June Member of the Month: Tony Bigonia

Tony Bigonia

 “Of course, I told her she was trying to kill me...!”

My name is Tony Bigonia and I have been a member of Razor Sharp Fitness on Washington Avenue since March of 2014. I have always thought that fitness should be a part of my life,  and since I was in high school, I have always had that work/life balance, including fitness in all aspects of my life. After my wife passed away in November 2013, however, that balance was not there anymore and I knew I needed some help.

My wife was also a fit person and was a member of Razor Sharp, attending many regular classes – yoga, weights. Originally, when I had met with Membership Director Laurie Swanson, it was to cancel my wife’s membership. In the end, I signed up for a membership of my own. At the same time, knowing that I could not do this by myself, I also signed up for a personal trainer to help “whip-me-into-shape.” In walks Krystal DeBaker to my life!

Let me tell you a little bit about Krystal….

First, the reason, I think, that Laurie recommended Krystal for my personal trainer is that she is a runner and I had said that I wanted to get back into running. Also, she is this little young lady that knows how to make sure you get your money’s worth from every workout. Krystal also knew my wife.

I remember, vividly (though some of this may be exaggerated), our first meeting. Krystal took me to the track area and asked me to jump on top of a 4’ high box.

I told her that she should do it first. You must know that Krystal is maybe 5’ tall and I am 6’4”, so that was funny.

Once done with that, she told me that I needed to push that box 50 yards, a couple times. She then left and came back with 50 pounds of weights to put on the box I was to push.

Of course, I told her she was trying to kill me! And that began the weekly, or semi-weekly, test of what Krystal could come up with that Tony could not do, or would struggle to do.

More recently, I went back to the Razor Spa to take an Acupuncture treatment for my allergies, since Laurie had most recently had lots of success with the treatment. I met with the Acupuncturist on a Tuesday and within a week, was medication-free and never felt better.

I also found out that some of the side effects of the drugs I was on for my allergies were causing other medical issues, of which I wasn’t aware.

So, for over one year, I have been a very happy and a healthy member of Razor Sharp.

That’s why I’m happy to host a Razor Sharp table at my business, Uncorkt on Main Street in downtown Racine, during special events. If I can encourage my customers to exercise more, I can count on their business for many more years to come! I also appreciate that Razor Sharp is a local business like my own, and that we can cooperate to build each other’s clientele, like friends and neighbors do for each other.

April Members of the Month: Michelle Westrich and Donna Hammond

Michelle Westrich and Donna Hammond just
completed the second year of their
fitness journey together

Workout buddies celebrate two years of their healthier, fitter lives!

Michelle’s Story:

“What started as a weight loss goal has become a healthy lifestyle goal.”

My weight and activity level has fluctuated over the years. I had joined gyms and Weight Watchers multiple times and would find some success but never really met my goals. In December 2011, due to poor eating habits and very little physical activity, I found my weight at an all-time high and my elevated cholesterol requiring medication.

As a cardiovascular nurse, I knew I was not headed down a good path. When Razor Sharp opened the Erie Street location I was finally ready for a change.

I worked out by myself for a few months and began tracking what I ate using the MyFitnessPal app. I made a little progress on my own, but I had so much weight to lose.

When I started working with Personal Trainer Nick Estep, things started to come together. With Nick’s help I learned to not just track my food, but to be concerned with the nutrients in food. I learned to not just exercise, but to exercise the right way.

 By training every week, incorporating what Nick was teaching me and holding myself accountable by tracking my food, I was able to lose 82 pounds, lower my cholesterol and stop taking medication. After almost two years, the weight is still off and I still train with Nick every week.

What started as a weight loss goal has become a healthy lifestyle goal. Nick continues to challenge me and help me improve and reach new goals. I still track my food; I find that if I don’t, the scale begins to creep up.

Donna and I encourage and keep each other accountable. Having a friend with similar goals is very valuable – not everyone “gets it.” Donna does. When you embark on a major lifestyle change, and losing 82 pounds is a big change, you need to surround yourself with the right people to help you succeed.

