Stavros,

I've been meaning to drop you a note for sometime but haven't gotten around to it. Your reminder and nice article in today’s paper reminded me to thank you.

Although it's almost a year since I've trained with you I have not stopped.

I have continued to do resistance training at least 3 days a week. And over the course of the summer I traded the treadmill for road running.

I now look forward to my 3 days a week 3-5 mile runs at lunchtime. I have also run in 3 organized 5K events and have been pleasantly surprised by my results. (Average time of 8:12 per mile).

So I want you to enjoy your holiday and know that the foundation you gave me last fall in training continues to serve me well. When I started with Olympus I weighed 219 lbs. I now hold steady at 177 lbs and feel better that I have in years.

Again thanks for the life changing advice and I wish you continued success.

Take Care.

Patrick Sniffin  Danbury, CT

"What impresses me most about Stavros' approach to fitness and weight management is that it has been surprising easy to incorporate into my life.  Like many Americans these days, I lead a hectic life with seemingly little time for exercise and food preparation.  Stavros definitely takes this modern-day American lifestyle into consideration. 

I think his approach can best be summarized as gradual yet consistent.  For people that are not very fit to begin with (like myself), the initial workouts are light, with non-aggressive weight-lifting and aerobic/cardio exercise.  With each workout, the intensity increases in such a way that you do feel a push each time, but not so much so that you don't want to continue.  In fact, you find yourself wanting more.

In terms of the weight and diet management, Stavros has taken a very practical approach by dividing healthy eating habits into individual rules.  You start off working on one rule at a time until you feel you have "mastered" it.  For me, this has made a huge difference in how I eat.  My first rule was "Eat slowly and mindfully."  By eating more slowly and chewing my food until it almost disintegrates in my mouth, I find myself eating much less than before, which has made a huge difference.  Not only am I eating less, but I also feel more satisfied.

I guess the summary is that by following the "baby steps" that Stavros' system dictates, you will gradually get in shape and shed the pounds.  It is gradual - you will not drop 20 lbs in a month like some diet programs claim.  I have found myself losing about 1 lb per week, which is just fine because I know the weight loss is permanent.  What is the point of losing the weight fast, if you are going to gain it all back again? 

I have followed other diet programs including Atkins, Weight-Watchers, and my endocrinologist-prescribed low-calorie diabetic diet.  I have had success with each of these approaches - some more than others - but I have found it hard to stick to each of them because they felt so regimented and felt like they required "work".   With Stavros' system, it just seems easier to make fitness and diet management a natural part of my life."

Julie Filho  Danbury, CT

"The idea of walking into a gym with endless weight machines and treadmills was completely overwhelming. What made Stavros' program appealing was the way in which he simplified things down to 2 elements. A half hour of weight training, a half hour of cardio and you're done. For me, this was so much easier to wrap my brain around. Now after a year of training, I'm down 50 lbs and have made Stavros' program a consistent part of my life."

- Darren Morgenthaler  Brewster, NY

I first joined Olympus as a client when some of my relatives asked me to join, since they needed a fourth for their group sessions. I thought, “Why not? I’ll try it for a while, and I might have fun!” I have to say that I was never extremely overweight, but in the last 6 years or so, I had gained 20 pounds and was not happy with that. I also felt as if I had very little energy, and all I wanted to do was sit on the couch! So when the opportunity arose, I figured it couldn’t hurt. So, I went. I started out with the group in June 2008. I started to notice small changes, like the fact that I wasn’t so tired all the time, and I also felt motivated to eat healthy and exercise on my own more often. I also stopped eating out so much, which I think had been a huge factor in my weight gain. I now walk twice a week in addition to my strength training twice a week, and sometimes I hike on the weekends. I am also more aware of my eating habits, since Stavros has really helped with nutritional information and advice. Since starting my training, I am now more energetic, my clothes fit better, and I feel better! Did I mention I’ve lost 10 pounds? In this economy, a lot of people ask me if I really should be “indulging in a luxury” like a personal trainer. To them I say, “ I don’t feel like I am wasting my money. I’m getting results.” I really feel strongly that it’s worth it!

-Annabelle Santos  Danbury, CT

Stavros always has your best health interest in mind when he works with you, he is motivating, knowledgeable, and his system works!!  I have tried several diets in the past including Weight Watchers and I feel Stavros's method is nothing short of revolutionary.  It is an ingenious, sensible way to lose weight.
 
-Gina Probert  Danbury, CT

More Results Our Clients Have Gotten:
(These clients are only a fraction of the hundreds of clients we have helped to get in shape since we opened out doors in May of 1996)

Jessica Harding:  She has lost 40 pounds so far and has only 10 more pounds to go to reach her goal.
Lisa Miller:  She reduced her body fat by 10%, and she is currently at her goal weight.
Barry Miller:  He has lost over 40 lbs and has made some really good gains of muscle.  He is in his 40s and is currently in the best shape of his life.  Barry has kept the weight off for over 5 years and counting.    
Connie Carroll:  She reduced her body fat by 8%, and she was able to increase her golf drive distance 20 to 40 yards.
Sara Ann Kelman:  She lowered her blood pressure from 170/96 to 118/80.
Michelle Fusco:  She lost over 40 pounds and reduced her body fat by 17%.  She is currently at her goal weight, and she is able to maintain her weight on her own.
Brian Lane:  Brian has lost 34 pounds with our program and has kept it off for over 2 years and counting.
Susan Bingham:  Susan with our approach to weight loss has lost 48 pounds and losing, and has become the strongest she has ever been in her life, in the process.
George Henriques:  George since joining has increase his leg press from 200 pounds to 680 pounds and still going strong.
Sofia Santos:  She has lost 14 pounds so far.  What is great about the way she is losing the weight is that she does not feel burned out.
Liz Romeo:  She has lost 17 pounds so far and she is only 4 pounds away from her original goal.  She has also dropped 4 sizes.
Fernado Henriques:  He has lost 31 pounds so far and he is getting very close to his goal weight.
Rui Henriques:  He has lost 16 pounds so far.
Kristin Geller:  She has reduced her body fat by 5.5%, she went from size 8 to a size 4, and has increased her strength in the process.  Most importantly she is maintaining her results no problem.
Sheri Testa:  She has lost 22 pounds so far, but more importantly she feels great, her energy has sky rocket, and working out has made her a very happy person.
Darren Morgenthaler:  He lost 49 pounds and he is currently in the best shape of his life.