See her story here  (or open the rest of this post) You can read more about Amy at her BlogSpot here. Show her some love!

“I can’t remember a darker or more terrifying time in my life then when I struggled with an eating disorder (please note the past tense feel of that sentence… no worried emails or phone calls please) and when the process of my divorce commenced it came back with a serious vengeance … it was like the year of therapy I went through never happened. I started to see signs of those old and nasty habits. I started to see a distorted reflection. I started to see everything that was wrong with me. I stopped eating. The hunger pangs in a strange way were comforting – they distracted me from the real hurt and pain that I was facing and I soon found myself at the top of a very slippery slope. I knew that if I continued to humor these thoughts and behaviors that a relapse was inevitable and I was not about to subject myself again to that kind of torture.
I decided that finding a personal trainer was a good idea. I searched around and finally settled on one that seemed comfortable. As part of my initial consultation I was to receive a free fitness assessment and a complimentary training session… a "try before you buy" sort of thing.
That trainer’s name is Paul Van Slambrouck and I owe so much of where I am now because of him. …honestly he helped keep me from losing my mind.
The first time I met him in person was on the morning of my fitness assessment. He was super warm and friendly … which looking back now, his friendly smile almost feels like false advertising because he is crazy tough. I mean really crazy tough… I walked into it completely unsuspecting to any potential threats to my comfort zone. I was under the impression that a fitness assessment was like one of those gym tests in middle school (you know like running around the track a couple of times and climbing a rope etc.) Instead I was lead into a small room with a computer and a scale. He asked a variety of questions about my lifestyle and when he asked me what I ate on any given day, I felt defensive. I started to second guess my decision to be there. What was I supposed to say, "I feel incredibly fat and have decided that food is my arch nemesis." ????
I think the defensiveness surfaced because a large part of me didn’t want help and was attracted to that old way of life- which is a weird way of saying that because ‘living’ with an eating disorder is no way to live at all. So you can imagine my horror when he asked me to get on the scale and when he measured my body fat percentage. I heavily considered bolting out of the door and never coming back but I decided to stay because a larger part of me knew that I needed… wanted… his help. I was however not prepared to deal with all of the sudden emotions that resurfaced and spent the rest of our appointment trying to keep myself from coming completely unsoldered.
My first training session with him didn’t go very well either. I hadn’t eaten anything since lunchtime the day before and only 5 or 10 minutes in I felt severely nauseous. I couldn’t stand upright. I couldn’t bring myself to do the exercises that he was asking me to do.  I felt weak. I felt defeated. I felt like a failure…. or in other words I felt like total crap- rock bottom.
When he sat down with me after, we talked about the benefits that training would offer me and I was sold. Up until a few days ago I trained with Paul three times a week and that was one of the best strategic moves I have made … ever. I wonder and have been meaning to ask him what it was like to see me from the sidelines because I started to train with Paul right after I moved out of my house up until just a few days ago. If anyone saw the progression of my recent "learning experience", it would have been him.
It is a major understatement to say that my life during that time was high stress and having tough workouts helped me cope. You know it’s bad when you cry yourself to sleep but it is even worse when you consistently wake up in the morning in tears. I can’t tell you how many times I drove to the gym crying, upset, overwhelmed, and ready to just throw in the towel. Then when I would get to the parking lot, I would wipe away my tears and walk through those gym doors pretending that I was tough and unbreakable… all the while feeling totally shattered and fragile inside and completely afraid that I would fail myself.
I remember asking him why he chose to be a personal trainer and his response was that he wanted to help people. And help people he does. I would almost always leave the gym feeling strong and confident. Capable. Which is a stark difference to when I would arrive. More than that I could talk to him and trust him… he always seemed to know exactly what to say. 

Paul was a rock for me… a stabling and grounding force amidst the chaos of my life. He showed me that I have way more strength than I ever dared to believe. He helped me develop a more healthy relationship with food and to have a better body image. He taught me to have confidence and to not quit because of difficulty. He taught me to deliberately trust in myself and my ability to succeed. He inspired me to live with tenacity.

…And when I couldn’t find that strength in me, when I let myself quit, he was there.
He was always there to pick me back up both figuratively and literally (there were many times that I would lay down on the gym floor or crouch up in the fetal position… and I am not exaggerating.) Paul really witnessed me at my worst, but then again he brought out the best in me too. I am so grateful to him. I could not have survived without him and without his torturous workouts. I will miss training with Paul like crazy because who else is going to pick me back up from my fetal position when the going gets tough??
But I guess maybe it is time for me to start doing that on my own. I certainly have the tools. Now it is up to me to put in the effort.
I am also grateful for my family who offered to pay for my last semester of school. Because of their generosity I was able to take the money I had saved up for tuition and use it to fund this endeavor… it truly was an essential component to surviving last year and getting me to where I am today.
If you are in the Ann Arbor/Ypsi area and are interested in working with a trainer, I highly recommend Paul Van Slambrouk. He is the absolute best and worth every penny.”

-Amy Cromar, 26 years old

Like many brides before me, I worked hard to look good on my wedding day. Unfortunately, also like many brides before me, I let it all fall apart after the wedding. In the span of two years I’d gained 29 pounds and 3 pant sizes! I had the usual excuses: lack of time, knowledge, energy, etc. And even though I tried several times to reverse my rapidly deteriorating physique, nothing seemed to work- which just frustrated me to the point of failure with each attempt. Finally, a friend at the gym referred me to Paul- and I owe her big time!