On a very basic level, losing weight is about eating less and moving more. The most valuable things I’ve learned have to do with the details of that basic premise. I have also learned that it’s not about losing weight so much as being healthy. I have incorporated these details into my life. I continue to work at it and challenge myself, and Donna and I are always there to support each other!

Donna’s Story:

“I’m NOT going back to that life.”

I joined Razor Sharp in October 2011, but it wasn’t until the following May when I finally walked in to work out. I had lost 40 pounds before, but then gained it all and back – and more. I couldn’t believe how difficult the mental battle was to get started again! However, with a family history of heart attacks – my father died at age 48, and two of my brothers survived heart attacks at 40 and 46, AND my mom survived one at 75 – I felt like I was a ticking time bomb.

So, I began working out 5-6 days a week. Still, the scale barely moved. Frustrated, I decided to add the weight machines at the gym and began using MyFitnessPal to track my food. That combination, along with consistency, finally started to pay off.

Another great help to me was doing this with Michelle. She and I had been friends and had jogged together on occasion since she lives near me. We became friends on MyFitnessPal, started going to the gym together when we could, and have been able to cheer each other on during this journey. She was working with Personal Trainer Nick Estep, and I saw her progress with strength training and toning. I was a stay-at-home mom at the time, so I felt I couldn’t justify a personal trainer when I wasn’t working.

In 2013, after losing 46 pounds, and my youngest getting ready to graduate from high school, I began asking myself, “What now?”  My answer that spring was to take the classes required to renew my teaching license.

My weight loss gave me confidence to apply for jobs and interview. I was hired at a middle school in Racine in August 2013. It has been one wild ride, but the weight loss and energy I have from exercising has given me what I have needed to handle my job.

With a paycheck coming in, I decided to start training with Nick in July of last year. I felt like I was in a rut with my exercise and needed something different to keep me going.

Nick changes things up every week, tailored to what I need to challenge me and help me progress. He is also very patient with my endless question: “Why am I doing this???” The extra toning and strengthening he’s done with me is particularly beneficial at my age, when I am naturally losing bone density and flexibility.

This past winter, I gained about 10 pounds. As I saw the scale moving up, panic crept in. My new clothes were beginning to feel uncomfortable. Six weeks before Easter, I re-committed to using all the tools available to me – though I was still exercising, I had stopped tracking my food. I also shared this new dedication with Michelle for accountability.

At the end of six weeks, I had lost 8.2 pounds and was able to wear my summer clothes on a trip to Florida. I was so incredibly excited when everything fit!  The combination of food tracking, consistent exercise, a friend who would come to my house to drag me to the gym (if necessary), some personal training, and an “I’m NOT going back to that life” attitude has been the key for me!

If you change nothing...Nothing. Will. Change.

If you change nothing...Nothing. Will. Change.

You may have seen our inspiration for 2015, urging the whole community to make healthy choices for themselves:

We started rolling this idea out a few weeks ago. But we feel so strongly about this idea, we put it on a wristband. 

And, we're launching it today as part of our Better Together Group Exercise New Year's party. We'll be making other opportunities to give them away in the coming weeks, and providing incentive to wear them.

"What sort of incentive?" you ask?

The kind where we put your name in a drawing for some cool Razor Sharp prizes every time you:

1. Post a picture of yourself visibly wearing your wristband while “out and about” to your Facebook timeline — tag us (@ Razor Sharp Fitness ) and be sure the picture’s security is set to ‘public’ so we can see it OR Tweet it using our Twitter handle (@RazorSharp_Fit)! **Be creative about the places you take your wristband. We could start awarding bonuses for the most miles they rack up!
2. When a Razor Sharp staff member “catches” you wearing your wristband off of club property, snap a photo of the two of you together, and it’s worth bonus entries when you post it (two for one, same procedure as above).
   
   --> For a short tutorial on successfully tagging your images to us on Facebook, go here!

It’s all about deciding to make positive change happen, both for ourselves and as an inspiration to others!