We hear success stories from our members literally every day.  In the past we have asked people to share their success stories via testimonials, but most people shy away from that.  Some of the most compelling successes don't want to share their story in a testimonial because they are shy, some don't think they are that big of a deal, and some don't think that their story would inspire others.

I, Joel Potter, continue to be inspired by every success story. And while what each member considers a success varies greatly, each story serves to inspire the staff on many levels.  This page is intended to share just a few of those successes with you.  I suspect that you will find a few stories to which you can relate and a few stories that will serve to inspire you. 

I should point out that these stories come from each of the 4 clubs.  There are differences between the clubs that may come out in the stories.  And because these stories are quickly recorded each day by the staff I ask that you overlook any errors and focus on the message itself .  There is very little editing done so that you can get the message in its purest form.

Dave, 41. Enjoys working out at the gym really likes bring his son or  one of his sons friends on occasions in on his VIP membership to help train them for football.

Jennifer, 47. Has been a member since July 2009.  She was diagnosed with diabetes in June and has been coming to the gym since.  She has lost 43 lbs and feels completely different from what she has in the past.

Daniel, 45.  He said he has been coming in for about a month.  It has given him a better sense of well being, he is more confident in his day to day activities, and he is feeling slimmer.

Jen, 31. She joined 6 months ago and started working with Jana a custom built trainer.  She was 210 when she joined, now is down to 163.  She says there's still a ways to go, but feels better standing in front of her classroom all day (she’s a pre-school teacher!).  She's getting her sister to join soon.

Skip, 76. “I had a stress test done and passed with flying colors; doctor said I did better than men half my age.  Whatever I am doing at the gym I should keep doing it.”

Josh, 36.  “I have been a member for about 10 years and have lost 80 pounds and been able to keep it off for 8 years.”

Naomi, 36.  Has lost 30 pounds since she started. She said this place has become more of an addiction for her.

Tom, 48.  Is married to an avid runner. Tom joined during August of 09. He made a promise that he would run his first 5k with her in Marshall at the beginning of May of 2010. When he joined he had not worked out since college and couldn't run for more than 3 minutes without stopping. He said that he ran 3 miles this weekend. He told me that he was slow but he never stopped to walk. Tom is proud to say that he lifts 2 times week and does cardio 3 times a week.

David, 31. “I have lost over 40 lbs in the last 3 months, just by changing my eating habits and coming to the gym.  I feel great!"

Rashid, 36. Has been coming in with his 14 year old son. He said that their relationship has grown so much since they started working out together. He said it finally seems like they have something in common.

Rachel, 34. This is the first gym she has ever belonged to but she loves working out! She has lost 18 pounds and feels better that she has ever felt. She now enjoys roller skating and hiking when in the past she didn't enjoy these activities. (They made her feel out of shape.)

Jean, 67.  Has been coming to the gym since 2001 and enjoys coming in. She has worked with trainers from Custom Built and has lost inches and weight, and it makes her feel good. She wants to keep her joints moving and maintain the muscle on her body.

Jill, 38.  She has 2 kids, 5 and 7.  She has not been active since the birth of her children.  In August she joined Gold's and has been coming 2-3 times a week.  She has lost 32 lbs and feels much better about herself.  She enjoys playing with her kids more because she can breathe better and is not so tired running around after them.

Kevin, 28. Kevin has been a member for just under two years and he has lost 80 pounds! He is no longer focusing on losing weight (he still comes in 3 times a week) but his energy levels are up and he said the he feels like "a different person".

John, 27.  Has been a member over 2 years and lost 15 pounds of fat and put on muscle. He now has more energy and isn't always tired. He loves to work out and it has changed his life.

Margaret, 53.  She has been coming to the gym since she signed up last May.  She has lost 46 lbs.  She is wearing clothes that she has not been able to wear in a long time and she enjoys being able to buy new clothes in a smaller size.

Ralph, 36. Ralph used to work out here several years ago and during his time away he put on some extra weight. Since coming back 1 year ago, Ralph has dedicated himself to feeling and looking better. Ralph has lost more than forty pounds and now has the energy to play with his 2 year old daughter. He couldn't be happier.

Paula, 53.  She has lost over 40 pounds.  Her success has come from a combination of things, resistance training, cardio, proper nutrition. 

Jacob, 24. “I work 2 jobs and go to school but find the time to get here nearly every day. My confidence has risen and I feel like I can accomplish a lot more.”