The first assessment was a huge wake-up call. I’d known about the weight gain, but didn’t realize how unhealthy I really was. I went into the training with the hopes of losing all the weight I had gained (and maybe even a little more) but suddenly it was no longer about that. Although losing the weight was definitely a goal of mine, my focus quickly shifted to getting healthy. Throughout the months that followed, Paul taught me how to do just that. I met with him 3 times a week for some seriously intense strength workouts. I was responsible for completing the cardio workouts he recommended on my own time. Every workout was a challenge; he pushed me to accomplish things I never dreamed I could. But with each accomplishment, I would gain a little more confidence- both in my abilities and in my appearance. Plus, the workouts were a great motivator to keep up the healthy eating habits Paul had taught me. I would keep a food journal and, on a weekly basis, he would critique my choices. In doing this, I learned how to eat right to maintain optimal body health, and a high metabolism. The greatest thing about the “diet” plan is that it’s not a diet at all. It’s a realistic way to eat healthy for the rest of my life. And it’s an easy thing to do!

With Paul’s guidance in teaching me how to eat healthy and exercise effectively, I was able to get some fantastic results. I dropped 23 pounds and 3 pant-sizes. My lean body mass increased from a mere 64.7% to 80.4%. I also increased my physical endurance, my athletic performance, and my confidence! But the best part of all is that Paul has successfully changed my lifestyle so that I will not have to worry about ever falling into the “post-wedding trap” again (or post-baby, post-holiday, post-vacation, etc…)

I couldn’t have gotten the results I did without Paul’s help. His expertise in both diet and exercise was critical to my success, just as much as the support and encouragement he offered. I can’t thank him enough for the positive changes he’s made in my life. He is awesome at what he does and I’d highly recommend his services to anyone!

-Rachael Hamilton, 27 years old

Great Job Rachel!!! And thanks so much for the kind words for me, and inspiration for others that are just starting their journey to a healthier body!

See her and others’ success stories RIGHT HERE

remember, it could be YOU next!!

From all of us here at PVS FIT we want to wish you and yours a very…..

Stay Healthy!!

There are some cool things coming up!

You can catch Paul (and probably RJ) from PVS FIT at St Thomas Grade School today:

We were luck enough to be invited by the girl scout troupe leader to host a gym day for their Daisy Scouts. This is going to be a TON of fun.  We have a lot of great stuff planned for those rascals ranging from tumbling and gymnastics basics, all the way to movement science fundamentals. These little girls are going to be learning without even knowing it!! shhhhh  Don’t tell them though, it’ll ruin it!!!

You can also see Paul tomorrow at Tetra Tech in Ann Arbor on Avis St.:

I am doing a lunch and learn seminar for all the employees at that location and at satellite locations. So if you are the lucky few who work at the company or it’s affiliates, come on down for some free value packed info!! There will be a short seminar, some valuable things to take home and an open Q&A after. One of my clients will be there and has graciously agreed to cook a healthy snack for everyone. My beautiful wife will also be there and she’ll be filming the whole thing.  Hopefully we can add some clips to site sooner than later! If you are attending there will also be an opportunity to join the PVS FIT team of successful clients.  I have put together some VERY special offers that are special just for the attendants of this seminar. They will only be offered once and are for a limited time. This is a great opportunity to push into the right direction.   

If you are interested in having PVS FIT come to your place of business or event Please, don’t hesitate to call us and book a time!  the number is 1-877-445-4175

we are standing by for your call!!

Hey again! This is Paul with a very exciting blog to share with you all. WE have just added a very successful, knowledgeable, and talented Health and Wellness expert to the PVS FIT team. He has been a close personal friend of mine for years, and I feel very fortunate to have him aboard. You will all enjoy and benefit from his contributions here. I promise!

I’m really excited to be able offer even more value to each and every one of you. We both know how difficult it is to stay healthy, so the more ammunition we can provide for you, the better!

Read below and get a thorough intro to the guy I like to call “the wellness guru”!!!

Hello, everyone! My name is RJ Gibbs, and I am the newest member of PVSfit.com. Just to give you a little background on myself, I’ve been a certified personal fitness coach for 5 years now and I have a Bachelor’s Degree in Sport Management and Communication from the University of Michigan (I’ll pause here for a unanimous “Go Blue”). Right now I’m in my last year of graduate studies at Eastern Michigan University where I am a research assistant working on my Masters of Science in Community Health Education.

My role at PVSfit is to not only give you sound exercise and nutrition advice, but also to provide for you ways to keep you and your loved ones healthy and happy. It is my goal in life to provide people with knowledge and skills to increase their overall quality of life by improving lifestyle habits and helping people adopt healthier lifestyles. I hope that in reading my contributions to the website you gain some insight on how you can apply these principles to your life starting RIGHT NOW.

I will also be taking some time to answer questions you might have (by submitting them to the website) as well as debunking a lot of the garbage that is published in health and fitness magazines these days. Yes, you can get a lot of valuable information out of them, but have you ever noticed that a lot of it is conflicting? Or better yet, doesn’t a lot of the information almost sound “too good to be true?” My job is to dispel a lot of these fitness myths and help set you guys and girls straight so you don’t get frustrated.

So sit back, relax, and enjoy the show. Better yet, go grab a heart pounding workout and THEN sit down to read this, that way you don’t have the energy to get up and you’ll be more likely to read my articles J ENJOY!

-The Wellness Guru