My RevFit journey began in 1998 when I returned home. I was looking for a way to stay in shape. At the time Gene Glass owned The Gym. I used to workout 3-4 times a week. I lost
some weight and I was maintaining, but I still wanted to be in better shape. I wanted to lose
more weight.
In 2015, Crystal Trahan became the new owner of The Gym; now known as RevFit Gym. I watched the crew she brought in; they were well organized and fit. Even though I had lost some weight, I still had not reached my goal. Seeing their hard work and dedication renewed my motivation. I started watching the classes and asking Crystal questions. I asked her if she would train me. She told me yes. She said join the Bootcamp, but I would always refuse.
In 2020, Earl Franks joined Stephanie’s Bootcamp, and he encouraged me to join. One day I decided to go. It was very difficult at first. I had to change my eating habits. There was a food plan, and that plan was very different from my original diet. It took a lot of discipline, determination, and dedication. Stephanie is an excellent trainer. She requires much, but it all paid off. I am very grateful to her. I have since then reached my goal and am now maintaining a healthy weight and lifestyle. I like the atmosphere at RevFit. It is energizing! I have met many people who have been an encouragement to me. I made friends with people who have the same goal in mind, and we encourage one another. So, when I go, I workout with friends, which makes the time spent there even better.
Now that I have reached my weight goal, my focus has changed. I am now focused on maintaining my fitness level. I still train with Stephanie twice a week. I workout on my own
twice a week. I run four days a week. When I look in the mirror, I feel so good! I am amazed.
Thank you, Stephanie, for your help and I am so glad Earl Franks encouraged me to sign up for
Bootcamp. I am in great shape and my health is great. My doctors are thoroughly impressed
with my over health and fitness. So am I!
Everyone starts the gym for their own goals & reasons. When I first started, I didn’t really have a goal in mind at all. It was 2017 when my mom joined the gym, & I was always curious until one day I finally asked to take spin. It became our ritual on every Monday & Thursday morning to go spin, & I loved it. It was fun & different & I was challenged by it (I am super competitive haha). Then the next few years roll around, & I began youth bootcamp still with no goals in mind but again it was fun and passed the time.
Once quarantine hit, I was still doing bootcamps, but a vision finally started to set in. I always had felt too skinny but it wasn’t until I began to get taller that I really didn’t like the way I looked. I began to eat my food correctly and work harder in my bootcamps to finally see some results. Who would have known doing the right thing would work huh? At this time, I began working at the gym as well becoming more in touch with the members and realizing even more my love for interaction with people.
As you all know, soon after I began dancing at Lafayette High School and even a studio!!! This confidence to be able to stand out and do those things is because of the gym. I was always told this gym and the people in it are extremely unique and will change the world. We all do that in our different ways, but we all do. Mine is through expression of dance which I never would have done without the foundation the gym built me on. And now, I love how my body looks!! So thank you RevFit for teaching me self love is the best, and I will continue to pour into you like you once did to me.
Before RevFit, I was in yet another cycle of gaining weight back & searching for something that would help me get rid of the weight for good. I also needed someone to hold me accountable. I made the decision to join RevFit Gym in January 2022 & haven’t looked back since! I had a bump in the road on my journey to a healthier me when I broke my foot, but I returned after my healing process & have jumped right back into things to continue pressing towards reaching my goals.
Since RevFit, I’ve gained a community that helps hold me accountable, be disciplined, & consistently work towards my goals. I’m forever grateful for the community & the intentionality that not only the trainers, but others in the community exercise to encourage others & keep us connected & motivated to hitting our goals!
Prior to joining RevFit, I was on a shake program & had successfully lost 130 pounds in 3 1/2 years.
Then in 2018, I had a head on collision, kitchen flood, & house fire all in a 4 month span. Suddenly my focus on my weight loss journey had been temporarily placed on hold.
From 2018-2022, I had gained 50 lbs & lost it, then gained 60 lbs & had the hardest time trying to get it off.
My journey with RevFit started September 2021, when I would come as a non-member with my best friend and member at the time, Tomorrow Dural. Tomorrow introduced me to AJ, AKA THE Sexy Beast (yes I am the 1 who bought him the Sexy Beast shirt, because I’m that best friend who feeds into delusions)!