Luke, 19. First gym he's ever joined.  Said he tried to come in a week ago and we wouldn't let him join without the parent signature.  Today is his birthday and he was excited to come back.  His older brother works out here and loves it, and he's wanted to work out with him for a long time.

David, 31. Has lost 41 lbs.  Weighing 243, he now weighs 202.  He has been coming to the gym on a very regular basis, in a little over 3 months he has made this change.  He has altered his eating habits and has a goal losing another 22 lbs.

Kimberly, 29. When asked how her workouts were going she was glowing when she burst out that she has lost 36 lbs since she has been coming to the gym. She said she had to call her trainer Nick and tell him because she was so excited. The staff member said it was so great to see her so happy and feeling great about herself.

Suzanne, 29. She has two kids she puts in our daycare when she does cardio.  She stopped at the desk yesterday and talked about how much she loved the facility.  She loves Kristen in the child care, and loves the fact that people like her are here when she is.  She has made a couple new friends here, now they all do their cardio together once a week.  She's about 200 pounds and trying to lose her baby fat, she's excited to be here.

Rachel, 69. She has been a member since February. When asked about her workouts she said that this gym sure beats Curves as she was not getting any results there and felt it was a waste of her time. She said she is very happy here and doing great now.

Alonzo. 42. Came in to sign up wife and after talking with staff decided to also enroll. They use to pay almost double what they pay now. He is now working hard at his health and very happy with the gym

Christine, 47.  She has been a member for almost a year.  She started coming to the gym on a more regular basis back in January, when the Biggest Loser season started.  She has seen these people lose quite a bit of weight on the show and has realized it’s everything that she does that makes a difference in her life. Healthy eating and exercise has led her to lose 23 lbs so far and she sleeps much better at night.

Rodney, 57 and Gloria, 54.  They have been married for 18 years.  Their marriage has becoming stale; they went to a marriage counselor and were told to do something together.  They started at the gym almost a year ago and while Rodney has lost 27 lbs and Gloria has lost 18, their marriage is stronger than ever and their sex is life is just like they were newlyweds and they enjoy being around each other more than ever.

Daniel, 36.. Since starting at gym has increased his strength to help handle the conflicts at his job as a guard. He has also completely lost his gut and now developing a six pack. He says he feels awake and alive more than ever in his life.

Michelle, 39. Michelle became a member a little over 2 years ago. She started out 275 pounds and has lost 42 pounds. She has noticed that her everyday activities are SO much easier. She can used stairs without getting winded and it's not a big deal if she has to park a long way away from a business. She knows she has a long way to go but realizes that she is on the right path.

Carrie, 32.  She gained 70 pounds because of a medical condition. She decided to join the gym 3 months ago and has since lost 15 pounds. She is very happy with her results and the rest of the facility.

Rusty, 46.  Has lost a total of 26 pounds since the end of January.  He has been in a competition at his work.  He has been motivated by that as well as his 3 other co workers that work out at Gold's as well. 

Sandra, 33 and Pedro, 35.  Have been members since 2005 and have sponsored many family members and friends including in laws, nieces, nephews and daughter. They try to promote working out even with their busy schedules. Sandra and Pedro own their own restaurant and work 7 days a week 12 hours a day yet still find time to come in and workout as they both feel it is very important for them.

James, 42.  He has been a VIP member for a little over a year.  He has been bringing his workout partner as his guest.  Due to work schedules his partner could no longer work out at the same time.  He had lost some motivation due to the change in schedule and hadn't been in to the club for about 2 weeks.  He has found a new partner and has been bringing him as his guest for almost a week.  He has said that it has renewed his motivation and he feels so much better being in the gym again.

Doris, 63.  When Doris started 6 months ago she just wanted to improve on her everyday activities. She just felt older than she was. She now is able to play with her grandchildren and use stairs without any worries.

Kayla, 23.  She set her goal at losing weight when she started at the gym in January and has now lost 20 pounds and feeling great about the club.

Anne, 61.  She takes step classes on Thursday nights.  Loves Mary, and wanted to thank us for having a womens only room.  She tries to walk 3 miles a week and nags her husband to come in with her.  She was a gym teacher in Minot, nd before she retired and moved here to be near her kids.  We are her entertainment.

Lisa, 29.  She works at Aureus Staffing and was talking about our gym a month ago to some co workers.  On Wednesday she brought in one of her co-workers, Andrea, to try out the gym.  Andrea ended up joining and says Lisa talks us up any chance she gets.

