Adams as you will soon read began using serious drugs and abusing alcohol at a very young age. Read her story on how she pulled herself out from becoming just another junkie with no future to becoming a Bikini IFBB Pro this year at Chicago Jr. Nationals. Fun Fact: Ashlee is our first IFBB Pro. Here is her story.

Before Fitness

“My story starts when I was in middle school, I was very active- involved with cheerleading, track, and gymnastics. Great student, great family as well. However around 13 years old I got myself involved with the wrong crowd of people. I started drinking and using drugs around this time and I continued to use substances until right after I turned 21. My grades started to slip, I was missing school, had been in and out of jail numerous times before I even graduated high school. Eventually everyone caught on and my family had tried so many times to get me help but at that point in my life people, including myself, thought I was a lost cause. At 17 when I graduated I moved to Chicago where I attempted to attend college at an art school, I had completely given up on any sort of fitness or wellness at this time and started drinking and using drugs every single day. Towards the end of my freshman year of college I started to realize I had a serious problem but I still wasn’t willing to give it up or get help for myself. I moved back home to Grand Rapids, MI and my life continued to be a complete chaotic, messy blur for the next 3 years. I lost all my friends, family had no idea how to help me anymore, my mental state was so out of line that I couldn’t see reality what so ever. I was depressed, alone, scared, lost, and confused. I had attempted suicide more than 3 times, was in and out of hospitals, and couldn’t think of anything except when and where I’d get my next drink or drug. I had shut out everyone, completely changed into a different person and had lost all hope. I completely lost myself to the disease of addiction and it wasn’t until 3 weeks after I turned 21 something hit me. I had reached a bottom, got the gift of desperation and found some willingness inside of me to change. I checked in to Brighton Recovery Hospital the next day and stayed for 60 days. At Brighton was where I found fitness. I remember we had a counselor named Mike- real old school, straight to the point guy. He also ran the gym… we had one treadmill, one elliptical, some machines and a punching bag. He taught me how to hit that bag harder than I have ever hit before. He told me to pick up an old punching bag, throw it over my shoulder and run down the hall. He screamed “that bag is all the weight you’ve been carrying for years Ashlee, do you feel that?” I came back to the gym and he told me to hit the bag with a baseball bat as hard as I could as many times as I wanted to. I have never felt a more freeing experience in my life! Brighton Hospital had saved my life in more ways than one. (more…)

DUAL ATHLETE’S of the MONTH- PART 2

The reality of the Client-Trainer Relationship

The client-trainer relationship is often misunderstood or portrayed poorly. Usually what you see is a good looking well-built male trainer training a wealthy cougar or you see some young female trainer screaming like a drill instructor at a group of overweight people. Until now! Before Ed and Libertine were Fitastic Athletes of the Month; before they were National Level Physique and Bikini competitors; before they were great friends; they were client and trainer.

Instead of writing my interpretation of their story we are taking Part 2 in a different direction. I sent both Ed and Libertine questions for them to answer based on their client-trainer relationship.  Whether you are a client, a trainer, someone who enjoys working out or thinking about getting a trainer; we can all learn from Ed and Libertine’s experience and successes. Read along thinking about your experiences. Would getting a personal trainer or program be a success for you? As trainers, are there techniques you can learn from Ed? As clients, are you working as hard as Libertine did, are you following the program?

What were your initial first impressions of each other after doing your first workout?

Ed-Did you see potential in Libertine?

I usually screen most of my clients before I accept them as clients; I want to make sure they are dedicated and serious about their training and personal development.  That being said, I could tell Libby and I would get together just fine.  As you know, she is very amicable and upbeat—she established a solid foundation and I could see great potential.

Libby-Did you see or feel that Ed was the right fit for you?

After the initial consultation and session, I knew Ed was the right fit for me. He understood my goals to drop fat and gain lean muscle as well as my need for a variety of training methods to keep my interests piqued.

In the beginning what were some of the biggest hurdles you both had to overcome?

Ed-What did you have to focus on the most with Libertine? Diet? Prep? Workouts?

Every program I create is progressive–based on the current status of the individual client.  I don’t think there were any hurdles per se, more like accomplishments and achievements, always striving for something greater.

Libby-What where some of your early struggles/hurdles that you had to overcome?

I’m not sure that I had any struggles/hurdles that I had to overcome. If I had to pick something, I would say it would have to be nutrition.

Training (more…)

August presents a special month in featured inspiration and lifestyle transformation for Team Fitastic!  We are proud to announce a double punch to our Athlete of the Month showcase.  Each have been blogged in their entirety regarding the challenges, struggles, accomplishments, and future ambitions they have been gracious enough to share with us.

You can find each article here:

Mr. Ed Honn

Mrs. Libertine Grace Venzuela

Enjoy and be Inspired,

Team Fitastic

Female Athlete of the Month

Libertine Grace Venzuela

There comes a time in all of our lives when we are faced with a turning point. We see the direction our life is going and we either give in to the acceptance that “this is it”. Or we look around, realize that we are better than this and begin to the make the necessary changes to live the life that we want to live. It’s a road often less traveled because it requires change and work; the two things majority of people are not willing to do. Our Female Athlete of the Month Libertine, chose the path less traveled. She forged a new path after looking at the life she was living. She changed her habits, she changed her friends, and she changed her life.  As you read her inspiring story I want you to think about your path, your life and to know that if you are not happy, regardless of age you like Libertine can change it.