After he would get off, AJ would give us nightly impromptu spin classes on the nights I would show up. It is safe to say that spin is what won me over here & in October 2021, I became a member. My first official spin class was a Halloween spin class with AJ & Rachel Cunningham & from then on, spin class became my new addiction and basically all I came to do for the most part. I started only doing AJ’s spin classes once a month on his Saturday & did my own spin on nights when I would come workout. Then started expanding to more spin classes, including classes instructed by my long time childhood friend, Taylor Wiltz!
By mid to late 2022, I was getting feelers in my ear from AJ & Taylor about bootcamp. I kept telling them that I would think about it, but never really did out of fear & not feeling like I was strong enough to do it. Also, I’m not exactly a morning person, but mornings would be the only time that I might be able to do.
November 2022, Taylor, AJ, & myself were talking & they were talking about the Holiday Hustle. Taylor announced to me that she was going to be a bootcamp trainer for the first time & I knew I wanted to support My Sis! AJ helped sign me up for the Holiday Hustle the next day.
Those 3 weeks in December 2022 for the Holiday Hustle, I died a solid 30-40 times! Lmao.. BUT it was participating in this promotion where I saw for myself just how supportive everyone is!
After The Holiday Hustle was over, the opportunity to continue on with bootcamp came up, but financially I knew I couldn’t swing it. Fortunately, God had other plans for me & He made a way for me to sign up & on January 3, 2023, I dove right back in! NOW, this time was the full hands on, & I gave Taylor the blues on everything! Mainly the food plan because I am a HUGE foodie & going into a Foodie Rehab was not my strong suit! Coming from a family who shows their love & celebrates through food, needless to say it is very hard to escape it, even now! Especially when there are NO bad cooks in your family! BUT, Taylor & AJ never gave up on me. Along with the support from my bootcamp/gym family, Crystal, and Apphia, have been THE PUSH and SPARK I have been praying for for years to help get back on track! Thanks to them, I have learned so much about myself and continue to learn about myself everyday! After 4 1/2 years of doubting myself, no confidence, & being completely unhappy with life to where I didn’t want to physically be on this earth anymore, I can honestly say that I have NEVER been this happy, & my confidence grows everyday because I TRUST that God brought me here to save me from myself!
Prior to me joining RevFit, I always had issues balancing my weight, but I always did workout. I would do aerobics, Tae Bo, or go for a walk. The problem was my food. I was a “fast food and carb junkie” - I would go out to eat daily. When I went for a wellness check, my blood pressure was 160/80. I told that doctor "What?” He said, “Next time if it’s still up, we are going to put you on medicine.” That was a reality check for me. On top of that, I was tired all the time. My knees would Hurt all the time, and my clothes were not fitting me right, and I didn’t like my shape. I would hear myself "wheezing" on the elliptical machine! I needed to do something.
My journey at RevFit began March 22, 2021 - I’ll never forget it. I walked in at 231 lbs & the first person I spoke with was AJ. I saw the "Wall of Fame" as he showed me around. I was nervous as hell and I said to myself “I hope I can get there, it’s worth a try.” One of my closest friends had been trying to get me to join, but I always had an excuse until I saw her picture. I met with a trainer, Sandra LeJeune & she asked me if I could come to bootcamp that same week. After that, everything changed.
I started paying ATTENTION to my body and how it reacted to foods and when I didn't understand something or wanted to know more, my trainer San guided me in the right direction and I did exactly what she said to do. I needed to know "why" I was doing this. I stayed consistent with my bootcamps, followed the meal plan, attended extra classes (sometimes three in one day), did spin and BodyPump, and ran 5k marathons. By doing this, I met goal September 2021, 183.5 lbs! The crazy thing about it is that I never had an actual goal when I started bootcamp; I asked my trainer to give me one! This was a challenge in itself! It wasn’t until then that I realized I was transforming not only my body, but also my mind. I was focused and confident and I finally liked my body except for my midsection. That area was still a little flabby, and I wanted to see what would happen if I lost a little bit more weight than recommended by my trainer.