Beckie, 30. Says she feels better and can now climb the 3 flights of stairs at work without panting. She feels her muscles are getting more toned and that makes her feel likes her feel she is getting in shape.

Colette, 57, I had cancelled my membership with thoughts of joining my community center and after 2 weeks of working out there I couldn't stand it.  I came back and un-cancelled.  I love the new equipment, the classes and the atmosphere!

Mitchel, 38.  Had his gall bladder removed in December and since January has been able to work out again and has lost 32 pounds all ready and is very excited about it.

Alyssa, 19. Has lost 22 pounds since December and is feeling great.

Gary, 28. Gary got into a car accident and was unable to work out for a few years due to injuries he sustained. He has since started back to the gym a little less than a year ago and has lost almost 20 pounds. He also feels stronger and does not worry as much about hurting himself while doing everyday activities.

Ray, 42.  Has been a member since 2001. He said he used to pay more for his membership and he converted over to Fit Happens VIP membership and feels like he is getting a lot more for his money. He enjoys bring his daughter in with him once in awhile and buys drinks all the time. He likes the savings and that he can bring guests to the club.

Esther, 63. One of her friends suggested she join and she has been a member of Gold's since December.  She has been walking on the treadmill, circuit training, and various stretching exercises.  Today she has almost full mobility of her left shoulder and can raise her arm above her head, which is something she hasn't been able to do for 5 years. 

Veronica, 36.  Veronica has been a member for just under 3 years. She started shortly before the Fit Happens program was introduced. She is "thrilled" with the changes that she has observed in the gym over the last couple years. She said that she feels comfortable enough with the direction the gym has taken to have referred her parents and a few coworkers. She loves all the equipment and is amazed that we are still able to add so much value to her membership.

Jerome, 33.  Started coming as a Fit Happens VIP guest of his girlfriend Shanna.  He wanted to start coming without her about 3 months ago and got a Fit Happens Basic membership.  He comes 4 nights a week and has just started doing some light lifting, mainly on the Strive equipment.  When he got the basic he weighed 180 now he's up to
about 190.  He loves coming in and loves the fact we have dumbbells in 2.5 pound increments.  He took fliers during the February promo and put some in the lobby of Omaha Steaks where he works.

Julia, 38.  Recently switched her membership to a Fit Happens VIP and has started to bring her 14 year old daughter to the gym. Her daughter has lost 8 lbs so far and feels better and better about herself.

Tom, 32.  Has lost 95 pound working out at the club since last May.

Stan, 66. Stan had cancelled his membership in October 2009 but came back and rejoined in January  2010. He had left to do something that had come up. He's back now and has always kept in shape and exercised all his life. The staff members comment was he looked at least 10 years younger than he is.

Robert, 45. Robert has gone through some tough times with the way the economy is and is very grateful to have the ability to keep his gym membership due to the low costs. He is amazed that we have such low rates and brand new equipment. He said, "I just don't understand how you guys can do it!"

Tina, 25. Could hardly run a mile when she joined 1 ½ years ago. Now she will be competing in a half marathon this May.

Donnella, 52. She is a mother of 3 and a grandmother of 2.  When she joined the gym 1 year ago, she weighed 350 lbs.  She has now lost 40 lbs and was able to take a picture with her grand kids sitting on her lap this Easter.

Edward, 69. Has lost 10 pounds while working with a Custom Built trainer in just 6 weeks even while fighting through a cold to do it.

Melissa, 21. Has lost and kept off 20 pounds since joining the gym in April of 2009.

Stacy, 38. Stacy has a Fit Happens VIP membership and for the first 6 months she only used it for the tanning. After talking to Rod, she has been coming in and doing cardio for a minimum of 20 minutes before she uses the tanning bed.  She comes twice a week. She has lost 15 pounds in 3 months and feels as though Rod has changed her life by simply nudging her to work out while she was here. She called me to ensure that I knew about this because she comes in between 6am and 7am in the morning.

Janet Krug, 52.  She upgraded to a Fit Happens VIP membership and has begun to bring her niece.  Since she
upgraded months ago her and her niece have lost a combined 21 pounds! She loves the VIP benefits and her niece is very grateful.

Brandi, 31. LOVES the new equipment! She has been working out in the women's gym for 8 months but after seeing the new equipment downstairs, she decided to venture downstairs. She told us that she might still do cardio in the women's gym occasionally but she was pleasantly surprised by how inviting downstairs felt.

Del, 80. Del says he enjoys the Strive Circuit as he could hardly walk before he started working out here in October 2009. He says he is really happy here, as he did NO exercise before he started here and he can’t believe how much it has helped him. He then said simply "I can walk again".

