success stories: andrew kaufmann

"I look, feel and act like a new person."

	before	after
weight	268 lbs	215 lbs
bodyfat	29%	17%

my challenge

My whole life I have struggled with a weight problem. I read diet books, tried different fad diets, consulted with nutritionists, doctors, and even therapists. I got some results but they never lasted. Every person I consulted with had his or her valid perspective, but when I tired to implement each idea, the results were limited and short-lived.

In the summer of 2003, when my weight was at an all time high, and my self-esteem at an all-time low, I decided it was time to take charge of my fitness and my life once and for all. Naturally skeptical about all fitness and diet programs, I hesitantly joined 24 Hour Fitness and signed up for a few training sessions.

my training

What I quickly discovered is that the 24 Hour Fitness program was different from anything else I had tried before. It was a complete wellness solution, an entire fitness program that addressed all aspects of my fitness and health. Diet, weight-training, and cardio vascular exercise, taken together, was the integrated solution that had been lacking in all of my former weight-loss programs.

The second thing I discovered is that a good trainer makes all the difference in the world. Not only was my trainer, Billy Mikus, a skilled exercise coach but he became an important motivational force in my life. Billy constantly inspired me to be my very best - in the gym and outside of it. When I would complain during our workouts, as I tended to do often, Billy would push me even harder, knowing that whining was simply my way of saying, "I have self-doubt."

When I achieved a milestone, he would congratulate me heartily and remind me of how far I had come. As time went on, Billy often reminded me of the great distance I had traveled which inspired me to push on towards my ultimate goals. Billy constantly reinforced in me the values of self-discipline, self-respect, and self praise – values which began to permeate every aspect of my life.

my results

After approximately 16 months of working with Billy, I can say that my health and my self-esteem are through the roof, higher than at any other point in my life. On the fitness side, the numbers speak volumes. I have cut my body fat in half, from 30% to 15%! I have dropped my weight by 50 pounds, from 270 to 220 pounds. I have had to buy a whole new wardrobe of pants, as my waist size has dropped from 46 to 37.

But even these incredible statistics only tell half the story. The other half of the story is told by the other major, less tangible changes in my life. I now comfortably wear a smile on my face. I stand tall, and I walk with purpose no matter where I am going or what I am doing. I have much more energy in every aspect of my life, and I am more active than I have ever been. Women find me sexy. This is not just because I now look sexy, but also because I carry myself with confidence, flair, and positive energy.

My professional life has also gotten a huge boost from the overall increased self-confidence I project. Within the past four months alone, I was hired as a literature expert by Oprah's Book Club, I was offered a visiting assistant professor position at the University of Virginia, and I have been approached by a major American publisher to write a book in my area of expertise. In short, my entire personal and professional life has been transformed. I look, feel and act like a new person.

I am certain none of this would have been possible without the 24 Hour Fitness Solutions program and the amazing touch of my skilled and inspirational trainer, Billy Mikus. When I went for my annual doctor's check up a few weeks ago, my doctor was stunned by the changes in me. "I'm sorry I can't take the credit myself," he told me. "But maybe I can help my other patients. What program did you follow?" I looked at him with a proud grin and said, "24 Hour Fitness!" "I didn't know they had a weight loss program," he responded, "They don't," I said. "They have a total life transformation program!"