My final goal was 175 lbs and guess what - I Did it! It took about two more months more to get there and I was so proud to say “I did it.” Then in February 2022, I challenged myself to a 15k marathon, the Mambo in Baton Rouge, LA. I just wanted to see if I could do it and guess what I did it nonstop! My legs were not even sore after! In the meantime, I would push others in bootcamp, give positive feedback, and work out on my own. I was so focused on my legs, so I would do extra leg and butt exercises at the gym. Little did I know, I was becoming something so much more. It wasn't until trainer Candice Abney was like “What about being a LAB instructor, Iyabo.” I said, “Well, I never thought about it". Then I started training with trainer Angie, and there you have it: Now I am a LAB INSTRUCTOR at RevFit!
My blood pressure is stable and I’m in the best shape of my life. I never thought I could until I tried and pushed hard. My goal is to stay fit, continue to motivate others, and continue my fitness journey because I now know there is more to come! Believe who you are and accomplish your goals! Help others and always remember your "why" - why you started! My "WHY" is when I ran from the front door of RevFit building to the end of the drive way and had to stop because I was so short of breath.....
Now, I can run miles!!!
After 20 years of yo-yo dieting, I doubted that I would ever be at a healthy weight again. I teach fourth grade where we take class pictures every year. Looking at the pictures from years passed, I could literally see my weight go up one year, then the next year it would go down, the following year it would be up again, then it would be down the next year AGAIN! That pattern continued for many years. I knew I had to make some permanent changes before I started having medical problems.
In October 2016, I heard that RevFit opened up. A few of the teachers had joined, and I noticed how much of a difference it was making for them. So, on Halloween I went to my first spin class. I could barely finish the class, but it was FUN! After feeling the energy and motivation in that class, I was hooked! The next day, November 1st, I joined boot camp. After 6 months of discipline and being held accountable, I lost 30 lbs. I was determined to keep that weight off, and I DID for five and a half years!
My trainer, my friends, along with just about everyone I had started working out with left the gym. Fortunately, I have a loving family who kept encouraging and supporting me. My husband and I started working out together, and RevFit has become like a second home to us. Our gym has such positive energy! It’s refreshing to walk into the gym, knowing that we are surrounded by like-minded people who have a desire to live a healthy lifestyle.
I continued doing resistance training, spin classes, and eating a clean diet, which all helped me maintain my weight. However, I still needed to lose twenty more pounds to be at a healthy weight for my height. In July 2022, I started researching and studying nutrition. I came to the realization that I had insulin resistance and that is why I could not break through the plateau. I was also deficient in some vitamins, minerals, and nutrients, so I modified my diet and continued working out 3-5 times a week. The weight finally started coming off. Since then, I have surpassed my goal and lost 30 more pounds!
At 53 years old, I am in the best shape of my life! I do not feel forced to exercise; I workout because I enjoy it! I eat a clean, healthy diet. I have stopped eating based on my emotions or using food for entertainment.
My advice would be to educate yourself on nutrition first, then develop a plan to lose the weight. Surround yourself with people who want you to succeed. Enjoy the journey that will change your life for the better!
“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13
I became a member of Revfit gym on February 23, 2016. When I joined the gym, I weighed in at 248.8 pounds. On that day, I left my past behind. My goal was to lose 80 pounds and I did that in 5 months, on July 26, 2016. It was a day I will never forget because it truly showed me that mind over matter gets the job done. I continued to push past my goal weight and lost a total of 93 pounds.
My trainer for the last almost 7 years is named Candice Abney. From day one, she challenged me in lots of ways and was always there to answer any question I had, needed support or an extra push. On February 26, 2016, I gave Candice Power of Attorney over my weight loss journey. I surrendered to her and did whatever she told me to do. I followed each and every instruction she gave me. I knew that in order to reach my goal in my desired amount of time, I needed to push harder. I went to spin class consistently, jump roped, ran, never ate off of my nutrition plan, and remained disciplined. Discipline was and still is my foundation to the success I have achieved in my weight loss journey. Making myself do what I know I should be doing, whether I feel like it or not, has been the key to this journey.
Upon my upcoming 7th year anniversary with Revfit, I understand that consistency has kept me throughout this entire ordeal. At 60 years old, I have a wonderful husband of 35 years, 2 kids and one special granddaughter who all need me and count on me each and every day. My motivation is to remain focused and steadfast for my family.