Mary, 45.  Mary has MS and has been coming to the gym to keep her muscles strong.  She loves the people and the support that she gets from the staff and her other friends here at the gym and the atmosphere; she also loves the new equipment.

Stephen, 37.  Stephen is a 10 year member,  He said he has been through many staff and facility changes and thought what we have now in both regards is the best it's been.  He referred his niece Kayla to the gym.  He says
Kayla is pretty stubborn and has high expectations for a gym, but he was talking us up and she checked us out and liked it.

Tony, 48. Has been a member for just under a year. He joined a social website called sparkpeople.com. He learned there that he should really appreciate the upgrades that we have added over the last year because his friends on there belong to gyms all over the country and they NEVER get new equipment in their gyms. He told us that he didn't realize it was such an uncommon practice for gyms to make upgrades like that so often.

Jean, 68.  She says she loves the new equipment. She has been a member since 2001, has done training with Custom Built and says she just loves our gym.

Larry, 47. Larry has lost 22 pounds since February. He started working out, changed his diet, and been playing some golf. Larry says he just wants to stay in good shape at 47.

Michelle, 43.  Has 4 children and a full time job and cannot always make to the gym as much as she would prefer. In the past she has cancelled gym memberships because she couldn't justify a monthly cost of $35 a month when she couldn't always come. She is happy that even if she only comes once a week, she knows that it is well worth $10 a month.

Jim, 41.  Jim asked about the new Precor lat pulldown machine and how to use it.  He said he rarely did resistance training as he has lost 22 pounds doing cardio in 5 months.  Said he loved the gym, the staff, and loves the new machines.

Seth, 50.  Seth has lost 27 pounds working out in his first 6 weeks.

Sally, 49.  Sally loves the Women's Area. She was so happy that we had an area that she could workout with only women. She used to belong to Curve's but didn't feel that she was reaching the goals that she wanted. She was thrilled to get a gym for less money and a lot more equipment. She only goes down on the main floor during the "slowest times" but is very grateful for all of the new additions.

Jolene, 29.  She's been working out at Gold’s Gyms for 10 years.  Moved to Omaha last year and was hoping to get her membership transferred.  When she heard about our program and pricing she cancelled her Gold’s membership in Indianapolis and signed up on a Fit Happens VIP membership with us.  She said today she still can't believe she's able to bring her younger sister for free.  Loved the gym and praises us any chance she gets.

Phil, 36.  Phil works out early in the morning. He has been a member since June 2009. He approached me this morning while I was doing cardio and asked if I was the manager that was running the gym. I said yes and he asked to shake my hand and thanked me. He told me that he has lost 34 pounds and absolutely loves the gym and the staff. He has made several friends here and can't believe there was ever a time in his life when he didn't workout.

Alethea, 36.  Alethea  has lost 25 pounds since joining in September 2009. She says she enjoys the gym and how people (Jay a member) have gone out of their way to show her and others how to use the gym to achieve max results.

Rachel, 69.  Rachel says her workouts are going great. She said she wants to pick up her speed and to go longer on her cardio and also wants to increase her weights. She told Linda she used to go to Curves and was not getting any results with them. She said she loves it here and has told all he friends how much she loves it here.

Brenda, 59.  Brenda has never belonged to a gym before and until 10 months ago, she had no interest in it either. Her daughter joined and talked her into doing it with her. She said that she does feel better but the most important thing for her is that she sees her daughter a minimum of twice a week and that makes her happier than she can describe.

David, 68.  David thinks it is amazing and refreshing to see a company to putting back into their business. Too many times in his life he has seen businesses that start doing well but doing nothing to upgrade their facilities. He loves it and shook Antonio's hand and asked him to tell the person in charge of the upgrades thanks.

Kelly,  48.  Kelly is a long time member and now a Fit Happens VIP member who comes in almost every day. With her having 5 kids she says this helps her maintain her figure and she enjoys the stress relief. She also enjoys the people here and the gym itself.

Shala, 30.  Shala is a mom who comes in at least 4 days a week before her kids go off to school. She said she does it because it just makes her day better, she notices the difference when she misses a couple days as she is more tired.

Amy, 22.  Amy has never belonged to a gym before. Since graduating high school, she has put on 5-7 pounds a year. She started a membership about 6 months ago and has lost a total of 12 pounds. She started working out in the Women's Area but slowly started coming downstairs to use certain equipment. She is now working out on the main floor 100% of the time and loves it.