From the ages of 32 to 36 years old you could find Libertine at the bar. She would be the girl out partying, smoking and took pride in her ability to out-drink a man. She was a sailor at the bar and she loved every minute of it. She was free, she was on her own and she could do anything she wanted to. If she wanted to go out on Monday night and get drunk, well hell that’s what she is going to do. It didn’t matter; she was a cardio queen that would spend hours on that elliptical working on her fitness to offset these habits, so she thought.  For four years this was the life she lead, no one was going to stop her or get in her way of having a good time. However at the age of 36 she began to notice a few things about her body that were not quite right. First her face didn’t look 36 it looked 46. Her clothes weren’t as hot as they once were. The elliptical was no longer keeping her body tight and her belly from coming over her jeans.  It wasn’t  just looks either; she felt old, a lot older than 36 years old should feel. It was at this point that after four years the lifestyle of bar fly had caught up to her.

This is a point many women Libertine’s age come to. This is point where they need to make a hard decision or an easy decision. You can guess what most women do, they go out and by bigger clothes, they start to dye their hair and they keep the local makeup shop in business. They pretend nothing is happening and go on with their unhealthy lifestyle. Libertine is not most women. She looked at her closet and said hell no, I’m not going to spend money on new clothes. Hell no am I going to continue waking up in the morning with (more…)

Athlete of the Month

Ed Honn

Let me be the first of many to congratulate Ed Honn as our Fitastic Athlete of the Month August. As you will read, Ed like all of our athletes is not a just a pretty face with a great physique in a pair of board shorts.  There is more to Ed then the sleek, stylish fitness modeling pictures you’ve seen on Face Book by great photographers like Pat Lee and FriousFotog. There is more than sponsorship and much, much more then pictures of ice cream and cheat meals.  Part 1 of August Athlete of the Month will focus on who Ed is, while Part 2 will focus more on who Ed is as a personal trainer.

Looking back fitness and health began for Ed at age 16 when he discovered his love for sports specifically track and wrestling.  In choosing those two particular sports, Ed began a path of hard work he didn’t even know he chose, but one he willingly accepted. As far as Ed’s past or story goes there really is not much to focus on. When I interviewed Ed he said “we all of our sad story, everyone has had horrible things happen to them”. He chooses not to focus on that; but instead to look ahead and rise above any challenge or hardship. So with that we will do the same; we also will not be focusing much on Ed’s competitive physique career, for again that is not who Ed is. Yes he loves competition, it brings out his best. Yes he loves to get up on stage and show off his hard work and yes he is a National Level competitor. He is honored to be a sponsored athlete with MuscleTech and of course the photo shoots are always fun. However more than all of those things Ed is the face of hard work, a life changing personal trainer and a future Officer with the United States Marine Corps.Hard Work

Ed learned the value of hard work when he started out in sports. In other team sports like Baseball, Basketball or Football you have team mates to fall back on. So if there is any area you are weaker in there is someone strong to help you. Not in track and not in wrestling. So from High School on, Ed had to work on any of his weaker areas for there was no one but him.  If Ed’s upper body strength was weak he had to work on it, if Ed’s conditioning wasn’t on point he had to work on it. It was constant work to always be better than the next guy. This followed Ed into college as a collegiate track athlete; this is also where Ed found his true love of weight lifting and bodybuilding. In the gym Ed did not only improve his strength and his physique; he met his buds, who then became roommates, who then became lifelong friends.  In addition Ed’s hard work has followed him in his professional career becoming a well sought after, in demand personal trainer at X Sport fitness.  There Ed instills his values of hard work on his client’s lives to help them reach (more…)

July Athlete of the Month

Nicole Huberty

From Party Girl to Bikini Girl

The Before. The After

This month we congratulate Nicole Huberty on her selection as our July Athlete of the Month. Though Nicole started to compete in the Bikini division this past year, during that year Nicole has competed in five shows. Her first show she placed in the top 5, her 2^nd show (A Fitastic favorite Kevin Noble) she placed 7th. She earned her best placing at Fox Cities in 3^rd place. This past June she made her National debut at Jr. Nationals; her placing was towards the bottom. However that did not get our girl down. In fact it was her positive outlook on her placing that sealed her as our July Athlete. Nicole as you will read realized that being a party girl was no longer what she thought it was. She realized that to make the right changes in her life and be the person she wanted to be she had to move on. She needed something to focus on to pull her out of the bar world and into the fitness world. Nicole could have followed in the footsteps of many a part girl before her. Living an unsatisfied life of unhealthy inhibitions; instead she changed her life to become the Athlete that she is today.

Five years ago at the age of 21 Nicole was “that girl”; we all knew her. She was our favorite bartender; she drank them just as fast as she could pour them. If she wasn’t behind the bar 5 nights a week she was sitting at it on the 6^th night. Throwing back beers, shots and cocktails with her “friends” having the time of her life. What did it matter, she was young and her metabolism was fast. It was nothing to it for her to chow down on bar food night after night or when the mood struck her to take a down her favorite McDonalds value meal; the Double Quarter Pounder with cheese. As the years progressed and she went from 18 to 23 she began to notice how nothing was really different. Here she was five years later dealing with the same drama that comes with the party girl lifestyle. Fleeting relationships, these weren’t real friends they were going out friends. If she needed help or advice she couldn’t go to these people whose problems were solved in the bottom of a bottle. It was the same thing night after night complaining about the life they had, the cards they were dealt all the (more…)