As I reflect, here are a few words of motivation:
Staying fit is not perfect, but what works is being consistent. Reach out to your support when you are in doubt of yourself or your journey. Stay positive. Surround yourself with people who are stronger than you. Have an open mind. Don’t skip too many days, hop back on the wagon. Wear the vest and learn from what you did. (There are days when I still vest up, but it’s a part of the process). Most importantly…….LISTEN.
Do you just want to exist, or do you want to live? I choose to live and I am happy with my decision every single day
I started really working out in 2010 because I was set on becoming a bodybuilder but I knew I wanted to also pursue Law Enforcement, so I had to pick one to focus on and I chose Law Enforcement.
I love working out because I want to stay in shape for my kids. I love coaching my kids and going to their events and staying healthy is a big key to do those things.
Working out at Revfit Gym is more than just a gym – it is one big family. The staff is great and makes everyone feel welcomed. The staff always have different competitions going on throughout the year to keep it interesting.
The people I have met at RevFit are amazing people, and it is a special bond because if I miss two days they will start asking where I’m at lol and the little things like that means a lot.
I want to give a big shoutout to everyone who is a part of Revfit Gym .. and no Mrs. Crystal I am not doing your spin class until I’m right with Jesus lol…
I am very thankful and grateful that you all chose me…#TeamXstablished #Colossal #RevfitGym
Genesis 1:1-2
In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
July 29, 1976 was the day God brought this creation of his to the face of the earth. I may not be perfect in the eyes of others nor have I ever thought of myself as perfect, but I’m perfectly made by God. Through my younger days, I heard several negative comments about me, and I thought them as well. It caused depression, anxiety, and low self-esteem. To cover all the pain, I showcased all my talents that God gifted me with athleticism, decorating, floral designing, and candle making (to name a few); however, my heart still wasn’t fulfilled. It was still missing something because I still carried what was truly my biggest crutch – “obesity”. No matter how successful I was, that happiness was never there because I didn’t love myself because of the way I looked on the outside despite being a good person on the inside. I needed change desperately; it was taking a toll on my mind not to mention my health. By the time I graduated from high school, I was weighing 230 pounds. I knew I couldn’t continue like this. That was the beginning of my weight loss journey in 1996.
1 Peter 5:10
And the God of all grace , who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself make you strong, firm, and steadfast.
In the fall of 1996, I began walking everywhere I needed to go, especially on campus at USL. I started going to the gym and found the love of tennis – chasing that ball gave me the cardio that I needed but hitting it also released so much pressure I had built up. By the spring of 1998, I was down 60 pounds from exercising, crash dieting, and partying; moreover, my new dependency on weed (marijuana) was a whole new issue. Smoking covered all the pain I had stored up, and it was a filler when I wanted to over eat. I used it to get through the day, to keep my anxiety from rising, and to help me feel like all my problems were gone. I thought I was happy. I was thin, I was independent, and I had my first real boyfriend. In the fall of 1998, I was blessed to find out that I was expecting. Now I was extremely overjoyed and gaining weight; by the end of my 9 months of pregnancy, I was weighing in at 240 pounds. It was back! After delivering my bundle of joy, the overweight issues returned, and the person who I thought loved me made them even worse. I was called every bad thing a fat person can hear. Once we separated, I lost weight because of the let down and a broken heart. I was thin again but not in a healthy way; depression is never a good thing.
It took me 5 years to overcome the let down, but now I was fully dependent on weed. I stayed active because exercising has always been therapeutic for me. Running was my new hobby. In 2005, I began conditioning the NHS softball team and that’s where I found the love of training. It fulfilled my heart, but I wasn’t ready to give up my habits, so I chose the habits over pursuing my dream.
Psalm 57:1-2
I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings until the disaster has passed. I cry out to the God Most High, to God, who vindicates me.
Through the years of 2005-2018, I maintained an average weight of 200 pounds – not the healthiest but better than before. In the spring of 2018, I began feeling really bad dizziness, headaches, and shortness of breath. I decided to get on the scale and for the third time in my life, it read 230 pounds. It was back and brought even more demons with it: high blood pressure, high cholesterol, low thyroid count and the end of an 8 year relationship. This time I knew I had to make a real change. I started walking, stopped eating fried foods, and cut back on my food intake; most importantly, I started seeing a doctor regularly who diagnosed me with all the conditions. I told myself that next visit, I would be down 30 pounds. Knowing I’ve done it before, I pushed myself to do it again. Next visit much to my doctor’s surprise, I was down but all the medication stayed. I maintained the weight loss for 3 years but still wanted more.