Mallory, 29.  Mallory has lost weight and says she feels great. She says her favorite part of the gym is there is no intimidation and it is the first club she has been to where she feels comfortable. She is very excited about the new equipment and says she will stay here forever.

How are they doing?  Alyssa, 19, lost 22 pounds since December.  Mitchell, 38, has lost 32 pounds since January. Will, 20, lost 20 in a couple months.  Melissa, 21, has lost and kept off 20 pounds. Vivian, 50, is steadily losing inches off her hips.

Jamie, 38. Has lost 49 pounds since January. He said he has lost it through a combination of diet and exercise. He works out up to 2 hours a day and now has more energy in everything he does.

Ron, 48.  Ron comes as a Fit Happens VIP guest of his wife. A few months ago, Ron had a "brain bleed". He recovered in a very short period of time and the doctors attributed this to him working out and taking care of himself. His wife is proud of him (and herself) because originally he didn't want to come to the gym and she talked him into it.

Christian, 22. Says in her first month she was able to lift more weights and increased her endurance significantly. She feels much better every day.

Teddy, 32. Teddy started working out because he got divorced and felt he had to get in better shape. He has now been on the "dating scene" for 6 months and said he has never felt better about himself. He has lost 23 pounds and is very confident with himself.

Kevin, 31.  Kevin has lost over 100 pounds.  He was drinking up to three liters of soda a day and was just eating gas station food on his job as a truck driver. He changed his diet completely.  He no longer drinks any pop, eats 5-6 small meals a day, and works out on a regular basis anywhere from 1 to 1 ½ hours per day with his wife.

Rebecca, 54. Rebecca says she really enjoys coming to the gym it makes her feel great, and she enjoys the other members and staff as well as the gym.

Anne. 29, loves coming to the gym and bring her friend Brittany. Anne is a mom and tries to come at least 3 times a week as she enjoys it here and so does her friend. Brittany is hoping to get her own membership soon.

Kevin, 27.  Kevin has lost over 60 pounds. Has been coming into the gym twice a day since last February.  He has changed his entire diet. His motivation to change was he was tired of being a big guy.

Taeneaka, 33.  She is thrilled that she chose this gym. She was worried about joining a co-ed facility but is so happy with the choice she made. She is not at all uncomfortable working out around men. She is very happy with the value for what she pays.

Kimberly, 28.  Kimberly has lost 44 pounds since becoming a Fit Happens Basic member last November. She says she has done it through working out multiple times each week.

Kim, 52.  Kim has seen an increase in her overall energy levels. She works as a nurse doing 12 hour shifts. Prior to joining she wouldn't have the energy to anything when she got off. Now she has the energy to get things done after a long day.

Wendy, 35.  She has been a member for 5 months.  Her sister brought her into the gym and paid her enrollment fee as a Christmas  present.  Wendy didn't have many expectations and didn't know what her goals even were.  She has been working with Josh for 3 months and has lost 2 inches and 19 pounds.  She now weighs 155 and feels better than she did in her 20's.  She bought her sister a t-shirt from the pro shop today as a thank you.

Mark, 50.  Mark has lost 3 notches in his belt since he has been coming to the gym.

Rich, 32.  Rich has been a member for 2 years. Over those 2 years, he has lost 52 pounds. He told us that he can safely say that he has now had to (out of necessity) replace his whole wardrobe. He started out at 271 pounds and now weighs 219 pounds!

Stephanie, 26.  Stephanie has been working out here for 2 years.  She doesn't weigh herself but feels great and looks skinnier. Says if she doesn't work out she feels bad.

Cheryl, 43.  Cheryl lost 360 pounds a few years ago while living in Chicago. Moved here two years and has since gained back 150 pounds. Was very excited to be back in a gym. She loved the women's only workout area with all of its new equipment. She was very pleased to see a TV on every piece of cardio equipment.  

Jodi, 47.  Since December Jodi has lost 41 lbs and is hoping to lose another 20-30 lbs by the end of August.

Pam, 43.  Pam has lost 18 pounds since he became a member about a year ago. She is thrilled that she has dropped two pant sizes and is excited to continue working out.

Chris, 33.  Chris started on a home program and then came and joined Gold's Gym in January 2010. Chris has lost 75 pounds so far and does cardio and weight training 4 days a week.

Ron, 31.  Ron has lost 50 pounds since joining the gym less than 3 months ago. He says it is due to his staying consistent on coming in regularly.