Announcing our 2003 First Place winner in the GHF Fitness Challenge: Marie Claude Lalo. Throughout the last 12 weeks of our contest, by following our Online Fitness Program, she achieved amazing results! Please take a moment to read her essay and take a look at her very impressive Before and After photos. We're sure you'll find them as inspiring as we did and we hope they motivate you take action and enter our 2004 contest!

"After I gave birth to babies number 3 and 4 (I had twins, a boy and a girl), I was completely desperate and sad. I was also very disappointed with my body, as I'd gained more than 50 pounds with that pregnancy. I heard and read stories about mothers of twins who had gained that much weight, and their body was never the same! As you can imagine, I got really upset. More important than just my appearance, I wanted to be healthy, have more energy, and if possible, improve my physique.

Little did I know that I would be able to change not only my body, but also my whole lifestyle just by joining the Global Health and Fitness (GHF) Online Fitness Program and following their excellent advice.

I started to work out on my own at first, walking some days and randomly going to the gym. Then I discovered the GHF site. I was very skeptical at the beginning, so I simply signed up to receive their free weekly newsletter. Then I decided to join their program, and quickly began learning how much more I could gain from it.

I started reading their online books and I consulted their strength training program and their personal nutrition suggestions from their experts, learning to work with my body by improving the areas that I could, reading about things that I never knew were out there. But as every human being, I had my ups and downs, yet thanks to the constant personal feedback I received from GHF, it kept me going and wanting more improvement every time. The GHF Online Fitness Program gave me the strength, personal guidance, and hope to go on.

Every time I had a question, I got a reply not only within a day (usually a lot less), but I got answers from different people, specialists in their field, for each question I had. When I needed help with nutrition, Chad was very helpful and kind in answering all my inquiries and getting additional feedback for me from other qualified professionals. Dani Myers was wonderful for my exercise questions. And I even got help from Smiley, who helped me with information on children's fitness for my kids. Now, THAT is what I call a complete staff of prepared personnel!

At the beginning, I started losing the weight fast, and I was amazed at the results I got from simply following GHF's diet plan and working out differently from the way that I was used to. But I was also looking for a solid goal, and I kept wondering if I should start training for a marathon to keep me motivated. Then I read about the GHF 12-week contest and I gave it some thought. I started this contest as a challenge for myself. I consulted with my husband who agreed that it might be a great idea, saying, "I think it might be pretty cool. The worst that could happen is that you will look better and be healthier." He has supported me 100% with all the commitments it required.

I had a trainer in my hometown take my measurements and fat % values, and he has been really surprised with the improvements I made with GHF's program. Every time I went to see him, he would say, "Now you'll hit a plateau and stop losing fat," but every time I went back, it kept coming down. My lean body mass has grown, meaning that I have gained almost 6 pounds of lean, fat-burning muscle! My body fat percentage has lowered from 26.8% to 21.6% (after just the first 8 weeks in the program), and for me, at my size and my age, and without taking any drugs or supplements, this is really amazing.

It has been a particularly hard challenge to change my eating habits and has required a strong commitment. Here in Panama City (Central America) where I live, we can't get all the fat-free, sugar-free, low-carb foods, protein bars, etc. Here we are used to a lot of fried and greasy foods. Thanks to this contest, and all the help I received from GHF's experts, I am now not only cooking healthy for me but for my whole family as well.

I am finishing this contest SO HAPPY, as I really feel like I am a winner. In fact, all of us contestants are winners. Just by making the decision and following through, we are headed to a better, healthier future. Thanks so much, GHF!

I joined the GHF program and entered their contest as a personal goal for myself. Now seeing the changes in my life, in my body, in my health, I really think that I have won much more than a prize. The way I look and feel now, at age 33, with 4 children, is PRICELESS!!

Eternally grateful,

Marie Claude Lalo
Panama City, Panama
clodilalo@missrie.com

Congratulations, Marie Claude! We're very proud to have you as a GHF member; it's been a real pleasure helping you achieve your fitness goals. We really look forward to celebrating with you on the vacation of a lifetime!

GHF members, want to take a look at the Before and After photos and essay of our previous winners? Click here! And if you're interested in seeing our vacation photos from past winners, click here! We really hope these photos and essay provide the motivation and inspiration you need to know that you too can make amazing improvements in how you look, feel, and perform. If you're ready to make a change, we'd love the opportunity to personally help you reach your full potential.

In the words of Abraham Lincoln, "You can have anything you want - if you want it badly enough. You can be anything you want to be, do anything you set out to accomplish if you hold to that desire with singleness of purpose." Ready to take the challenge? Click here to get started.