In February of 2021, Kandice Guidry invited me to a special that Revfit was having for 30 days. I paid the $20.00 fee but never showed up. I was friends with so many people who were attending the gym but had never thought I was capable of doing all the hard work. Summer of 2021 hit and I was starting to feel the depression setting in. I was going on a girls’ trip for my birthday and nothing I ordered fit. I had to return everything and reorder everything in bigger sizes. That was the beginning of the end. In the beginning of July 2021, I joined Revfit Gym. My trip was scheduled for the end of July. My birthday weekend, I was excited to visit California, but I was more anxious to return. Before I left, I asked for Sandra, who’s Sandra? Well, I informed her that I was going on a trip but would be returning to join her bootcamp.
Upon my return I tested positive for Covid, so that prolonged my start by 2 weeks. But let me tell you – once I was cleared I jumped straight in. I pushed harder than I ever have in my life. I changed my eating habits, I stayed consistent, and after 20 plus years of smoking I quit. I now had so many other things to depend on: the best trainer in the world, Mentors that are a blessing and very open with me about their lives, a wonderful gym family and community of some of the hardest workers I’ve ever met before.
I’ve lost a total of 52 pounds – starting at 215 and now I stand at 165. I’ve accomplished so much in the one year I’ve been a member of the RevFit family: Bodypump Instructor, now training to become a Spin Instructor, but mostly I’m so proud that I am fulfilling my dreams of becoming a trainer. Working with the youth bootcampers finally makes me feel complete. These young adults are doing what I should have been doing 25 years ago – taking charge of my life. To watch them change their minds and body lets me know God brought me here for a reason and he’s not done with me yet. I’m still reaching for goals on my weight loss journey and in my career as well. Revfit has changed my life. It’s given me a third start at this, but finally the correct way, and now I’m ready to give it to others. This is not about losing weight; it’s a lifestyle change that allows you to take your life back from all addictions.
If you walk through the gym and I’m teaching or training, I guarantee you’ll hear the word “WORK” because that’s what it takes:HARD WORK, but it’s all worth it in the end.
624 No, that’s not my address. It was my weight in June 2005. Lying sick in the hospital in Summer 2005, the doctors told me to prepare to die. I felt trapped in my own body, but there was a small glimmer of hope that God would somehow rescue me.
From 2005 to 2019, I was in and out of the hospital with many doctor visits. Congestive Heart Failure, A-Fib, Hypertension – just to name a few of my conditions. I tried making changes through the years, only to lose and regain. In 2019, true help finally began to be revealed to me. My Pastor was teaching about the God Kind of Health from 3 John 1:2, and I knew it was for me. I realized that if I would cooperate with what God says to do with my body and what He says to put in my body, I could experience Health. I had a choice to make. I had to become responsible for what I was eating.
In December of 2019, I set out to make major changes. I was referred to a doctor that treats beyond prescription. He believes food should be our medicine. He taught me how to make conscious food choices. On my first visit to him, I had come down over the year to 558 pounds. I began to follow his plan, and the scale began to change. In 2022, I noticed my scale began to stall in the upper 400’s. I knew exactly what was missing; “Movement.”
While surfing social media, my wife came across RevFit. When we visited, I thought “Man these people are CRAZY!!” Turns out it was the CRAZY I needed!! It didn’t take me long to see that RevFit is truly a family of people who really did care about me as a person and would help me reach my health and fitness goal. One of my fears was getting on that spin bike and being laughed at by others. That never happened. Every Instructor and every person spinning has always encouraged me.
When I joined RevFit, I weighed 468 pounds; within 3 months of Spin, I have lost 41 pounds and continue to lose. My desire is to be able to run a 5k without having to stop. I also want to be able to go to the store to shop for clothes and not be forced to go to DXL because no other store has clothes to fit me. I realize through these years I have the final say about My Health and well-being, and I have the Power to Change it!!
